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Cole Sisters Cherish Opportunity to Play Together Again
9/22/2021 3:46:00 PM | Volleyball
by Kyle Williams, GoDuke The Magazine Online
The NCAA ruling that provided student-athletes an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic has seen many players across different sports decide to enroll at new universities as graduate transfers. The reasoning behind a student-athlete opting to do so can vary, whether it be a chance of a fresh start with a different team or an opportunity to pursue a master's degree at an alternate institution. In the case of Taylor Cole, the possibility of competing for the Duke volleyball team offered something even more special – a year to play with her sister, Mackenzie.
Mackenzie Cole has cemented her place as one of the nation's top defensive specialists over her last three seasons in Durham. The senior from Oakdale, N.Y., put together an All-ACC and AVCA All-East Region campaign last year, when she racked up the third-most digs in the conference (396) and had the league's fourth-most service aces (38). Yet for all of her impressive accolades and on-court achievements, the 2021 season may prove to be the most exciting yet, as Mackenzie and Taylor line up alongside one another for the first time since their days at Connetquot High School.
"It's been really special," Mackenzie Cole said. "Playing together, we're the same position, so not only do we get to practice together, but we get to work on the same skills together. I'd like to think we push each other better in practice and it's always been a super supportive environment between the two of us. Even though we play the same position, it's always been encouraging and wanting each other to thrive."
But when she was accepted into the Sanford School of Public Policy, Taylor began exploring the potential of competing on the court for one more year, this time with the Blue Devils. When a call was set up for her to talk with Head Coach Jolene Nagel, the interest only kept growing, and before she knew it, Taylor was once again entrenched in the sport that had surrounded her since elementary school.
"It lived in the back of my mind for a little bit and things definitely moved quickly once it started happening," Taylor said. "It was a very emotional couple of weeks because I had my farewell with volleyball and my college career was done, and then this opportunity became available to me and I jumped at it."
On July 9, Taylor was officially welcomed to the Duke volleyball team. On the court, the 5-9 outside hitter and defensive specialist figured to fit in seamlessly on Nagel's roster, but within the team dynamic, she was faced with starting over after four years of carving out a leadership role at Iona. She was a team captain her senior year, but arrived at Duke as new to the program as the incoming freshman class. The stark contrast did not faze Taylor, however, as a career's worth of experience taught her the multiple ways in which someone could lead on a team.
"One of the things I was being mindful of coming in was that I hadn't earned authority yet," she said. Â "But there's a difference between authority and leadership, and I think we can choose to be leaders in our actions and anybody can be a leader. Having been in an assigned leadership role at my last institution, I find leading by example can come naturally to me. Ultimately, I do like to defer to Mackenzie's leadership as someone who has spent so much time and energy developing this program into what it is today."
Mackenzie's commitment to the Duke program is evident from her mentality at the start of this season. Individually, she remains a model student-athlete, with 1,407 digs to her name – which rank 29th on the NCAA active career leaders chart – as well as a pair of All-ACC Academic team selections. There is very little, if any, validation needed for her legacy at Duke, but the senior team captain entered this fall ready to lead the team back to a level of national prominence it has not experienced in recent years. After nine NCAA Tournament appearances in a 10-year span from 2005-14, the Blue Devils now seek their first trip to the postseason since Mackenzie's freshman campaign in 2018.
"We went into preseason, we had conversations with [Director of Sports Psychology] Greg Dale and we decided that we had one main goal. We usually have minor goals and some big goals, but we have one goal and it's an obsession with making the NCAA Tournament. I think from the first match, we really tried to make that known. Obviously, during the great streak we had of six wins in a row, just keeping that mindset of being obsessed with making the tournament. It just is the standard at Duke – you make the tournament and you go far in the tournament."
Much of the Blue Devils' early season success – their 6-0 record out of the gate marked the program's best start since 2002 – can be attributed to Mackenzie. Her 170 digs currently rank fourth in the ACC, and she has registered a .954 reception percentage on 152 total attempts. The experience of playing alongside Taylor, however, has also served as a factor in Mackenzie's performances, while reminding the sisters of a natural chemistry on the court that dates back to their youth.
"I feel like we definitely have that," Mackenzie said. "We started playing together on a team when we were eight or nine – really young. We played with each other through elementary, middle and high school, so obviously we have a lot of experience playing together. Then, just being sisters – I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but I'm not afraid to get on her and be like, 'You can be better, get to that ball.' We make each other better in that regard and there are some little things, like I know when we're going to be in sync for a ball. It's just easy and fluid on the court."
"I think the point at which we started playing high school ball together and were taking our game to another level where it became real volleyball and not just trying to return it over the net was when we started to realize that we're great together," Taylor added. "It's also great because I know how steady she is on the court and I can always depend on her when she's next to me."
