The volleyball community is mourning the reported death of Amanda Elizabeth Mack, a 20-year-old college volleyball player whose family announced her passing on September 16, 2026. Her death has prompted an outpouring of grief from former teams, teammates, coaches, friends, and others who followed her athletic career.
Amanda’s family shared the heartbreaking announcement through her social media account, saying she died at 9:16 p.m. Wednesday. In their message, they described Amanda as a bright light in the world and said she would always be loved and deeply missed.
WKYT also reported Amanda’s death at age 20, citing the announcement shared by the volleyball program. Her passing has since been acknowledged by several organizations that were part of her athletic journey.
Amanda was a highly regarded volleyball player who competed for several prominent programs during her young career. A native of Maryville, Tennessee, she attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where she made history as the school’s first Under Armour All-American in volleyball.
She initially committed to the University of Cincinnati before transferring to Eastern Kentucky University. In May, Amanda announced that she would continue her academic and athletic career at the College of the Holy Cross, expressing excitement about the opportunity and thanking the people who had supported her throughout her journey.
Her former programs have since shared tributes in her memory. Cincinnati Volleyball said it was heartbroken by the loss of its former player and offered condolences to Amanda’s family, friends, and teammates.
Eastern Kentucky Volleyball also remembered Amanda, saying the program would continue to cherish the memories created with her. The university community extended its sympathy to her family, friends, teammates, and others who had been part of her volleyball career.
Amanda had also publicly discussed a serious health condition in the months before her death. In July, she shared that she had been diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder affecting the bone marrow.
According to information Amanda previously shared, she initially experienced a severe headache before eventually losing consciousness and being taken to a hospital. Medical testing showed that her hemoglobin and platelet levels were critically low, and she required blood and platelet transfusions.
Amanda said doctors initially considered leukemia as a possible explanation for her condition. After additional testing, including two bone marrow biopsies, she was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia. She explained that doctors believed a recent viral illness may have triggered an immune response that damaged her bone marrow.
At the time, Amanda was undergoing treatment and said doctors had identified a potential bone marrow donor. In an August update, she said she had completed immunosuppressive therapy and expressed gratitude for the medical professionals caring for her.
Her death came approximately one month after that update.
Tributes have continued to come from people connected to Amanda’s volleyball career. D1 Hardin Valley, where she trained for years, remembered her for the positive energy and attitude she brought to the gym.
Amanda’s death at 20 has left her family, teammates, coaches, friends, former schools, and the wider volleyball community grieving. Her athletic accomplishments, determination, and relationships with the people around her have become central to the memories being shared following her passing.
