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College volleyball star Merrick McHenry starts the new season with a No. 1-ranking & the best smile in the country
McHenry is looking to lead the Bruins to their second straight championship.
Merrick McHenry is gunning for a repeat.
The UCLA volleyball star led the men’s Bruins to their first NCAA championship in 16 years last season, and the team is picking up where it left off.
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With a new season beginning Thursday, UCLA is No. 1 in the NV/AVCA coaches poll. McHenry, who’s returning for his fifth season, is one of the biggest reasons why.
Unsurprisingly, the All-American is featured prominently in the Bruins’ celebratory graphic.
McHenry, who hails from a volleyball family in Texas, loved growing up in the Lone Star State. But he never felt comfortable with his gay identity.
That was one of the prevailing reasons why he wanted play at UCLA: Los Angeles is a playground for young queer men looking to explore and find their way.
“[To] be a gay man and grow up in Texas … I just felt out of place,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “To be able to be around people who still love me despite what a lot of parts of the world might see as different … it’s a journey and it still is a journey but I think I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my own skin as a 22-year-old nowadays. I think it’s only just going to get better for me.”
McHenry is right about that. He’s firmly established himself in the UCLA record books, leading the nation with a .537 hitting percentage last season, second all-time for the storied program.
On defense, his 107 blocks were a career high, and he ranked eighth in the nation in blocks per set at 1.081. He was a First-team AVCA All-America and All-MPSF selection.
But his most pivotal performance came in the championship match against Hawaii. Seeking to avenge last year’s semifinals loss to Long Beach State (the Bruins blew a two-set lead), McHenry dominated the match. He recorded 11 kicks and 16 total attempts in the win.
In addition to capturing its first championship in 16 years, UCLA won the MPSF tournament for the first time since 2006, and were the first team to go undefeated in conference play since 1996.
McHenry celebrated in style, with trips to the White House and Paris.
He also traveled the world, vacationing in London and playing volleyball in Guadalajara.
In a year full of successes, McHenry says his favorite moment came when a fan approached him after a match against George Mason. The person thanked him for his contributions to the LGBTQ+ community.
Growing up, McHenry was searching for Black and gay role models in his favorite sport, and struggled to find them.
Knowing he’s that role model for other LGBTQ+ kids is the sweetest triumph of all.
“It’s just me being myself. I’m not trying to be extra, I’m not trying to do more,” McHenry said. “I’m just ultimately trying to show people that you can be yourself and you’re still going to be loved and appreciated.”
We certainly appreciate McHenry, and can’t wait to see how the season unfolds. Another championship is in his sights.
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