Jackie McBride looks at it this way, there's unfinished business to take care of.

Thanks to the NCAA's decision to grant an extra year of eligibility for all student-athletes because of this COVID-crazy year, seniors have been facing the decision to remain for one more year, or move on with their lives. That's some big-time pressure, and I'm sure many are wrestling with it.

Jackie is in that category. Nobody would blame her if she moved on with her life. By any barometer she has produced a sensational career for the Cowgirl volleyball program. 

Case in point: it was announced Monday that this remarkable young woman from Aurora, Colo., was once again honored by being selected to the Mountain West All-Conference volleyball team.  I said again because it was the fourth time she has earned that honor.  Only one other volleyball Cowgirl ever has accomplished that, Erin Kirby from 2011-14.

"It's a little hard to grasp," she says in her modest way.  "But I'm very proud of the accomplishment."

She should be. Think about that.  In each of her four years as a Cowgirl, Jackie has been named to the all-conference team.  Amazing, and what a way to complete a career, right?

Not exactly.  

Jackie's not finished being a Cowgirl.

A four-time all-conference career is not enough, not for someone like Jackie who believes she could have done more to help her team and teammates.  It's always the Cowgirls first with her.

 Her character is off the charts.

"COVID aside, we had a frustrating season," Jackie says about the Cowgirls' abbreviated 2020-21 campaign that was pushed to the spring.  "A lot of weird things happened to us all year long, like it did to many other programs.  Being told that we weren't going to have a season, then that we might have one was really difficult.  Then throw in some key injuries that we suffered, and it just wasn't the kind of season any of us wanted.  I couldn't leave that way."

Bottom line, nobody within the team was satisfied with how things turned out.  It certainly wasn't how a senior wanted to finish her career. But, then, there's that moving on with your life piece. It took Jackie a lot of soul-searching, a lot of conversations with teammates, friends and her head coach (Chad Callihan) to arrive at decision to return. 

"Six years (she redshirted her freshman year) is a long time to be around, I know," she says.  "But it came down to the fact that I'm not satisfied, and this team is not satisfied with how the season went. I'm super proud of this program, proud to represent the state of Wyoming, and university and proud to represent our coaches.  I felt that if I didn't leave it all out there on the court one more time, give everything I had to the program when I had the chance, I'd regret it.

"I just had to come back.  I will have plenty of time to work and have a career, this opportunity only comes once."

Jackie made her official decision in late spring.  She ended up missing the last four matches of the season due to a knee injury.  "When Dr. (team physician Mark) McKenna said I could play on it, but that would likely cause more damage, I thought it best to sit, because deep in my heart I wanted to come back.  So I didn't chance further injury."

There's no one around here who isn't pleased with her decision.

"I've thought about that day they told us that the fall season was cancelled, we were crushed.  As a senior, I was super crushed. I wanted to enjoy my last year, finish strong and make it special.  I had been playing volleyball for 20 years, to have it end that way just wasn't right.  Volleyball has been my everything.  I tried my hardest to put it in perspective especially with what the world was going through.  I was grateful for my health and my family's health.  I was grateful for the years I had.  But I was crushed.

"As the fall moved on and football was playing, and then basketball was playing, there was hope that we might have a season in the spring after all. That was tough too, because we could be shut down at any time.  It was such a difficult time. I decided to go as hard as I could in practice and focus on what was ahead of me, hoping there would be a season."

Not only was there going to be a season in the spring, but the NCAA decided to award student-athletes an additional year of eligibility.  So there was some light at the end of the tunnel.

"While the additional year was good news, I still really wasn't sure if I wanted to be back for another year, she says.  "But the more I thought about it, the better I felt about coming back.  Being a student-athlete has so many awesome perks.  Playing the game I love, traveling to many beautiful places in our league, and having great teammates. . .what's not to love?  It's been a super experience."

The manner in which the season went, made Jackie feel even better about her decision.  "As it turned out, the challenges we faced during the season helped make my decision a little easier."

Jackie is the kind of woman who always has to do more.  What she's accomplished, what she's done, well it's not enough.  She wants a championship for the Cowgirls.

"I think this team is capable of bringing a championship here," she says.  "We have a lot of outstanding players on this team. The new kids, who never really had a chance to bond with the veterans because of COVID, are very talented.  The new class coming in also sounds outstanding.  I think we have the ingredients to win a title.  We learned a lot during this past season, and I think that will propel us into having a great season in the fall."

That's vintage Jackie, always positive, always a role model, always thinking of the team.  She wants to make things better for everyone.  In the process she has set a clear path for herself.  

I always want great seasons for each of our programs.  But I especially want a great season for Jackie McBride, who is one of the all-time great Cowgirls in my book.  

I can't imagine there's ever been a five-time all-conference performer. Don't be surprised!