Mackenzi Valko
The little sister is just like the big brother — they both love hitting.
During his days as a football player at Coupeville High School, former Wolf captain Caleb Valko was a beast on defense, living for that moment when he could unleash a bone-rattling hit on a hapless foe.
Younger sister Mackenzi Valko, a freshman on the Wolf JV volleyball squad, is the same, though she limits her hitting to the ball and not an opposing player.
Though if the other player gets in the way of the ball, well…
“What I love the most is hitting, or spiking,” Valko said. “You can ask anyone on my team, I get way over-excited when I get the chance to hit the ball.”
A veteran swimmer (she’s been on a team for six years), Valko first picked up a volleyball as a competitive player as soon as she moved into middle school.
“I originally came up with the idea to play when I was sixth grade and watched the high school play,” Valko said. “It looked fun and I wanted to try it.”
As befits someone who enjoys hitting, she generally plays in the front. While still a work in progress, she has strong goals for the present and future.
“I definitely want to work a little on my hitting even though it’s one of my strengths,” Valko said. “I have to work on my timing and the steps.
“My goal is to definitely get to the ball and help my team reach the top,” she added. “For the future, I kind of want to play in college, depending on how I advance throughout high school.”
Away from the court, she enjoys her English class (“I want to study journalism”), the movie “Burlesque” (“I’m obsessed with Christina Aguilera“) and can usually be found glued to Netflix, reading or sleeping.
“I’m pretty laid back.”
Her family are her biggest fans, with her mom being the nurturer and big bro being the vocal go-get-’em guy.
“My mom and my brother have had an impact on the sports I do,” Valko said. “My mom is a huge supporter of swim team and comes to as many volleyball matches as she can.
“My brother actually refuses to allow me to quit because he thinks I can do it.”
Coupeville Sports 