2023 Women's Volleyball Roster
Russ, Mac
Jersey Number 25
Mac Russ
- Class:
- Junior
- Position:
- MB
- Height:
- 6-0
- Hometown:
- Colorado Springs, Colo.
- High School:
- Marvin Ridge (Waxhaw, N.C.)
- Club Team:
- Carolina Union
- Squadron:
- 25 Redeye
- Major:
- Operations Research
Bio
JUNIOR YEAR | 2023: All-Mountain West (honorable mention) selection…equaled the program’s Division I record for blocks in a match with 14 against UT Arlington…that mark also matched the facility record…saw action in 112 sets…started all 29 matches…accounted for 111 blocks, including 17 solo stops…led the team in blocks 13 times…tallied career-high totals in assisted (12) and total (14) stops during the UTA match…added a season-high two solo stops during that contest…also recorded multiple solo blocks against CSU Bakersfield, San Diego State and Colorado State…totaled at least five blocks in 10 matches…debuted on the program’s Division I career Top 10 in all three blocking categories…added 245 kills on .352 hitting (245-67-505)…led team in attacking efficiency during 10 matches…hit a season-high .600 (10-1-15) in the Falcons’ win over San Jose State…hit over .500 in five matches…equaled career high with a 15-kill performance in the win over Utah State…reached double-digit kill totals 11 times…added 11 kills against UT Arlington for first double-double (14 blocks)…tallied a career-high five digs twice (Milwaukee, UNLV)…named Air Force Cadet-Athlete of the Week following the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic…named to the all-tournament teams of the Gonzaga Invitational and Santa Clara Mission Classic…academic all-conference selection…team captain.
SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2022: One of two players to see action in all 120 sets…member of the starting lineup 19 times…accounted for 105 blocks (18 solo, 87 assisted) and 221 kills on .247 hitting…recorded 100th career block against Idaho State…posted first double-digit blocking total with a career-best 11 stops in Air Force’s win over Nevada…tallied a career-high three solo and eight assisted blocks during that match…named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for that performance…tallied at least five blocks in nine contests, while posting at least two stops in 25…led the team in blocking nine times…recorded a career-high 15 kills in Falcons’ win over New Mexico…added double-digit kill totals against San Diego State (13), Wyoming (12) and UNLV (10), while tallying nine kills in seven additional contests…led the team in hitting six times, backed by a season-best .481 performance at San Diego State (13-0-27)…hit over .400 six times…added 32 digs and 10 assists on the year…matched career high with a four-dig outing against Idaho State…academic all-conference selection.
FRESHMAN YEAR | 2021: Earned the team’s Amy Svoboda Award…played in 84 matches…member of the starting rotation 21 times…ranked second on the team with 76 blocks, including 10 solo stops…posted career-high tallies in solo blocks (three) and total blocks (nine) in the win over Cal State Fullerton…added 11 kills on .346 (11-2-26) hitting against the Titans…tallied a personal-best eight assisted blocks in the win over Iowa…tallied at least four blocks nine times…held a share of the team lead in blocking 12 times…registered 154 kills on .256 hitting (154-57-379) for the year…posted a career-high 12 kills at Wyoming…hit over .300 in 11 contests, including five over .400…added 37 digs and 11 service aces…tallied a career-high four digs during matches against Cal State Fullerton, Iowa and Boise State…also recorded a personal-best two aces against the Hawkeyes…matched that tally in the home finale against New Mexico…named Mountain West Freshman of the Week following wins over Iowa and Incarnate Word at the Mile High Invitational…member of the all-tournament team at Gonzaga…academic all-conference selection.
HIGH SCHOOL | CLUB TEAM: Marvin Ridge High School (Waxhaw, N.C.)…coached by Brook Hammers…MVP of the 3A state championship match in 2018…led team to the state title that year…recorded more than 1000 career kills…PrepVolleyball All-American in 2018…two-time first-team all-state selection…three-time all-conference selection…named to the JVA All-National Team as a junior and JVA watchlist as a senior…mentioned on the Frosh 59 and Soph 79 lists by PrepVolleyball…finalist for the PV Best High School Sophomore…selected as NCHSAA Athlete of the Week during first week of senior season…ranked eighth in the state in hitting (conference leading .455) as a sophomore…also earned all-tournament honors at the NRCA Tournament that year…played for Palmer Ridge High School (Monument, Colo.) as a freshman…earned first-team all-conference and all-state honorable mention honors that year…named PRHS Offensive Player of the Year…led conference in hitting (.416)…advanced to the state tournament every year...finished high school with an unweighted 4.0 GPA…played club volleyball for Carolina Union Volleyball Club while in North Carolina…coached by John Brannon…played 18s for three years…played on teams that claimed seven bids to nationals (five at the open level) in eight years…member of the first CUVB girls team to attend USAV Nationals at any level…played on the team that finished third at the 2021 Mizuno Volleyball Festival.
