This story has been updated to include information provided in an interview with Jake MacNeil.
They may be nothing alike, but Georgetown’s Jake MacNeil says that’s what makes his pairing with Alex Russell work so well.
“(Alex) is even-keeled and analytical. I bring the fire,” MacNeil says of his beach volleyball partner. “He mellows me out when we need it and I fire him up. He’s the rock, I’m the ignition.”
Balancing which of those personalities is needed at any given time during a match has served them well since teaming up last year.
Coming off a second-place finish at the national championships, MacNeil and Russell earned their best result on the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) tour earlier this month, securing a silver medal in the Dominican Republic. They defeated the tournament’s No. 1 seed in the semifinals before being edged in three sets in the final.
It served as a perfect tune-up for the pair, who will represent Canada at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile later this month. The Games open Oct. 20 and the beach volleyball competition runs from Oct. 21-27.
“I’m really happy with how we’re playing,” MacNeil said. “The last couple of months we’ve really come into our own.”
The two played on opposing teams, but lived in the same building in Vancouver. They got to know each other better while commuting to practices and eventually decided to form a team.
And like the different personalities that mesh well, each brings skills that help them succeed on the court. MacNeil says at 6-foot-10, Russell “is one of the most dominant blockers in the world.” Meanwhile, MacNeil brings the speed and agility to get to balls in the back court.
Both come from athletic backgrounds. Russell’s father represented Canada at the Olympics and MacNeil’s mom pitched for Canada’s national softball team. But it was in elementary and high school where MacNeil began charting a path in volleyball.
“My coaches, Patty Hall and Kyle Stewart, they gave so much time coaching me, helped me develop my skills and they really made me fall in love with the sport,” the 27-year-old said.
MacNeil captained Georgetown District High School’s team when they earned a silver medal at the provincial championships. He also represented Canada at the 2014 Youth Olympics in China while still at GDHS. He would go on to play at Under-19 and Under-21 world championships and the World University Games in Germany in 2018.
And though he has plenty of international experience, MacNeil said the Pan Am Games are still a major accomplishment for the pair.
“This is the first multi-sport games for both of us at the senior level,” MacNeil said. “We’re super excited to represent Canada at such a prestigious event.”
He hopes it serves as a launching pad for the duo. He said the experience should benefit them when they return to the pro circuit. They have already started to make inroads there with a fifth-place finish at the AVP Pro Beach Tour event in Wisconsin in July.
But there is an event looming where MacNeil hopes to have another opportunity to represent Canada.
“Another major goal of ours is to represent Canada in Paris (at the Olympics).”
