There were only two people employed by Vanderbilt Volleyball when Hailee Mack first visited campus in 2023: head coach Anders Nelson and defensive coordinator Russell Corbelli. The program was starting from scratch after a nearly 40-year-long hiatus.
The now sophomore was a blue-chip recruit out of IMG Academy in Florida, and the new coaches were eager to impress. But Mack’s official visit didn’t go exactly as planned.
“I remember they were trying to get us into the dorms, and they could not figure it out. Anders [Nelson] was freaking out a little bit,” Mack said. “I remember he went up to my dad and he was like, ‘I’m so sorry about this.’ And my dad said, ‘Don’t worry about it. She wants to be here.’”
Mack’s father was right — the libero had her heart set on Vanderbilt.
“We had a meeting in [Nelson’s] office like five minutes later, and that’s when I decided to commit — right on the spot,” Mack said.
Built for this
Competition is hardwired into Mack’s DNA, literally.
“I came from a very competitive family. Both of my parents played Division I basketball, and I have a little sister who plays Division I volleyball, too. It runs in our blood a little bit,” Mack said.
That intrinsic drive for competition is what makes volleyball so exciting for Mack.
“I think volleyball is so exciting because there’s a point every play,” Mack said. “It’s one of the most exciting sports to not only watch, but also to play, because it’s so active. It’s all about energy and momentum.”
Mack’s competitive mentality is exactly what sets her apart as a libero. She can be seen diving for a ball practically every other play. Her competitive spirit is clear on paper, as well. The libero started playing competitively at the age of 10 and has been a part of some of the premier programs in the nation. Success with her club team, KIVA, paved the way for Mack to join IMG Academy — a world-renowned sports preparatory school in Bradenton, Florida.
While at IMG, Mack’s resume only continued to grow. The Louisville, Kentucky, native was named a captain for her team at IMG and earned a spot in the USA National Team Development Program — a program founded to develop high-potential athletes for a national team that has medaled in the last three Summer Olympics.
Colleges flocked to sign the IMG standout, and Mack originally committed to Missouri to build off her relationship with Corbelli, who had coached her at KIVA and was an assistant for the Tigers at the time. But after Corbelli’s move to Vanderbilt, Mack reopened her recruitment with one destination in mind: Vanderbilt.
Leap of faith
West End was an easy sell for Mack. On top of her trust in Corbelli, Vanderbilt stood out as an incomparable destination.
“It’s definitely hard to play [at a] high-level and also get high-level academics,” Mack said. “Vanderbilt is in the SEC, so you’re playing those really high-level teams, but also, you’re getting a good degree at the same time.”
But one major stipulation loomed over the decision: If Mack committed, she would have to redshirt her freshman year. The program was slated to debut at the start of the 2025-26 season, meaning all its commitments would have to go through the 2024-25 campaign without competing.
However, Mack saw the redshirt year as an opportunity.
“Honestly, when I heard about getting to redshirt, I [thought], ‘That’s such an opportunity to focus on my development and also my teammates,” Mack said. “I feel like going from high school and club to college is such a level jump with any sport, but especially volleyball.”
Mack saw tangible benefits in terms of time to weightlift and adjust to harder swings, but she also saw an opportunity to take on a large role early in her career.
“I could step into a leadership role right away because we have a really young team,” Mack said. “I could earn playing time right away and really make an impact on the court.”
The down year wasn’t without its challenges, however. The greatest struggle manifested itself to Mack as a lack of new, exciting tests.
“It definitely got a little redundant [during that first year] because, obviously, all we did was practice,” Mack said. “It was hard without getting to play games. But I think the coaches did a good job keeping us engaged in competition.”
The coaches ran frequent scrimmages and held outdoor tournaments on grass to satisfy the team’s competitive spirit and keep them engaged — but still, it was no match for the real thing in Mack’s mind.
“I think they did a good job of allowing us to still compete, even if it wasn’t in front of all of these people,” Mack said. “Honestly, it’s made me that much more grateful now that I get to play games and we get to compete.”
The Commodores have, in fact, gotten the chance to compete. After a 40-year-long hiatus, the team was thrown into the fire on the road against then-No. 24 Kansas. They then turned right around and defended home court against Belmont in front of 3,400 fans in their grand return to Vanderbilt. But the transition came naturally to Mack and Co.
“I think we were all just so excited to be there that the nerves kind of slipped away,” Mack said. “[Nelson] does a really good job of reminding us that we’re supposed to be here.”
The team has begun to get the hang of competing against new opponents week in and week out.
“Because we were playing against each other [last year], we knew each other’s tendencies,” Mack said. “But now that we’re having to scout other teams and figure out what shots the other teams like to hit, or what serves they have, I think that’s helping us be more adaptable. I think that’ll help us grow.”
Watering their bamboo
One of Mack’s main objectives for her time on West End is to establish a winning culture. So far, she and her teammates have done a good job of laying the foundation.
“We were able to make relationships when we didn’t have to worry about the pressure of winning games right away, and I think that made us super strong,” Mack said. “We took a foreign trip to Japan, which was really cool, and we got to be with each other 24/7.”
But ultimately, Mack wants to build a culture that will survive her.
“I think what’s really important to me is that I can come back here in a few years and look at the girls on the team, and they all really, really care,” Mack said.
That passion is shared by all 17 of her teammates according to Mack, something that the coaches and team worked hard to foster during the 2024-25 down year.
“We had a motto during that redshirt year. It was: ‘Water your bamboo,’” Mack said. “We talked about how people water bamboo and then one day it’ll just spurt up out of the ground.”
The bamboo sprouted on Aug. 23 against Kansas, but Mack and Co. have sown the seeds to grow a forest.
“For in the future, we have a pyramid that has each thing we were talking about [last year],” Mack said. “Obviously, we want to compete for championships. That’s the top of the pyramid.”
A championship is a lofty goal, but Mack has always been a winner. The sophomore’s mentality, talent and leadership will be Vanderbilt’s stepping stones to the top of the pyramid.
