Mackenzie Schweickart is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Marcos de Niza for AZPreps365.com.

Marcos de Niza’s senior volleyball captain Hailey White “came out of the womb an athlete” and a leader. Shortly after she decided basketball wasn’t the sport for her, she found her passion in volleyball.

Both of White’s parents, Rosalie and Charles White, played basketball, so they naturally wanted her to play, too. However, when she was about 6-years old, White started going to the practices of the volleyball team her mother and aunt coached. She started practicing with the team, and she “fell in love."

White excelled over other athletes her age, so she began playing club volleyball sooner than most. Next season will be her last with the East Valley Juniors (EVJ) Volleyball Club when she turns 18-years old.

With graduation in sight, White aspires to play college volleyball, and she has had conversations with different colleges. She has the attitude and the drive to achieve this goal. White grew up around many adults including her parents, her 26-year old brother, and her grandmother, so she’s always been mature for her age. 

             White, 7,  with her grandmother Loretta Pacheco in San Diego (Photo Courtesy: White Family)

“She’s that natural born leader,” coach Melissa Yee said. “As a coach with Hailey, it was more about the knowledge of the game than her playing. She makes things easier, and she has the most caring heart.”

“When it comes to sports, she doesn’t give up,” Charles White said. “She doesn’t complain. When it comes to school work, she doesn’t hesitate. She’s always had that work ethic that she’s going to get it right.”

The student body president has maintained a weighted GPA of 3.6 and doesn’t have much free-time with her busy schedule, but when she does, she enjoys sleeping, reading, or going to Dutch Bros.

“She’s at Dutch seven days a week,” Rosalie White said. “I think I own the one close to us now because of how much she’s there!”

Since she wants to study psychology in college and be a profiler for the FBI, White is reading "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson, which is a true crime novel about the first modern serial killer.

When it comes to music, White describes her music taste as “all over the place.” She’ll switch from Latin to country to rap on long road trips to her parents’ annoyance, but when it comes to game days, she listens to rap or intense music to get her energy up. 

Most student athletes have a role model. For White, it’s her god-sister Heaven Harris, a volleyball player at Northern Arizona University.

“She doesn’t know it, but I really look up to her,” White said. “She works so hard in sports and academically, and I just find myself in her in so many ways. When I was studying for my ACTs, I was texting her for advice because we both deal with test anxiety.”

White has struggled with test anxiety since middle school when a teacher helped her realize what it was. She’ll study hard and know the answers, but she “second guesses” herself once she starts to take the tests. It’s a battle she faces with every test, but White continues to study to maintain her grades.

Within the next five years, White wants to travel as much as possible. She’s not afraid to take the step to travel because her parents raised her to be independent and self-sufficient. Possibly in between college graduation and starting a career, White wants to see the world.

                                                White at 1-year old (Photo Courtesy: White Family)

“Moreso, I would like to travel out of the country, but I want to live in Hawaii for a year,” White said. “From there, I could take a plane to Australia, and from there I want to go to Costa Rica, and from Costa Rica I’ll figure it out from there.”

Due to COVID-19, White’s senior season was in jeopardy. Her club season was cut short in March, and it was uncertain if she would play her high school season. When she finally got the news, her reaction was pure relief to finally play after six months.

“I’m finally getting out of the house!” White said. “But my appreciation for working out and being in the gym has gone up. I can’t live without volleyball.”