PERSONAL: Full name is Mackenzie Amanda Russ…goes by Mac…daughter of Steve and Betsy Russ…both parents graduated from the Air Force Academy…father, a 1995 graduate, was a member of the Falcons’ football team, while mother, a 1994 graduate, played on the Falcons’ volleyball team…has one younger brother, who is a freshman at the Academy and member of the Falcons’ baseball team…majoring in operations research…future plans include becoming an aircraft maintenance officer…named to the Commandant’s List for excellence in military performance…also named to the Dean’s List…serving as A1 Division Chief in squadron…aunt, Rozi Russ, is a 2002 Academy graduate and former member of the Air Force women’s basketball team…three uncles also played collegiate athletics – Tyler Russ (football at Ohio University), Sam Russ (baseball at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh), Ron Russ (track at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)…hobbies include baking, watching anime, and hanging out with friends…greatest personal moment in sports came when her high school team won the 3A state championship in 2018…oversaw more than 200 rising juniors and seniors this summer, while serving as the Cadet Commander for Jack’s Valley during Basic Cadet Training…also took an academic class…member of Cadet Squadron 25.
SOPHOMORE YEAR | 2022: One of two players to see action in all 120 sets…member of the starting lineup 19 times…accounted for 105 blocks (18 solo, 87 assisted) and 221 kills on .247 hitting…recorded 100th career block against Idaho State…posted first double-digit blocking total with a career-best 11 stops in Air Force’s win over Nevada…tallied a career-high three solo and eight assisted blocks during that match…named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for that performance…tallied at least five blocks in nine contests, while posting at least two stops in 25…led the team in blocking nine times…recorded a career-high 15 kills in Falcons’ win over New Mexico…added double-digit kill totals against San Diego State (13), Wyoming (12) and UNLV (10), while tallying nine kills in seven additional contests…led the team in hitting six times, backed by a season-best .481 performance at San Diego State (13-0-27)…hit over .400 six times…added 32 digs and 10 assists on the year…matched career high with a four-dig outing against Idaho State…academic all-conference selection.
FRESHMAN YEAR | 2021: Earned the team’s Amy Svoboda Award…played in 84 matches…member of the starting rotation 21 times…ranked second on the team with 76 blocks, including 10 solo stops…posted career-high tallies in solo blocks (three) and total blocks (nine) in the win over Cal State Fullerton…added 11 kills on .346 (11-2-26) hitting against the Titans…tallied a personal-best eight assisted blocks in the win over Iowa…tallied at least four blocks nine times…held a share of the team lead in blocking 12 times…registered 154 kills on .256 hitting (154-57-379) for the year…posted a career-high 12 kills at Wyoming…hit over .300 in 11 contests, including five over .400…added 37 digs and 11 service aces…tallied a career-high four digs during matches against Cal State Fullerton, Iowa and Boise State…also recorded a personal-best two aces against the Hawkeyes…matched that tally in the home finale against New Mexico…named Mountain West Freshman of the Week following wins over Iowa and Incarnate Word at the Mile High Invitational…member of the all-tournament team at Gonzaga…academic all-conference selection.
HIGH SCHOOL | CLUB TEAM: Marvin Ridge High School (Waxhaw, N.C.)…coached by Brook Hammers…MVP of the 3A state championship match in 2018…led team to the state title that year…recorded more than 1000 career kills…PrepVolleyball All-American in 2018…two-time first-team all-state selection…three-time all-conference selection…named to the JVA All-National Team as a junior and JVA watchlist as a senior…mentioned on the Frosh 59 and Soph 79 lists by PrepVolleyball…finalist for the PV Best High School Sophomore…selected as NCHSAA Athlete of the Week during first week of senior season…ranked eighth in the state in hitting (conference leading .455) as a sophomore…also earned all-tournament honors at the NRCA Tournament that year…played for Palmer Ridge High School (Monument, Colo.) as a freshman…earned first-team all-conference and all-state honorable mention honors that year…named PRHS Offensive Player of the Year…led conference in hitting (.416)…advanced to the state tournament every year...finished high school with an unweighted 4.0 GPA…played club volleyball for Carolina Union Volleyball Club while in North Carolina…coached by John Brannon…played 18s for three years…played on teams that claimed seven bids to nationals (five at the open level) in eight years…member of the first CUVB girls team to attend USAV Nationals at any level…played on the team that finished third at the 2021 Mizuno Volleyball Festival.
PERSONAL: Full name is Mackenzie Amanda Russ…goes by Mac…daughter of Steve and Betsy Russ…both parents graduated from the Air Force Academy…father, a 1995 graduate, was a member of the Falcons’ football team, while mother, a 1994 graduate, played on the Falcons’ volleyball team…has one younger brother, who is a freshman at the Academy and member of the Falcons’ baseball team…majoring in operations research…future plans include becoming an aircraft maintenance officer…named to the Commandant’s List for excellence in military performance…also named to the Dean’s List…serving as A1 Division Chief in squadron…aunt, Rozi Russ, is a 2002 Academy graduate and former member of the Air Force women’s basketball team…three uncles also played collegiate athletics – Tyler Russ (football at Ohio University), Sam Russ (baseball at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh), Ron Russ (track at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)…hobbies include baking, watching anime, and hanging out with friends…greatest personal moment in sports came when her high school team won the 3A state championship in 2018…oversaw more than 200 rising juniors and seniors this summer, while serving as the Cadet Commander for Jack’s Valley during Basic Cadet Training…also took an academic class…member of Cadet Squadron 25.
Macey Donathan Interview Sept 9, 2025
Tuesday, September 09
Macey Donathan Interview - September 2nd, 2025
Tuesday, September 02
Falcons win big over Seattle U
Sunday, August 31
Air Force wins in 4 sets against Portland State
Saturday, August 30
