Every athlete dreams of the moment that their hard work pays off, and junior Natasha Macau is no exception. Happening a bit earlier than expected, Macau received a phone call from the volleyball coach at Lehigh University offering her a spot on the Division 1 volleyball team as only a sophomore in high school.
Being introduced to the sport as a child by watching her father play for the Association of Volleyball Professionals on the sand and indoors, Macau became determined to follow in his footsteps by seriously pursuing volleyball. Encouraging Macau to play for herself, she carries her fathers’ motto with her in every volleyball court.
As a toddler, Macau began playing tennis as her first sport at three years old. Yet, she was slowly drawn to volleyball and transitioned into the sport at around seven years old. Macau kicked off her journey when she began taking indoor volleyball clinics at eight years old for the Miami Hype Volleyball Club. Continuing to master the sport for seven years, Macau joined her first volleyball club team when she was nine years old until the end of her eighth grade year.
Entering her freshman year at Coral Gables Senior High, Macau participated in many open-gyms in the summer to show off her skills to the coaches in hopes of leaving a good impression. Upon trying out for the volleyball team, Macau joined the varsity team as an outside hitter her freshman year, proving to others the high level skills she had developed within her age group.
Drawn to the team at Gables for her enthusiasm to create new connections, Macau was initially intimidated by the upper-classmen girls on the team but overcame these feelings as she played side by side with them on the court.
“I have seen [Macau] grow; not just as a volleyball player, but as a person. Seeing her confidence, attitude and spirit on the court increase throughout her years at Gables is a pleasure. In volleyball, she continues to improve everyday, being the skilled player she is,” senior Lucia Rodenberg said.
Macau has advanced as a player as she has adopted strategies to control her emotions while playing under pressure. Gaining an upper-hand in the basic techniques of volleyball, her confidence and skills on the court soared as she qualified for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, district competitions and regional competitions. Through hard work and perseverance, all the wins undoubtedly paid off as Macau was awarded the title of Most Valuable Player in her sophomore year.
Natasha Macau, Then and Now
Extending her involvement in volleyball outside of Gables, Macau switched from the Miami Hype Volleyball Club to Miami Volleyball Academy during her sophomore year. Switching to MVA sparked a light-bulb idea in Macau to contact Division 1 colleges to consider her as a possible recruit after graduating high school.
Realizing her accumulated experience as a player on the volleyball team at Gables, Macau created an Instagram page dedicated to posting videos of her club and school games. Gaining momentum from there, Macau began directly messaging university representatives, anticipating they would view her videos and potentially attend her future games.
“When my sophomore year started, I would go to tournaments and email a bunch of universities to see if they would come watch my games, or I would send them highlight reels and stuff like that. I had not really come into contact with Lehigh until the end of my sophomore year. I went to a college volleyball clinic, and I emailed a bunch of colleges that were going to be there and Lehigh was one of them,” junior Macau said.
With her dreams just in reach, June 15 proved a monumental day for Macau as the Division 1 coach at Lehigh University reached out and asked if she would be interested in setting up a call the next morning. Leaping at the chance, Macau was able to establish a relationship with the coach of the girls’ volleyball team, who she kept in touch regarding her future games and tournaments. Forming a close bond with the coach, Macau started to learn about the opportunities available if she were to join the team.
Getting a taste of what college life at Lehigh would look like, Macau took a tour of the campus and envisioned herself attending the university. The tour solidified her choice in committing to Division 1 volleyball at Lehigh, as she was instantly drawn to the university for its advanced academics, athletic opportunities and friendships she had already made.
“The first thing I thought when I saw the campus from the outside was ‘This place looks like Hogwarts.’ The campus is like a beautiful castle up on a mountain in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. The thing that drew me the most was that when I first came to campus, I made friends with these three girls without knowing who they were, and I found out they were also the new 2026 commits for the volleyball team at Lehigh, so I had became super close with them, and now I talk to them really often,” junior Macau said.
By the end of July, Macau received a text from the coach at Lehigh University with an official offer to commit to the team and university for the class of 2031. Overjoyed to hear the news, she took a few days to think about the decision through careful discussion with her family.
Feeling a strong connection towards the university, she finalized her decision by verbally committing to Lehigh University alongside her father and mother on a video call with the recruiting coaches Shawn Mclaughlin and Casey Campbell. With her teammates and friends thrilled by her amazing accomplishment, Macau sees a bright future ahead as a Division 1 athlete with many goals.
“My motivation for playing volleyball is just because it’s something that I love doing. The feeling I get after a good game is unlike anything I have felt before, but it also reminds me that the job isn’t done. I hope I get that feeling at Lehigh. I also hope that I not only get playing time, but also meet new people and make more friendships with the new people on the team,” junior Macau said.
After establishing her firm commitment to Lehigh University, Macau hopes to take her passion for volleyball to new heights. Embarking on this new journey ahead with a fiery spirit, power and energy to the Division 1 court, Lehigh University gains a new Mountain Hawk ready to excel both on and off the court.
