Senior Spotlight: Crossroads’ Cole Takes Volleyball Career to Bethel

MISportsNow is putting the spotlight on northern Michigan high school senior student-athletes who had their seasons cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Big Rapids Crossroads senior Mackenzie Cole is set to continue her volleyball career at Bethel University in the fall.

Cole, who will studying nursing, had dreams of playing volleyball collegiately but didn’t want to pursue the idea if the college wasn’t the right fit. She hadn’t considered playing volleyball at Bethel until she visited the Mishawaka, Ind. campus.

“I went and visited Bethel University and a girl came up to me. She was like, ‘Hey, are you going to play a sport?’ I was like ‘No, I think I’m going to focus on academics because nursing seems tough.’ She was like, ‘Oh, no. Here, come talk to the JV player.’ She was like ‘No, it’s super flexible and totally you’ll have time for school work.’ And then I started talking to the coach and then it all just worked out,” Cole said.

Cole joins an NAIA Bethel program that went 13-23 during the 2019 season.