Amanda Mack was preparing for another chapter in her college volleyball career when a sudden medical crisis changed everything. The 20-year-old athlete had recently transferred to the College of the Holy Cross and was looking forward to competing for the Crusaders, but a rare blood disorder left her fighting for her life within weeks.
Mack died Wednesday, Sept. 16, just three months after publicly revealing her diagnosis of severe aplastic anemia. Her family announced the news through her Instagram account the following day, leaving teammates, coaches, friends and supporters mourning an athlete whose college career ended before she could take the court for her new team.
Holy Cross Mourns A Player Who Never Got Her Chance
Mack announced in May that she would continue both her academic and athletic career at Holy Cross after previously playing for the University of Cincinnati and Eastern Kentucky University. She shared a photograph of herself wearing a purple hoodie and holding a Holy Cross pennant, expressing excitement about what she believed would be the next stage of her volleyball career.
“I am so incredibly blessed and excited to announce that I will continue my academic and athletic career at College of the Holy Cross!” Mack wrote in the post announcing her transfer. She thanked the people who had supported her throughout her journey and added that she could not wait for the new opportunity with the Crusaders.
The move placed Mack at the Patriot League school in Worcester, Massachusetts, but her illness prevented her from joining the volleyball team on campus. Instead of preparing for a season with her teammates, she spent much of the summer undergoing intensive medical treatment.
Image credits – Instagram @amandamack2024
Holy Cross women’s volleyball head coach Matthew Cribbin said the program was devastated by Mack’s death and remembered how excited she had been about becoming part of the team. He said she had wanted to contribute to the program and create something memorable in a Holy Cross jersey.
“Losing a member of our HCVB family is devastating, and Amanda will be missed immensely,” Cribbin said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to her family at this unimaginable time.”
The coach said Mack’s excitement about joining the program had remained clear even as she faced her illness. Her time with Holy Cross never reached the competitive stage, but the school has made clear that she will remain part of the program’s story.
Her Diagnosis Came After A Sudden Medical Crisis
Mack revealed her diagnosis publicly in July after a medical emergency that began with symptoms she initially did not understand. She said she woke up feeling unwell and had a severe headache where she could hear her heartbeat pounding in her head.
She eventually passed out and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Mack later explained that her blood counts had fallen to dangerously low levels and that she required immediate transfusions.
“My hemoglobin was at 4 and my platelets were at 1,” Mack wrote in an Instagram post describing what happened. “I was in critical condition.”
She said her body had depleted its blood supply and its ability to clot, leading doctors to give her blood and platelet transfusions. The sudden change was particularly alarming because she had been living as a young college athlete before the crisis occurred.
Doctors initially considered leukemia as a possible explanation for her condition. Mack said that after two bone marrow biopsies, however, doctors determined that she had severe aplastic anemia, a rare disorder that affects the bone marrow’s ability to produce new blood cells.
“While it is technically not cancer, it is in the blood cancer family and treated the same,” Mack wrote while explaining the diagnosis to her followers. She also said doctors believed a virus she had recently experienced had triggered an immune response that damaged her bone marrow.
Mack Faced Emergency Surgeries And Intensive Treatment
Image credits – Instagram @amandamack2024
The diagnosis was followed by an intense period of medical treatment. Mack said she underwent two emergency surgeries because of severe complications, describing the procedures as necessary to save her life.
She also needed a treatment plan designed to suppress her immune system and prepare her for a bone marrow transplant. According to Mack’s own account, doctors had identified a donor, giving her another reason to remain hopeful during an extremely difficult period.
Mack continued communicating with followers throughout the process instead of disappearing from social media. Her updates showed that she understood the seriousness of her condition while still looking toward the future and discussing what she hoped to do once treatment was complete.
She expected the transplant to help rebuild her immune system and had already begun thinking about the months of recovery that would follow. Her posts repeatedly focused on returning home, beginning physical therapy and eventually getting back to the life she had been building before the diagnosis.
