Most athletes say they wouldn’t be where they are without their family, but for Brooklyn DeLeye, it has truly changed her life.

Brooklyn is one of the best on the court, but she owes it all to her older sister, Macy Jenkins. Brooklyn is a junior outside hitter and first-team All-American for the Kentucky Volleyball team, and she says her sister was her biggest inspiration.

“I've always looked up to my sister,” Brooklyn says. “She's just been my hero since I first started playing, and honestly, my whole life, she's just truly an amazing human and just someone I aspire to be like every day, whether that's on the court or off.”

Their family was a sports family from day one. Macy is Brooklyn’s older sister, and they both grew up playing multiple sports, following their dad who was an athlete growing up as well. Brooklyn might be the more prominent figure in the sports world, she’s looked up to her sister every step of the way.

Macy played volleyball as a middle blocker at Drake University from 2020-2023. She was known for her ability to block, her career high blocks in a game is 7. Macy has since moved on from volleyball. After college, she began a career as a teacher. Two years later, In July of 2025, she was married.

Brooklyn says every opportunity she has gotten since her collegiate debut has come from her relationship with her sister. She began playing volleyball at nine years old, because Macy played. Their relationship grew stronger when they got to play together on the same club team, Topeka Impact.

TikTok of the Deleye Sisters

Kentucky volleyball has built a dynasty in SEC volleyball, and Brooklyn is no exception to a roster packed with talent. In just two seasons as a Wildcat, she has gained several accolades on the court. She was the 2024 SEC player of the year, 2024 AVCA All-American and 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year.

Although she had had great success on the court, it hadn’t been easy preparing the team for such a rigorous season with targets on its back. Brooklyn says that head coach Craig Skinner always schedules an extremely challenging non-conference schedule to prepare the team.

The Wildcats are currently No. 3 in the nation in Strength of Schedule.

Brooklyn has shown no signs of struggle either, and her sister says that it has everything to do with her work ethic. Macy says that Brooklyn always wants to be the best she can possibly be, and it has led to her pushing her teammates in a similar fashion.

“She's always wanting to get better,” Macy says. “She's always pushing you, she's always pushing her other teammates and holding them accountable, and she just wants what's best for the team, and she'll do anything to get that outcome.”

Macy also says that Brooklyn will do whatever it takes for her team to win. She is a competitor, but she still has fun playing the sport, which Brooklyn says is a big part of her game.

Brooklyn played club volleyball with Macy as they got older, deepening their already close sisterly bond. Since they were so close during their journeys as athletes, Brooklyn says that her sister went with her to tour Kentucky’s campus, and it was just another moment they connected over big decisions.

She says that she fell in love with Kentucky when she first visited, and that she felt extremely welcome. She says her club coach connected her with Skinner, who came to see her at a camp in Kansas.

“Craig [Skinner] came down to Lawrence, Kansas, for one of the camps that we had kind of to get to see me more because he didn't know much about me as well,” Brooklyn says. “We really connected at that camp,” she says. At his invitation, she went with Macy to a Kentucky camp. Honestly, it just blew me away,” she says. I'd been to a couple of other universities and their camps, but when I came to Kentucky, it was so much different.”

Brooklyn says she’s so grateful for the opportunities she’s been given in Kentucky, she wants to give back to the Lexington community in any way she can.

Brooklyn is also a part of KY Causes, a commonwealth causes organization that connects University of Kentucky athletes back to Lexington.

“Any way I can give back to the community is just so special to me, just like around Lexington,” Brooklyn says. “I'm not from here, so just doing any part that I can to help out with the community has been just one of the key focuses for me.”

In her work with KY Causes, she is utilizing her social media to bring awareness to the causes she supports. In September, Brooklyn even volunteered to help get pets at a local animal shelter adopted.

She had a meet and greet at the adoption event, taking pictures and signing autographs for any fans who were hoping to also get a new family member.

Brooklyn says that she hasn’t had much time recently to volunteer with such a hectic, jam-packed schedule during the heart of volleyball season, but she’s doing what she can for the time being. She also says that she looks forward to volunteering during the offseason.

“I'll be doing more in the off-season, but right now, it's just getting people to know more about that organization,” Brooklyn says.

The sisters bond through charity work too. Macy says that while they were growing up, She and Brooklyn volunteered together at their local animal shelter, and at a food-packaging plant.

Macy also says that they would attend volleyball camps as assistants throughout the summer to help out with local teams, and that volunteering only picked up as she grew into herself in Lexington.

“I know she definitely has a big desire for [community service], and she wants to help the community, and she's always been that helpful, caring person,” Macy says. “I think that kind of shows her real side, and it's nice to see the athlete outside of the sports world.”

Brooklyn’s relationship with her sister, as well as her love for charity work, shows the world the real version of herself. The volleyball superstar wants to be a big sister to the next generation of players because Brooklyn's big sister inspired her.

“[Big Blue Nation] has shown so much support to me and this team that I just try to do whatever I can to inspire that generation to be more involved in volleyball and just Kentucky athletics as a whole,” Brooklyn says.