POUGHKEEPSIE, New York - The Marist volleyball program's primary setter McKinley Fox has had nothing short of an eventful three-year career so far for the Red Foxes. Thankfully, Fox still has two more seasons at Marist to build upon an impressive resume she has already put together. 

In 2018, Fox had the privilege of backing up Taylor van der Biezen, one of the greatest setters to ever wear the Red & White. Van der Biezen, currently an assistant volleyball coach at Bryant University, is a staple in the Marist record books, ranking fifth in program history with 2,753 career assists and eighth in program history with 111 career service aces. Not a bad role model for a young Fox who was a freshman at the time. 

"Coming in as a freshman and having someone who was as good of a player as Taylor was to look up to was definitely lucky for me," Fox said. "I was able to see her competitive mindset and incredible work ethic first-hand, and she always pushed me to be better and work harder. I have definitely taken aspects of her game and tried to incorporate them into my own." 

2019 was a roller-coaster of a year for Fox, the first year in which she was touted as the team's primary setter following the graduation of van der Biezen.

"McKinley suffered an injury early in the 2019 season, but she never ceased to be involved with every aspect of our program during her return to compete," Head Coach Sean Byron said. "It wasn't the easiest injury to overcome, but McKinley worked as hard as anyone I have coached in order to get back on the court and help us win matches, and I am very proud of her for that."

Fox did not JUST return from the injury, she thrived in her return and put up monster numbers. The Santa Cruz product played in 19 matches and put up career-high statistics across the board including 611 assists, 137 digs, 13 service aces, 20 kills, and 14 blocks. In the biggest match of her career, Fox tallied a career-high 55 assists (not to mention she also had 10 digs for a double-double) in the MAAC Semifinals against Fairfield, almost leading the Red Foxes to a massive upset before dropping the fifth and final set to the eventual MAAC Champion Stags. 

That match against Fairfield took place on November 23, 2019, exactly 594 days ago. During that span, Fox has only gotten to play in four volleyball matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however that is not stopping her drive to compete. She has been working hard to stay in shape and be ready to compete in 2021 and beyond. 

"Last fall we did a lot of conditioning and outdoor workouts and we were fortunately able to have a few weeks in the gym in the spring," Fox said. "It has definitely not been a typical year for training or playing volleyball, but our coaches have given us a lot of workouts and guidance to help us prepare for the fall. We are given very specific and individualized schedules so that each of us comes back stronger and more prepared for a real preseason and conference. I have also been doing some training with CrossFit as well as playing beach volleyball. I have a tournament with Madelyn Waumans coming up which will be a good experience."

Fox was named a captain ahead of the abbreviated 2020-21 season, and it is safe to say that she will be returning in that role for the foreseeable future. One of the main reasons for that being her drive to win. 

"Winning a MAAC Championship is the most important thing to me moving forward," Fox said. "It can be strange going from only playing a couple of matches in the off season to having a full season, so finding that competitive nature in all of us is something I am hoping to see this fall. As a captain, I am hoping to lead by example in a manner that teammates, especially the younger players, will want to emulate."

Fortunately, the 2021 season will not be Fox's farewell tour, as she plans on returning for a fifth year in 2022 and pursuing her master's degree at Marist. 

"When I was presented with the opportunity to stay for a fifth year from Coach Sean it was something I could not turn down," Fox said. "Every athlete I talk to recommends playing another year, so I have decided that I will be pursuing my Masters of Business Administration in 2022 after completing my undergraduate degree. Despite the obstacles we have all faced this past year and a half, I have always been confident in my decision to be at Marist. It is a school that will continue to challenge me both athletically and academically which is a characteristic I considered a lot in my decision. Our team also has such a tight bond and I am super excited to see how that grows even stronger in the next couple of years with the young players."

"McKinley is a natural leader and we are so excited to finally let her lead our already talented incoming class on the court and around campus in 2021," Byron explained. He then continued, "I am equally as excited that she plans to return to Marist in 2022 and pursue an MBA while being able to compete with the team due to gaining a fifth year of eligibility from the NCAA. I can't wait to get to work!"