That calm, unwavering demeanor has become a trademark for Mackenzie, or 'Macka,' as she is called by the team. It can make all the difference in a back-and-forth match, when confidence sways like a roller coaster and the team needs a source of stability. If the Blue Devils find themselves in a spot where a level-headed, confident approach would lift them to winning a set, they know to look to their captain.
"I think the thing Macka is known for is her steadiness," Taylor said. "I think that no matter what, if it's the most emotionally tumultuous game we've ever played, she is level. While I think my strengths lie in energizing the team, screaming my head off, you know you can look at her and you can feel centered."
The sisters do not shy away when pointing out their different individual styles. In a sense, they are a microcosm of what every successful team needs – a source of active, spirited energy to go with composure and balance.Â
"Taylor brings a lot of energy when she plays," Mackenzie said. "She cares more than anyone I've ever played with. She really cares about everyone, she cares about our play and she cares about the success of the program. She's definitely very vocal when she comes in and when she's in timeouts. I feel like maybe I'm more of the example person and she's more of the vocal person."
The contrasting styles on the court do not interfere with their tight-knit relationship, though. Away from the game, the two live in the same hall in the same building, now getting to enjoy the close proximity to one another after four years of separation. For Mackenzie, the reality of being together again did not set in until after Taylor arrived on campus.
"It's been so special and it was hard for me to fully understand until she was here in person," she said. "For some reason, I think media day was a big thing for us, just because she had always seen how big of a deal it is here and all the extra cool things that we get here. Once she was here in person, going to classes and everything, that's when it became real. Now we live together, we share a car together, we drive everywhere together, so it's been awesome."
As Duke navigates the rest of its fall schedule fighting for a return to the NCAA Tournament, the Cole sisters figure to play a pivotal role in not just how many matches the Blue Devils win, but also how they respond from setbacks. Even after a September trip to Michigan yielded two losses – one of which to rival North Carolina – the team returned home undeterred, still obsessed as ever with its ultimate objective.
"I think we faced some adversity [vs. Michigan and North Carolina] with great competition," Mackenzie said. "But we came back with the same goal in practice. We're just trying to keep that goal in mind and keep piling up wins."
Â
The NCAA ruling that provided student-athletes an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic has seen many players across different sports decide to enroll at new universities as graduate transfers. The reasoning behind a student-athlete opting to do so can vary, whether it be a chance of a fresh start with a different team or an opportunity to pursue a master's degree at an alternate institution. In the case of Taylor Cole, the possibility of competing for the Duke volleyball team offered something even more special – a year to play with her sister, Mackenzie.
Mackenzie Cole has cemented her place as one of the nation's top defensive specialists over her last three seasons in Durham. The senior from Oakdale, N.Y., put together an All-ACC and AVCA All-East Region campaign last year, when she racked up the third-most digs in the conference (396) and had the league's fourth-most service aces (38). Yet for all of her impressive accolades and on-court achievements, the 2021 season may prove to be the most exciting yet, as Mackenzie and Taylor line up alongside one another for the first time since their days at Connetquot High School.
"It's been really special," Mackenzie Cole said. "Playing together, we're the same position, so not only do we get to practice together, but we get to work on the same skills together. I'd like to think we push each other better in practice and it's always been a super supportive environment between the two of us. Even though we play the same position, it's always been encouraging and wanting each other to thrive."
The idea of playing at Duke with Mackenzie may have seemed farfetched for Taylor not too long ago. She had just concluded a four-year career at Iona College in which she excelled on and off the court, earning MAAC All-Academic Team selections in three straight years while notching 639 career digs. She was honored during Iona's Senior Day on March 28, and Taylor herself would admit that she felt it was the culmination of her volleyball playing days.
But when she was accepted into the Sanford School of Public Policy, Taylor began exploring the potential of competing on the court for one more year, this time with the Blue Devils. When a call was set up for her to talk with Head Coach Jolene Nagel, the interest only kept growing, and before she knew it, Taylor was once again entrenched in the sport that had surrounded her since elementary school.
"It lived in the back of my mind for a little bit and things definitely moved quickly once it started happening," Taylor said. "It was a very emotional couple of weeks because I had my farewell with volleyball and my college career was done, and then this opportunity became available to me and I jumped at it."
On July 9, Taylor was officially welcomed to the Duke volleyball team. On the court, the 5-9 outside hitter and defensive specialist figured to fit in seamlessly on Nagel's roster, but within the team dynamic, she was faced with starting over after four years of carving out a leadership role at Iona. She was a team captain her senior year, but arrived at Duke as new to the program as the incoming freshman class. The stark contrast did not faze Taylor, however, as a career's worth of experience taught her the multiple ways in which someone could lead on a team.
