When Makayla Long was asked to describe herself in a few words, four words immediately came to mind for the junior on the Perry girls’ volleyball team. Driven, passionate, hardworking and compassionate. These words exemplify Long as a person, and anyone who meets her can agree.

Coach Fred Mann says Long possesses leadership qualities and has been a great addition to the team. “Even though she was a transfer student, she still possesses so many leadership qualities,” says Mann.

Long has 201 kills and 12 aces on the season so far, and colleges are beginning to take notice, especially with playoffs looming in the distance.

Long transferred to Perry High School this past school year after coming from West Linn, Oregon, where her old high school was ranked No. 8 in the state. “I was originally looking at Chaparral because it was close to my grandpa’s house, but I’m glad I chose Perry,” Long said.

Growing up on a 120-acre farm in Dolores, Colorado, Long was homeschooled from preschool to third grade, then attended a private Christian school from third to sixth grade.

Long comes from a sports-driven family. Her mother played college volleyball, and her father played baseball and football. She also has two older brothers, Seth and Ethan, who both play college football. Seth plays at Northern Arizona University, and Ethan plays at Arizona State University. Long herself is a high school multi-sport athlete, playing volleyball and participating in numerous track events as well, including shot put, discus and javelin.

However, Long’s family moved from Colorado to Oregon during her middle school years, and Long remembers the transition being tough at first. “It wasn’t a great age to move. The people there made me feel really welcome, but I just missed home,” Long said.

There though, Long started playing volleyball competitively in eighth grade, and her volleyball career began. “I got a late jump on the ball, but I progressed quickly, and it caught people’s attention,” she said.

While still playing in Oregon, Long said her biggest accomplishments were being named to the second team All-State as a freshman and her team finishing third in the state. Consistently working, training and pushing herself drives Long to perform to the best of her abilities and be the best version of herself she can be.

Then, the Longs decided to move south, since her two brothers both played football in Arizona and her mother is a native to Scottsdale. “My mom looked up top schools in Arizona," Long said. "She said let’s look at volleyball, and Perry was ranked No. 1 last year and ended up getting third. So, we were like ‘let’s look at that school.'"

Over spring break in 2019, she paid a visit to Perry High School, and instantly felt welcomed.

Assistant Coach Brian Wagner echoed Mann’s praise of Long. “She has extremely high standards for herself," Wagner said. "She comes from a family of high achievers and does not shy away from pressure or work. She is a huge part of our identity as a team this year."

Instantly, the volleyball girls made her feel welcome and brought her into the family. Long is close to many of the girls on the team as well, including Alyssa Montoya, Ella Rud, Sian Richardson, Jenna Heller, Rylee McDugle and Aaliyah Woods. 

Faith and family are priorities of Long’s life. Long is a Christian, and says her faith is a big part of her identity and it carries over to when she plays sports. “It gives you a platform to present your faith and your character in a way you would want to show it," Long said. "It makes me be aware of my actions and how I represent myself and my family."

Long is also very close to both her parents and her two brothers and relies on everyone for support and love. Whether it is advice about sports, or just about life in general, she always falls back on her family and knows they will support her. She says her parents and grandpa instilled values such as hard work and always having a kind heart to others. She also says her parents taught her that you must work for what you want, and that is where her drive to push herself comes into play.

Long’s biggest role model is her mother, who she says works tirelessly to care for her family. “I’ve never seen someone work so hard in my life. She could come home from a super hard day of work and she’s right back to cooking dinner, doing laundry and helping me with my homework”, Long said. “She’s someone I look up to every day.”

Long has big plans for her future and is being scouted by many colleges already, even as a junior. She is still weighing her options, but education is important to her. Long hopes to either become a physical trainer or a nurse in the future. Her passionate drive to excel is key, and she knows she can achieve the plans she has set for herself due to that driven and passionate nature.