Jordan volleyball team unites amidst tragedy

Nearing the halfway point of the season, the Jordan High School girls volleyball team has had a number of challenges and struggles this season. The biggest struggle, however, has unified the team like nothing else.

On Aug. 10, Mackenzie Christensen, a Sandy resident, junior at Jordan High and a member of the school’s volleyball team, was killed in a car accident on her way to a family reunion in Wyoming. The tragic accident occurred just days before the start of the regular season.

Head coach Brandie McCammon had to share the sad news with the girls after that day’s practice. “It was a very hard thing, and there were lots of tears,” she said. “But being together as a team definitely helped us, knowing we could help support each other and support Kenzie’s family and friends.”

The team held a fundraiser for the family during the first game of the season on Aug. 16, and canceled their second game against Park City to attend the funeral on Aug. 18. “It was better to focus on uniting together as a team and helping the family rather than just dwelling on the sadness,” McCammon said.

In honor of Mackenzie, fans wore purple, her favorite color, to Jordan’s opening game. Students at Jordan High were also asked to wear purple during the first day of school.

With what McCammon called a “renewed unity and intensity,” Jordan continued its season, newly dedicated to the memory of their lost teammate.

“We have a lot of talent on the team this year,” McCammon said. “It is really about getting them to be confident and know how good they truly can be.”

In their first two regular season matches, against Uintah on Aug. 16 and American Fork on Aug. 30, the Beetdiggers showed promise taking each to five games before eventually losing both matches 3–2.

Jordan then went on to compete in the Labor Day Classic, held Sept. 3 at Bingham High School. The all-day tournament featured several teams from around the state competing in three-game matches. The Beetdiggers played nine matches, ending with a 2–0 win against Uintah to top the tournament’s silver bracket.

“They really showed their talent and their potential in those tournament games,” McCammon said. “We made some mistakes early on, but we finished strong.”

After the tournament, Jordan suffered a 3-1 loss against West on Sept. 7 and a 3-2 loss in their region opener versus West Jordan Sept. 13. Against the Jaguars, Jordan kept the match close, trading wins in the first four games before losing the fifth in a 17–15 tiebreaker.

“The motto that the girls have chosen for this season is ‘Winners make it happen. Losers let it happen,’” McCammon said. “We just need to find confidence and start living up to that motto.”

During Jordan’s Sept. 15 game against Cottonwood, it was just such confidence that led to the team’s first regional win of the season with a 3-0 victory over the colts.

Leading the team this year are three junior captains who McCammon calls “very talented, all across the court,” Jordan Burgon (middle blocker), Carli Williams (setter) and Mikeila Davis (libero).

Despite the tragic loss of a teammate and a string of early season defeats, McCammon retains hopes for what the Beetdiggers can accomplish this season.

“We are strong and our setbacks make us stronger,” she said. “We are building our confidence now and looking to finish the season strong.”