"One of the things I was being mindful of coming in was that I hadn't earned authority yet," she said. Â "But there's a difference between authority and leadership, and I think we can choose to be leaders in our actions and anybody can be a leader. Having been in an assigned leadership role at my last institution, I find leading by example can come naturally to me. Ultimately, I do like to defer to Mackenzie's leadership as someone who has spent so much time and energy developing this program into what it is today."
Mackenzie's commitment to the Duke program is evident from her mentality at the start of this season. Individually, she remains a model student-athlete, with 1,407 digs to her name – which rank 29th on the NCAA active career leaders chart – as well as a pair of All-ACC Academic team selections. There is very little, if any, validation needed for her legacy at Duke, but the senior team captain entered this fall ready to lead the team back to a level of national prominence it has not experienced in recent years. After nine NCAA Tournament appearances in a 10-year span from 2005-14, the Blue Devils now seek their first trip to the postseason since Mackenzie's freshman campaign in 2018.
"We went into preseason, we had conversations with [Director of Sports Psychology] Greg Dale and we decided that we had one main goal. We usually have minor goals and some big goals, but we have one goal and it's an obsession with making the NCAA Tournament. I think from the first match, we really tried to make that known. Obviously, during the great streak we had of six wins in a row, just keeping that mindset of being obsessed with making the tournament. It just is the standard at Duke – you make the tournament and you go far in the tournament."
Much of the Blue Devils' early season success – their 6-0 record out of the gate marked the program's best start since 2002 – can be attributed to Mackenzie. Her 170 digs currently rank fourth in the ACC, and she has registered a .954 reception percentage on 152 total attempts. The experience of playing alongside Taylor, however, has also served as a factor in Mackenzie's performances, while reminding the sisters of a natural chemistry on the court that dates back to their youth.
"I feel like we definitely have that," Mackenzie said. "We started playing together on a team when we were eight or nine – really young. We played with each other through elementary, middle and high school, so obviously we have a lot of experience playing together. Then, just being sisters – I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but I'm not afraid to get on her and be like, 'You can be better, get to that ball.' We make each other better in that regard and there are some little things, like I know when we're going to be in sync for a ball. It's just easy and fluid on the court."
"I think the point at which we started playing high school ball together and were taking our game to another level where it became real volleyball and not just trying to return it over the net was when we started to realize that we're great together," Taylor added. "It's also great because I know how steady she is on the court and I can always depend on her when she's next to me."
That calm, unwavering demeanor has become a trademark for Mackenzie, or 'Macka,' as she is called by the team. It can make all the difference in a back-and-forth match, when confidence sways like a roller coaster and the team needs a source of stability. If the Blue Devils find themselves in a spot where a level-headed, confident approach would lift them to winning a set, they know to look to their captain.
"I think the thing Macka is known for is her steadiness," Taylor said. "I think that no matter what, if it's the most emotionally tumultuous game we've ever played, she is level. While I think my strengths lie in energizing the team, screaming my head off, you know you can look at her and you can feel centered."
The sisters do not shy away when pointing out their different individual styles. In a sense, they are a microcosm of what every successful team needs – a source of active, spirited energy to go with composure and balance.Â
"Taylor brings a lot of energy when she plays," Mackenzie said. "She cares more than anyone I've ever played with. She really cares about everyone, she cares about our play and she cares about the success of the program. She's definitely very vocal when she comes in and when she's in timeouts. I feel like maybe I'm more of the example person and she's more of the vocal person."
The contrasting styles on the court do not interfere with their tight-knit relationship, though. Away from the game, the two live in the same hall in the same building, now getting to enjoy the close proximity to one another after four years of separation. For Mackenzie, the reality of being together again did not set in until after Taylor arrived on campus.
"It's been so special and it was hard for me to fully understand until she was here in person," she said. "For some reason, I think media day was a big thing for us, just because she had always seen how big of a deal it is here and all the extra cool things that we get here. Once she was here in person, going to classes and everything, that's when it became real. Now we live together, we share a car together, we drive everywhere together, so it's been awesome."
As Duke navigates the rest of its fall schedule fighting for a return to the NCAA Tournament, the Cole sisters figure to play a pivotal role in not just how many matches the Blue Devils win, but also how they respond from setbacks. Even after a September trip to Michigan yielded two losses – one of which to rival North Carolina – the team returned home undeterred, still obsessed as ever with its ultimate objective.
"I think we faced some adversity [vs. Michigan and North Carolina] with great competition," Mackenzie said. "But we came back with the same goal in practice. We're just trying to keep that goal in mind and keep piling up wins."
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