DAVIS, Cailf. — Mahalia White is back.
It was an emphatic statement for the 2017 Big West Conference Freshman of the Year and All-Big West first team selection as she and the UC Davis women's volleyball team opened the 2019 campaign against Montana at The Pavilion.
There is always excitement buzzing around the start of a new season, but the script for this particular season would make even the most stone-faced Hollywood mogul shed a tear. It had been nearly two years since the Canoga Park, Calif., native took the floor for the Aggies, but her fight against the Lady Griz on the court that day was nothing compared to what she had endured off it, battling Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma.
It was a mysterious pain in her back at the end of that heralded freshman campaign that had White concerned, but she shrugged it off as the normal aches and pains of a grueling rookie season. It wasn't until a doctor's appointment took place later that year when she received her diagnosis.
From there, it was trips to the hospital for check-ups, chemotherapy, and physical therapy. Volleyball was off the menu for the time being.
Treatment every three weeks for three straight days, over the next four months, took place to eradicate every trace of the disease before she entered the rehabilitation portion of her recovery. By electing to stay in Davis, White had the overwhelming support of family, friends, coaches, and teammates. Support from her mother, Patsy, played a vital role in her battle, flying up to Northern California for every treatment after winning her own battle with cancer.
"My support system was monumental," White beamed. "My teammates and coaches were always so supportive of my fight and always made me feel like I was a part of the team and the administration worked with me so that I can continue to take a light course load while continuing to stay on campus.
"My family was very stable for me, and even though I know now how stressed out they were during my battle, they were always so optimistic and never gave me a reason to worry. They were always there to give me inspiration and always said that I would come back stronger than ever. Well, look at me now!"
Treatment and rehab sidelined her for all of 2018, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel. That spring, UC Davis announced that it would add beach volleyball to its extensive athletics repertoire. That allowed a "gentler" reintroduction to the sport she loved before returning to the hardwood and competing for the first time during an emotional spring indoor scrimmage against reigning NCAA champion Stanford.
"In all honesty, it was really tough in the first six months of playing again," White said. "My body was in the process of becoming a Division I athlete again and it was hard for me to stop comparing myself to the way I was freshman year.
"I had always been a tough athlete, but the period before my return really tested my mental strength. Moving into indoor spring season, it felt so foreign, yet amazing to put on my gear and play. Just to compete again was so thrilling, but when it was a good play, it was even better."
Speaking of better, back to The Pavilion.
"As the match was about to start, and the announcers were calling the starting lineup, I remember getting butterflies in my stomach when I knew that my name was going to be called," White recalled. "I remember the coaches were going through the game plan, and when I saw my name in the starting lineup, it felt so rewarding to know that I had earned that spot.
"It was a sense of euphoria, and in all due honesty, I almost forgot to listen to the game plan due to the fact that I was just so happy about my name being called to play. I snapped out of it because I knew that I could not get side-tracked by that, I had to perform!"
White's first official kill in 643 days was the second of the morning for the Aggies, part of an 8-0 run that staked her team to an early 8-1 lead. With that first one out of her system, she went on to collect 12 more, finishing the day with 13 kills and .813 hitting percentage for the match to tie a school single-match record and record the best single-match performance by any player in the Big West during the 2019 campaign.
"I always play with adrenaline whenever I compete but, because it was my first official match back, my levels were at an all-time high," White remembered. "I could not even tell if I was playing that well at the time, but I do remember trying to make the most out of every touch I received. When I saw the ball coming my way, I knew that I was ready to do whatever was needed from me."
The hitting mark matched Kaersten Hill's record set against Humboldt State back in October of 1996, but White did the former Aggie standout one better by finishing without an error in 16 swings compared to Hill, who had 14 kills and one error in the same number of attempts.
It was the first of 14 total double-digit kill performances on the year for White, who appeared in 25 of the team's 30 matches, earned All-Big West first team honors for the second time in her career, all-tournament accolades three times (including MVP of the season-opening Aggie Invitational that began with that win over Montana), and finished eighth in the league in kills per set (3.08).
As a reward, White and the Aggies were selected to participate in the postseason for the first time as a Division I program — and the first postseason berth of any kind since 1996 — with an appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship, taking on Tulsa in the opening round.
"When I came back, we had a completely different team than what I played with my freshman year," White said. "It was not necessarily a challenge, but it took some time to build team chemistry. I was so proud of our team making its first postseason appearance in our school's Division I history, because we talked about that the whole year, including the beginning phases of our season. We showed a lot of dedication and effort on the court and we really grew together."
Now, with another season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, White has the opportunity to reflect on her journey and what is to come.
"I grew a lot over the past two years," White said. "Anybody can cruise through life when things come easy, but it's during times of adversity that really defines who you are. I desperately had to find myself because I did not have an athletic or regular identity. It took time and patience to become strong. I never realized how tough it was to be mentally strong with my physical strength being stripped away.
"That is why this season was more meaningful to me because, even though I had more accolades during my freshman season, I can honestly say that it took a village to help me become a better and stronger person, and it was more rewarding because I really had to start from the ground floor."
ABOUT UC DAVIS
With the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, more than 700 student-athletes represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation on one of 25 intercollegiate athletics teams.
UC Davis, a national leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, is centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley; and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
Ranked annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.
