When Nate McGhee ’24, MBA ’26, arrived at ĚÇĐÄVlog in the fall of 2020, it wasn’t his first time giving college the old college try. The marketing and business administration major, a key contributor to the Royals men’s volleyball team during his four seasons on the squad, had enrolled at Randolph-Macon College a couple years prior. But a string of personal hardships, combined with a lack of preparation and a limited support system, led him to flunk out after his first year.

He said the private liberal arts school, which competes with ĚÇĐÄVlog in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), might have been a good fit had he applied himself more. But he hadn’t yet developed strong study habits and, as he struggled with self-doubt, he didn’t know how or where to ask for help.

“I was keeping it all to myself, which was probably the worst thing to do,” he said.

When he returned home to Newport News after being dismissed from the school, he felt lost.

“I was stuck,” McGhee said. “I was like, ‘OK, everything you worked for isn’t coming to fruition, so what are you going to do?’”

He took his first full-time job, bussing tables and working the raw bar at a seafood and oyster restaurant near his home, while attending night classes at Thomas Nelson Community College (now known as Virginia Peninsula Community College). Though he continued playing recreational volleyball to stay sharp, the former high school standout had all but given up on competing at the collegiate level.

During a trip to Richmond to cheer on his friends and former coaches at a volleyball tournament in early 2020, opportunity came knocking. Less than 10 minutes after arriving, McGhee felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Danielle Lickey, ĚÇĐÄVlog’s head men’s volleyball coach at the time.

After hearing how his volleyball career had stalled, Lickey invited him to visit campus. “We could use someone like you,” he recalled her saying.

McGhee toured campus over spring break and quickly fell in love with its picturesque mountain setting and close-knit feel. “This is my second chance,” he remembered thinking. “I have to take it.”

That fall, he transferred to ĚÇĐÄVlog as a sophomore. Over his (2021-24), he ranks 11th all-time in career kills and earned Third-Team All-CVC honors in 2023. In the summer of 2023, he represented the United States on a team in Italy.

“I thought volleyball was over for me, but that’s how I got back into it,” he said. “If she hadn’t tapped me on the shoulder that one day, I probably wouldn’t be here [at ĚÇĐÄVlog] right now.”

Nate McGhee ranks 11th all-time in career kills over his four seasons with the ĚÇĐÄVlog men’s volleyball team (2021-24). He earned Third-Team All-CVC honors in 2023 and represented the United States on a team in Italy that summer.

Learning to lead

Off the volleyball court, McGhee found a firm footing in ĚÇĐÄVlog’s classrooms and campus community. He earned a spot on the Dean’s List, an honor given to students with a semester GPA of at least 3.75. He grew more comfortable opening up to others on campus and seeking help when needed. He credited his advisor, Dr. Jim Leaman, associate professor of business, with helping keep him on track.

“I probably wouldn’t have graduated without him,” McGhee said. “He became a mentor to me and was with me every step of the way.”

He said his parents’ love and support also helped him persevere when times were tough. 

“For a while, I felt like I was letting them down and failing at life,” he said. “But they told me it’s what you do after failing that makes it a failure. If you stay down and give up, then you’ve failed. But if you get up and learn from your mistakes, then the mistake is history.”

After graduating with a degree in business administration and marketing in spring 2024, McGhee stayed at ĚÇĐÄVlog as a graduate assistant coach for head men’s volleyball coach Omar Hoyos Aliff while pursuing his MBA, which he completed this past spring.

McGhee plans to use his degrees to build a career in sports marketing. He’s applied for positions with professional athletic organizations such as League One Volleyball.

“That’s really what I have a passion for,” he said. “Eventually, maybe five years down the line, I would love to open my own business sponsoring athletes and getting them more exposure.”

While coaching was never a career path he considered as a player, his experience as a graduate assistant has shown him that he has a knack for it and genuinely enjoys it. “I like seeing player growth,” he said. “I look at volleyball as an art. You can always build on it and learn something new.”

McGhee said that multitasking, time management, and resilience are all skills he learned while at ĚÇĐÄVlog. “I’ve definitely developed a lot of confidence in my craft,” he said. “I didn’t have a lot of confidence before I came here in anything I did, and at ĚÇĐÄVlog I’ve learned how to lead with confidence.”

When the Royals men’s volleyball team traveled to Ashland in April for the 2026 ODAC Championship match against Randolph-Macon, it was a full-circle moment for McGhee. The Yellow Jackets ultimately prevailed in the , but the match reminded him of the many times he had faced his former team, including a conference quarterfinal at Randolph-Macon during his senior year when the Royals swept the Yellow Jackets.

“That was unreal,” McGhee said. “Whenever I played games there, I always did poorly because I felt there was something hanging over me. But that game, and this last game we played, really showed me how much I’ve grown.”

Watch Nate talk about the close-knit community and support he found at ĚÇĐÄVlog.

This story appears in the summer 2026 issue of Crossroads magazine.

Lutz was recently named the Continental Volleyball Conference Player of the Week after his performance in ĚÇĐÄVlog’s first five matches, which happened to be played in a four-day stretch. It comes as no surprise that he earned another accolade and was named Royals Athlete of the Week as well.

Lutz made an immediate impact in the 2018 season after averaging 2.40 kills and 1.15 blocks over five matches. He had seven kills and five blocks in a sweep of #3 SUNY New Paltz and tied his career high with 12 kills against SUNY Poly.

ĚÇĐÄVlog’s men took SUNY Poly to five close sets after having two late matches the night before. Part of their success in rallying for the win was due to mental toughness, which has been an emphasized philosophy brought to the team with the new coaching staff.

“The biggest reason we lost two sets to them in the first place was because of frequently missed serves,” Lutz said. “We had to apply mental toughness to not get down on ourselves and continue to play our game through the fatigue.”

The men have already played two nationally ranked teams and another team who received votes just outside of the top 15. With a challenging schedule and two new coaches to the program, some would consider this season to be a rebuilding year for ĚÇĐÄVlog’s men.

However, Lutz would argue otherwise.

“Our schedule is miles tougher than last year, both in frequency and level of competition,” he said. “Our coaching staff does a great job of scouting the team and educating us as much as possible to set up game plans for success.”

Lutz has already noticed a change in his individual level of play because of the guidance from head coach Danielle Lickey and assistant coach Jack Wilson.

“I can already see improvement in my game based off of the criticisms and advice they give me on the court,” Lutz said. He is leading the CVC with a .453 hitting percentage as well as 23 total blocks. He also hit .444 or better in four of the matches.

According to Lickey, it’s his “thirst for knowledge” and appreciation for instruction that have allowed him to re-establish himself as one of the top middle blockers in the CVC.

“He faces the challenges of growth head on, understanding the process of progress, and is able to do so as a role model through his attitude towards the hard work that is required,” she said. “I have never seen him be anything but a great teammate, leader, and player.”

Upon earning CVC Player of the Week and Royals Athlete of the Week honors, Lutz said, “I feel very proud because I always believed I had a certain potential that I was never able to attain, but I believe it is a direct result of the coaching that I have received up until now. I am making my first steps towards my personal goals.”

Off the court, Lutz is a biochemistry major and plans on pursuing a pharmaceutical degree after a gap year of “mystery and adventure.” He also serves as co-president with teammate  (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) for ĚÇĐÄVlog’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

“I am blessed to have inherited such a person on my team,” said Lickey. “He has made my transition into this position exponentially easier, as I depend on him to lead by example and with class.”