'I actually was not going to take my fifth year': How Hernandez ended up with CMU volleyball
On the match point of set five against Ball State, senior outside hitter Mallory Hernandez’s name was called and she delivered with the game winning kill that had McGuirk Arena on their feet.
“I knew the ball was coming to me,” Hernandez said. “And I was like, well, we're going to win if I hit this ball. I think just staying confident in myself and knowing that I can do things that the team needs.”
Hernandez is a new name for many Central Michigan volleyball fans, but she has shot onto the scene in her first year as a Chippewa, leading the team in kills with 251 kills along with 276 points in 22 games.
While she has also proven herself on the defensive end with 46 total blocks, head coach Mike Gawlik feels Hernandez's experience has made the transition smoother.
“She definitely brings a physicality to our gym that is unique,” said head coach Mike Gawlik. “And not only just to our gym, but the conference. I mean, I think she's as physical a player as we have in our league, and her ability to jump and play high over the net. I think that her experience has put her in a position to kind of help be one of those terminal people that's gonna take a big swing in a big moment.”
Transferring from the University of Georgia, Hernandez is no stranger to tough competition. As a Bulldog, she had a total of 453 kills with a standout freshman year of 226 kills and 44 digs.
“It was fun just competing with every game,” Hernandez said. “And not knowing who was going to win and just getting to play against people who were really good.”
Following her senior year with the Bulldogs, Hernandez wasn't sure if the passion she had for volleyball still remained.
“I actually was not going to take my fifth year,” Hernandez said. “And then I decided that I didn't want to go into the real world. And I wasn't ready to have a real job. So I was like, I might as well play another year. I still love volleyball.
"Volleyball means so much. I didn't think it meant that much until I actually didn't play it for six months (in) my last semester at Georgia, and I was like, this is my entire life. Like it's just all my friends were from volleyball, all my experiences. All the ups and downs in my life have been from volleyball, so it's my entire life.”
With Hernandez hailing from Fishers, Indiana, Gawlik was aware of her talent well before she entered the transfer portal.
“She was a player that we always have on your radar because they're an elite level player,” Gawlik said. “So when their name pops up in the portal, and you make contact, and she's from Fishers and that, it's only a couple hours away. You try to capitalize on the fact that maybe an athlete wants to get a little bit closer to home to share their experience with family and friends. We had a need to kind of bring in an additional pin hitter and what she's able to bring, from an experience standpoint, we felt like it'd be a really good asset to our program.”
In the end, the opportunity to be closer to home and the energy of the team were too much to pass up for Hernandez.
"I came in my visit and I loved the team," Hernandez said. "And I loved how everything was working. And it was closer to home. So I was like this will be a new experience. And I think I can just end my career on a good note."
Gawlik believes that Hernandez’s experience gives her a leg up on the competition.
“When you bring in new players, they're (usually) 18,” Gawlik said. "And you've got to kind of teach them to understand the speed of collegiate volleyball... And when you bring in a player that's done that for four years, you can really just focus a little bit more on the volleyball, you know, because you're not worried about some of those other things that get younger players hung up sometimes as they're experiencing those things for the first time.
"When you bring in somebody with that kind of maturity, somebody who knows who they are, as somebody who's been away from home, who's played college volleyball and understands that grind, you know, they're ready to hit the ground running maybe in a different way than a young player.”
While her time at Georgia was invaluable, Hernandez credits her club volleyball team, Munciana Samurai, for providing her with an edge. There, Hernandez took home a national championship in 2017 and also learned the importance of having confidence.
“I think the biggest lesson was that I was surrounded by so many people that are really, really good,” Hernandez said. “So just being okay with not being the star all the time, just learning to play as a team and contributing to wherever I can. And I think also being tough because you're around people who are so good, and just making sure to keep your confidence high because if you don't have confidence, you can't do anything.”
Growing up the oldest of six, Hernandez believes has helped her transition to CMU.
“It's (was) a lot tougher because I always had the hardest rules on me,” Hernandez said. “I think that helps with sports because it keeps me disciplined. And it makes me like, pay attention to the details. And also just, it helps me with getting along with people, because I feel like as the oldest you have to get along with other siblings to keep order. So I think that's what helped me a lot.”