She Remained Hopeful During Her Treatment
Image credits – Instagram @amandamack2024
On Aug. 14, Mack shared one of her most optimistic updates from the hospital. She said she had completed immunosuppressive therapy and had experienced what she described as minimal adverse reactions.
“Finished my Immunosuppressive Therapy yesterday and came through it with minimal adverse reactions!” she wrote. Mack thanked the nurses and doctors at Tampa General for their care and described them as a major source of support during her hospitalization.
She then looked ahead to the next stage of her recovery. Mack said she was waiting for her body to repair her immune system and regenerate her bone marrow, and she expected to go home and begin physical therapy.
“Now we wait for my body to fix my immune system and regenerate my bone marrow,” she wrote. “I should be able to go home by the end of next week and get to start Physical Therapy and the rest of my healing journey!”
The update gave her followers reason to believe she was moving toward the recovery she had been hoping for. More than a month later, her family announced that she had died.
What Severe Aplastic Anemia Does To The Body
Aplastic anemia is a rare and serious condition involving the bone marrow, which produces the body’s blood cells. According to the Mayo Clinic information cited in the source material, the disorder occurs when bone marrow stops producing enough new blood cells.
Those blood cells perform several essential functions. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, platelets help blood clot, and white blood cells help the immune system respond to infections.
A severe shortage of these cells can therefore create multiple serious medical problems at once. People with aplastic anemia can experience fatigue, infections and uncontrolled bleeding, according to the Mayo Clinic description included in the reporting.
Mack’s experience illustrated how quickly severe aplastic anemia can become a medical emergency. She described arriving at the hospital with critically low blood counts and requiring transfusions before doctors had even established the final diagnosis.
Her treatment also demonstrated why severe cases can require prolonged hospital care and complex therapy. Mack’s doctors planned immunosuppressive treatment and a bone marrow transplant as part of her effort to rebuild her blood-producing system.
It is important to distinguish Mack’s personal account from established medical evidence about the causes of aplastic anemia. Mack said her doctors believed a recent virus had caused her immune system to attack her bone marrow, but the supplied reporting does not establish that explanation as a general cause of the disorder.
Mack Had Already Built An Impressive Volleyball Career
Image credits – Instagram @amandamack2024
Before her diagnosis, Mack had established herself as a highly regarded young volleyball player with experience at several major programs. She was a native of Bradenton, Florida, and starred at IMG Academy before beginning her college career.
Mack first played at the University of Cincinnati before moving to Eastern Kentucky University. During her season at Eastern Kentucky, she appeared in 29 matches and started 26, according to her Holy Cross athletics biography.
Her transfer to Holy Cross was therefore another significant step in a college career that had already included multiple programs and opportunities. She had announced the move publicly in May and appeared eager to begin competing with her new teammates.
Her high school accomplishments were also extensive, according to Holy Cross. Mack was a two-time Under Armour Next MVP and earned District MVP honors in 2021 and 2022.
She was also named Region MVP in 2021 and received a nomination for USA Today High School Sports Player of the Year in 2022. Those achievements helped establish her as a highly regarded player before she reached college volleyball.
Her career statistics and awards now form only part of the story being told about her. The people who knew Mack have repeatedly emphasized the personality she brought to gyms and training sessions as much as the accomplishments recorded on her athletic résumé.
Coaches And Former Teammates Remember Her
Tributes began appearing from people who had known Mack through different stages of her volleyball career. Many of those messages focused on her attitude, personality and influence on other athletes.
D1 Training Hardin Valley, where Mack had trained for years, shared a tribute describing its members as heartbroken by her death. The organization remembered the energy she brought to training and the lasting impression she made on people who worked with her.
“Our D1 family is heartbroken by the loss of Amanda Mack,” the organization wrote. “Amanda trained with Cory for years, and anyone who shared the gym with her knew the joy and positive energy she brought into it.”
The tribute said Mack approached every training session with a phenomenal attitude and left an impact on the people around her. It also asked supporters to keep her family, friends, teammates and loved ones in their thoughts and prayers.
