Standing at 6-foot-1, Mackenzie Bigbee rises above the net and slams the ball to the court as her older sister stands at her courtside seat, raises her hand and cheers.

As a true freshman, Mackenzie has played in 80 of Iowa State’s 85 total sets this season. And much of the way her older sister, Emmery Bigbee, has been there for support.

“A lot of people say, ‘I bet she went there because of her sister or her parents,’” Mackenzie said of her decision to become a Cyclone. “That wasn’t a determining factor for me; Iowa State had the volleyball program and they had the academic program I wanted.

“Emmery being here as well was just an added bonus.”

Mackenzie arrived at Iowa State with a long list of accomplishments, including being named the 2012 Des Moines Register Female Athlete of the Year.

The Williamsburg, Iowa, native was a multi-sport athlete in high school and averaged 5.84 kills per set in volleyball her senior season.

During her freshman year of high school, Mackenzie first started getting looked at by ISU coach Christy Johnson-Lynch along with other respected volleyball programs including Northern Iowa and Nebraska, both of which would eventually join Iowa State in the final three.

Johnson-Lynch was well aware that Mackenzie’s sister already attended Iowa State when she made an offer following her junior year of high school.

That knowledge, however, wasn’t used as a crutch.

“I didn’t want to take for granted that her sister went here and there were connections,” Johnson-Lynch said. “We also wanted to make sure that she felt, like we did, that there were a lot of other good reasons to come here.”

Mackenzie had plenty of reasons after making several visits to Ames. Aside from what she could get on the court with a consistent top-25 program and playing time, she would be close to home with her older sister even closer.

This season as a freshman starter, Mackenzie has excelled. She currently averages 2.96 kills per set, placing her at No. 8 in the Big 12 in that category, which makes her the only freshman in the top 10.

As a freshman student-athlete with a demanding major in engineering, time to relax for Mackenzie has become essential.

“I think both of us have tough majors, and so we have a lot of dates that stress us out,” Emmery, senior in graphic design, said. “It’s good for both of us to escape from everything else that’s going on.”

The sisters, who played volleyball together for a season at Williamsburg High School when Mackenzie was a freshman and Emmery a senior, often see each other at least once a week.

“Sometimes I’ll get sick of the dorms, so I’ll just go and hang out at her house or I’ll have a lot stress going on like have some tests coming up,” Mackenzie said. “I always know, no matter what, I can go over and Emmery will be there to support me.”

Mackenzie said she “bums” on Emmery’s couch, and the two sisters often cook dinner. Emmery added that it’s nice to watch “Duck Dyansty” together and just relax when they have free time.

Emmery works for the ISU Athletic Department as a graphic design intern, making both sisters involved with athletics in their own way.

“Those sisters are very, very close,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I’m not privy to everything, but I see the Facebook posts and hear the stories, and I know they’re very close.”

Of course, aside from seeing each other at Emmery’s apartment, the two often connect at Hilton Coliseum when Mackenzie takes the court for the Cyclones.

“I think that’s one of the things that might have kept me from going to a school farther away,” Mackenzie said of her family coming to matches. “Growing up my grandparents came to all my games, my family has been really supportive of me.

“It’s just so nice to be able to see a face in the crowd that you know.”

In May, Emmery will graduate from Iowa State, but there is yet one more Bigbee sister. Olivia, currently a junior at Williamsburg High School, could provide another familiar face on campus in the near future.

“She’s still undecided about life,” Mackenzie said of Olivia.

As the sisters came together following a recent match in Ames, they shared a laugh, as Olvia — half-serious, half-joking — made her commitment.

“Yes, I’m definitely going here,” Olivia said.