Mackenzie Plante – the No. 120-ranked prospect by PrepVolleyball.com – has signed with the Tennessee volleyball program. She will enroll and begin classes at UT in January.
“I chose Tennessee because the fit was right for me,” Plante said. “The coaches were invested not only in me as a volleyball player, but they were invested in me as a student and person. Tennessee has great academics, and they support women at the university. Instantly, there was a family feel and I felt people emphasizing women’s sports and the Lady Vols tradition.”
An outside hitter from Dripping Springs, Texas, Plante plays for Dripping Springs High School. The 6-1 Plante played club ball for Austin Performance out of Austin, Texas, for six years.
“Mackenzie was our first commitment in the 2023 class,” head coach Eve Rackham Watt said. “We are excited that she will finally be joining us. She is physical and skilled as an outside hitter, which is a really special combination. We believe that as she develops, Mackenzie will be a heavily relied-on attacker and will handle the ball quite a bit for us. What I really like about her is that she has been a go-to player her whole career and is used to carrying a big load. Mackenzie will join us in January to get a jump start on training for the 2023 season.”
Still competing in the state tournament this season, Plante has guided her team to back-to-back top-five finishes the past two years – placing fifth as a junior and third as a sophomore. In both seasons she garnered 26-5A All-District MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
A six-rotation player, she has totaled 1,535 kills, 1,254 digs, 179 aces and 150 blocks in her high school career.
With her club team, Plante finished third at nationals in the National Division.
Her parents, Aaron and Traci, played football and competed in track & field at UTEP, while her brother Austin plays baseball at Washington State.
“I chose Tennessee because the fit was right for me,” Plante said. “The coaches were invested not only in me as a volleyball player, but they were invested in me as a student and person. Tennessee has great academics, and they support women at the university. Instantly, there was a family feel and I felt people emphasizing women’s sports and the Lady Vols tradition.”
An outside hitter from Dripping Springs, Texas, Plante plays for Dripping Springs High School. The 6-1 Plante played club ball for Austin Performance out of Austin, Texas, for six years.
“Mackenzie was our first commitment in the 2023 class,” head coach Eve Rackham Watt said. “We are excited that she will finally be joining us. She is physical and skilled as an outside hitter, which is a really special combination. We believe that as she develops, Mackenzie will be a heavily relied-on attacker and will handle the ball quite a bit for us. What I really like about her is that she has been a go-to player her whole career and is used to carrying a big load. Mackenzie will join us in January to get a jump start on training for the 2023 season.”
Still competing in the state tournament this season, Plante has guided her team to back-to-back top-five finishes the past two years – placing fifth as a junior and third as a sophomore. In both seasons she garnered 26-5A All-District MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
A six-rotation player, she has totaled 1,535 kills, 1,254 digs, 179 aces and 150 blocks in her high school career.
With her club team, Plante finished third at nationals in the National Division.
Her parents, Aaron and Traci, played football and competed in track & field at UTEP, while her brother Austin plays baseball at Washington State.
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