Other people who had worked with Mack shared memories in the comments following news of her death. One person described her as an exceptional athlete while emphasizing that she was an even better person.
Another commenter recalled knowing Mack as a young player and remembered how deeply she loved volleyball. The messages came from people who had encountered her at different points in her development as an athlete.
The common thread was clear: Mack’s identity extended beyond her statistics and awards. The people who coached and trained her remembered someone whose presence affected the atmosphere around her.
Cincinnati And Holy Cross Pay Tribute
Mack’s death also prompted a response from Cincinnati volleyball, where she began her college career. The program acknowledged the loss of its former Bearcat and offered condolences to the people closest to her.
“Cincinnati Volleyball is heartbroken by the passing of former Bearcat Amanda Mack,” the team wrote in a social media tribute. “Our hearts are with Amanda’s family, friends and teammates.”
Her former schools were only part of the volleyball community mourning her. Mack had spent years playing the sport at competitive levels, meaning her network of coaches, teammates and trainers extended across several stages of her career.
At Holy Cross, the grief was particularly painful because Mack had joined the school with the expectation that she would soon become part of the team. Instead, her teammates and coaches were left mourning someone they had expected to see on the court.
Cribbin said the program would carry Mack’s memory into its games. His comments reflected the unusual circumstances surrounding her connection to Holy Cross, where she became part of the volleyball family without ever getting the chance to compete.
“[Amanda’s] battle was enormous, and she never wavered, always looking forward to being back with her team,” Cribbin said. “We carry her in our hearts and will play to honor her every day.”
Her Family Is Now Facing A Loss That Came Quickly
Mack’s death came approximately three months after she first told the public about her diagnosis. During that short period, she went from being a college athlete planning a new season to undergoing emergency medical treatment and preparing for a bone marrow transplant.
Her family announced her death through the Instagram account where Mack had previously documented her treatment. The message described her as a bright light and said she would be forever loved and missed.
The family later faced not only the emotional consequences of her death but also the financial burden associated with her treatment. A GoFundMe campaign linked through Mack’s Instagram said her medical expenses were around $5 million.
The fundraiser, organized by her volleyball recruiter Kara Hill, said donations would help cover expenses remaining after insurance as well as funeral costs. It described Mack as a loving daughter, friend and teammate who brought positivity into the lives of others.
“Amanda was a loving daughter, friend, and teammate who lit up every room she walked into,” the campaign stated. It also described her as deeply passionate about life.
Holy Cross has highlighted resources available to students and staff who are struggling with the loss. Those resources include the Office of the College Chaplains, Counseling & Psychological Services and the Employee Assistance Program.
The school has also made clear that Mack’s place within the volleyball program will not be forgotten. Her name will remain connected to a team she joined with high hopes, even though circumstances prevented her from ever playing a competitive match in a Holy Cross jersey.
Mack’s Legacy Extends Beyond The Court
Mack’s story ended far earlier than anyone expected when she announced her transfer to Holy Cross. At 20, she had already achieved significant milestones in volleyball and was preparing to build another chapter of her athletic and academic life.
Her final months were defined by medical treatment rather than matches, practices and travel. Yet the updates she shared showed that she continued looking toward recovery and the possibility of returning to a more familiar life.
Her Aug. 14 message was particularly hopeful because it came after intensive treatment and included plans for going home and beginning physical therapy. Mack was still talking about healing and future possibilities only weeks before her family announced her death.
The people who knew her are now preserving a different kind of record. Her awards and statistics document what she accomplished as a volleyball player, while the tributes from coaches and teammates describe the impact she had on the people around her.
For Holy Cross, that legacy will now travel with the team into every match played without her. Mack never got the opportunity to put on the jersey she had been so excited to wear, but the program has promised that she will remain part of its story.
Her family summed up the loss in a few words that now accompany the memory of her life: “Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever held in our hearts.”
Featured Image from Instagram @amandamack2024
