Team Tampa Bay's Take with Joey Johnston - Meet Our NIL Brand Ambassadors
Growing the Game with Alexis Stucky and Elli McKissock
By Joey Johnston
University of Florida senior volleyball libero Elli McKissock hails from the Central Florida town of Windermere, about 93 miles from campus, a distance she can easily cover in less than two hours.
UF sophomore setter Alexis Stucky is from the Big Sky Country of Laramie, Wyoming. That’s a 26-hour drive — or 1,817 miles — away from Gainesville.
McKissock enjoys wake surfing. Her lifestyle revolves around the beach and boating.
Stucky grew up showing quarter-horses.
“I think it’s safe to say we come from different worlds,’’ said McKissock with a laugh. “But when we get on the court, we speak the same language.’’
The language of volleyball.
Coach Mary Wise’s Gators have big expectations for the Road 2 Tampa Bay Volleyball Invitational, an elite season-opening event on Aug. 25-26, where they will be joined by the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the home-standing USF Bulls for matches at downtown Tampa’s Amalie Arena and USF’s Yuengling Center.
It’s also a significant opportunity for McKissock and Stucky, who are serving as the Tampa Bay Sports Commission’s Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) Brand Ambassadors, where they will promote the TBSC, its social impact initiatives and its commitment to growing the game of volleyball.
Wise has guided the Gators to eight Final Fours. But how’s this for an ultimate dream? Returning to Tampa in December when the NCAA Final Four is contested at Amalie.
“That’s our goal,’’ McKissock said. “It would be the greatest thing ever.’’
Those lofty championship goals were part of the attraction for Stucky, who has traded Wyoming’s crisp fall-like air for Gainesville’s insufferable humidity. And UF's heavy campus traffic has been a major adjustment.
“I’m not going to lie — coming to Florida was for sure outside of my comfort zone,’’ Stucky said. “I don’t like hot weather. I walk outside and all I do is sweat. I don’t like being that far away from my family.
“But you know what? Florida was the best place for me. I love the volleyball program. I love my teammates. I didn’t go the easy, predictable route and I think it’s going to pay off with a great experience. I come from a little different background than maybe the typical Gator volleyball player.’’
Stucky was accomplished at showing quarter-horses, an activity embraced by her entire family, and she became a nine-time Wyoming 4-H Horse State Champion in the classes of Western Horsemanship, Western Pleasure, Hunter Under Saddle and Hunt Seat Equitation. She qualified for the prestigious AQHA Youth World Show in 2018, becoming a World Finalist in Youth Hunter Under Saddle and Youth Showmanship.
“She’s a cowgirl,’’ McKissock said. “She can definitely rustle some calves and wrangle some horses. But when you go in our gym, she’s always there. She’s a relentless worker, let me tell you. I’m glad she chose volleyball as her route because we love having her on our team.’’
Stucky says the same thing about McKissock, who last season surpassed the 1,000-dig mark for her career.
“Elli brings that relentless quality, so much hustle and hard work,’’ Stucky said. “She’s a winning-type player. At her position (libero), she probably doesn’t get nearly enough credit, but we know how good she is.’’
With a Gators program accustomed to making deep runs through the NCAA Tournament, Stucky said she’s excited about the possibilities — on and off the court.
“Alexis Stucky has definitely learned about the Florida humidity and we joke that she should probably get an NIL deal with a hair-product company,’’ Wise said. “We’ll go wherever we can to find players, wherever the connections are. Sometimes, you’re fortunate that a player like Elli McKissock is just a couple of hours down the road. And sometimes, you find a great player in Wyoming.
“We’ve obviously had a lot of Florida players over the years, but sometimes it’s not easy to recruit the players in-state. They want to go away. On the other hand, we’ve also been fortunate to attract players from all over who want to be part of what we offer at Florida.’’
Stucky’s mother, Jill, played college volleyball at Wyoming, then spent 10 years as a Kansas assistant before returning to Wyoming as associate head coach for five seasons. Stucky’s mother took her to Wise’s camp at Florida and that’s how the initial connection was made.
Stucky, in the USA Volleyball pipeline since age 12, saw her greatest opportunity with the Gators. That meant leaving Laramie, a college town, but one that lacks Florida-centric staples such as Target and Chick-Fil-A. It also meant separation from her beloved quarter-horse, Bear.
“There’s a lot more to do in Gainesville,’’ Stucky said. “There are a lot more places to spend my money.’’
Truth be told, though, if Stucky isn’t in the classroom, she’s in the gym. She made an instant impact last season, finishing as an AVCA Third-Team All-American and SEC Freshman of the Year.
Stucky graduated early from high school and enrolled at Florida in the spring of 2022. After competing with the U21 National Team, she was back at UF, running lines during an open gym, when she slipped on a wet spot and tore her meniscus. She had surgery about six weeks before Florida’s match but made it back without missing any time. Her season was spectacular. She became only the second true freshman in program history with a 1,000-assist season.
“Alexis is that player, the one who goes to the gym on her own to do the reps when no one is around,’’ Wise said. “She tore her meniscus and she’s in a leg brace. You’d go in the gym and see her sitting on a chair, setting balls into hoops — over and over again.
“She’s a gym rat. She’s that player who’s not afraid of the lonely hours. That was the separator as to why we wanted her. You love the players who aren’t afraid to do the hard work or put in the hours. When you see those qualities, it doesn’t matter where they come from.’’
McKissock, meanwhile, also has a strong volleyball heritage, even though she didn’t begin the sport until age 12 because the focus was on basketball. Her older sister, Matti, played volleyball at Georgia Tech before spending her final season at UCLA.
“I didn’t like volleyball as much in the beginning, but now I love it,’’ McKissock said. “It’s a very unique sport. The adrenaline kind of takes over. There are a lot of times when I’ll look back at a match and I don’t even remember what happened. It’s a feeling that’s hard to explain, but the atmosphere of volleyball is like no other.
“That’s why I’m so excited about the event in Tampa. With that level of competition and the number of great players, I think those matches will be insane. We can’t wait to get down there.’’
Other Stories
Setting the Story - Growing the Game
Growing the Game with Taylor Trammell and Mac Podraza