For inspiration and motivation, First Team Under Armour High School All-American Macy Van Den Elzen has to look no further than her younger brother Reid. 

Reid has autism and has never been able to attend his older sister’s volleyball matches because of sensory sensitivity, but she has found a way to keep him close to her heart whenever she’s playing. 

The Macy Van Den Elzen File

Position: Outside Hitter

Height: 6-4

Hometown: Emmaus, Pennslyvania

High School: Emmaus High School

Club: East Coast Power

College Commitment: Penn State

Starting with her freshman year at Emmaus High School in Pennsylvania, Van Den Elzen convinced her parents to donate a dollar to the Eyer Middle School Autistic Support Program for every kill she scored during the high school season.

As word of her mission spread, numerous other sponsors jumped on board. That first year, she raised more than a thousand dollars. During her sophomore year, Van Den Elzen raised around $2,800 for the program. The next season, she increased the total to $3,268.

Congrats to Senior Outside Hitter Macy Van Den Elzen who was selected as Fall 2019 EHS Scholar Athlete. Thank you for your hard work on the court and in the classroom! ??‍? pic.twitter.com/xzukrB9smf

— Emmaus Girls Vball (@EmmausGirlsVB) November 10, 2019

“(Reid) has taught me to appreciate opportunities and has given me great perspective,” Van Den Elzen said.

Those increased fundraising totals also represent Van Den Elzen’s growing dominance on the volleyball court. In 2018, Van Den Elzen led the state in kills with 542 and set a new school records for kills in a match (35), kills in a season (542), and aces in a season (61). She is also the first junior in school history to reach 1,000 kills.

Watch Macy Van Den Elzen in action at the 2019 Under Armour High School All-America Match, streaming live right here on FloVolleyball, Dec. 31 at 7 PM ET.

Her contributions helped Emmaus reach the state tournament in 2018 for the first time in 23 years, a feat which the team repeated in 2019.

Congratulations to Macy Van Den Elzen on being selected as an Under Armour First Team All-American!
As a First Team UA All-American, Macy will participate in the UA All-America Match featuring the 24 best high school volleyball players in the country on 12/31 in Orlando, FL! pic.twitter.com/IimEtMujbU

— Emmaus Girls Vball (@EmmausGirlsVB) November 6, 2019

As a senior, Van Den Elzen has her best year to date when it came to serving (71 aces) and defense (144 digs), and she was named MVP of Emmaus’ district. In her high school career, Van Den Elzen collected a total of 1,499 kills, hitting .353, with 197 blocks, 386 digs, and 178 aces.

Congratulations to Senior OH Macy Van Den Elzen on being named District XI 4A MVP. @macy_vde pic.twitter.com/xcXSI9FfjH

— Emmaus Girls Vball (@EmmausGirlsVB) November 5, 2019

Van Den Elzen will continue her volleyball career at Penn State next fall, joining fellow First Team All-American Annie Cate Fitzpatrick on that list.

.@PennStateVBALL Commits Annie Cate Fitzpatrick, Macy Van Den Elzen Named Under Armour All-Americans - https://t.co/868YXkgLm6 pic.twitter.com/izvnMYsov5

— Dig Nittany Volleyball (@DigNittany) November 6, 2019

“To have an opportunity to be a part of the legacy of (the Penn State) program was an easy decision,” Van Den Elzen said. “Penn State is a university I deeply respect and aspired to be a part of.”