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Maddy Just Helps Valley Volleyball Play as One

Maddy Just has been stepping up as a senior leader for the Valley Regional volleyball team this season. As one of two captains on the squad, Maddy is fostering a tight-knit atmosphere in which everyone trusts each other on both offense and defense. Maddy leads the Warriors with 104 kills on the year to go along with her 58 aces and 111 digs.

Although the Warriors fell shy of reaching the Class S State Tournament this season, they’ve earned a spot in the Shoreline Conference Tournament one year after making it to final. On the heels of such a successful campaign in 2017, Maddy thinks that this year’s team has shown great perseverance by getting back to Shorelines. Valley graduated six seniors who were all starters, meaning that several players had to fill some big shoes this fall. Maddy feels proud of her team for rising to that challenge.

“Last year, we made it to the Shoreline finals, and we had a big reputation in the school. We lost six seniors. Everyone on the varsity team, new and old, stepped up into new positions,” Maddy says. “Regardless of our record this year, this has been one of the best teams I’ve been on terms of skill, and we’re so close. I’m proud that everyone is really making the most of it.”

Maddy is taking on a lot of responsibility as a senior captain for the Warriors. Maddy and fellow captain Emily Hutchinson have had to bring together a team that entered this year with minimal varsity experience. Together, the duo has helped shape a club that features strong chemistry, where every athlete plays for their teammates.

“Last year, when all the seniors were graduating, me and Emily were the only seniors who had played on the varsity court. We had to step up into a captain’s role and set an example for all the girls coming up to varsity,” says Maddy, a Chester resident. “We make sure to have multiple pasta dinners with everyone on the team, including our manager. I think being close with your teammates and accepting each other is important because, otherwise, you can’t run your offense and you don’t trust your defense.”

In addition to stepping into big leadership role, Maddy has also been working hard to improve her game as an outside hitter. Last season, Maddy recorded 119 kills in 84 sets played. This year, she has 104 kills in just 58 sets. Maddy is also a tough player on defense when it comes to digging out attacks from her opponents.

“I’ve always been decently successful at hitting. I think that’s what got me on the varsity team,” Maddy says. “I’ve improved on my defense. Blocking was never my strong suit, but I’ve worked on getting better at that. I’m better at digging. I try to be as scrappy and as aggressive as possible.”

Maddy also believes that her mental game has improved on the court throughout her career. Like many other sports, volleyball requires pinpoint focus and quick reactions. Maddy makes sure that she always stays in the moment, rather than obsess about any previous sequence.

“Before a match, I just calm myself down and just start visualizing how I’m going to play and my goals that game,” says Maddy, who is vice president of the National Honor Society at Valley Regional. “If I stress about the competition, I won’t play very well, so I get into a calm mindset where I can play without thinking. You have to remember the good things you can do, instead of stressing about mistakes in a previous game or practice.”

Head Coach Kathy Scott has been pleased with Maddy’s progression as a player during the past four years. Scott feels that Maddy’s efforts to unify her team through a positive attitude have been a huge help for the Warriors.

“Maddy wants people to have a great experience and feel a part of the team. She and Emily both worked hard on establishing a connection amongst the players. Maddy deeply cares about her teammates and continually works to inspire, motivate, and build them up,” says Scott. “Maddy has a tough jump serve. She’s a powerful hitter with range, but she is most impressive on defense…and her receiving is amongst the strongest on the team. We can always count on Maddy to give her best effort when she steps on the court.”

Now in the home stretch of her final season at Valley, Maddy feels lucky that she’s had the chance to compete alongside such a great collection of teammates. Maddy appreciates all the friendships that she’s formed as a result of playing volleyball for the Warriors.

“I think one of the most important things that I’ve learned from being on the team is just getting close to your teammates. Volleyball is a mentality sport, and you need to trust your teammates. That’s one of the biggest things,” Maddy says. “I’ve made a lot of friends that I didn’t really talk to before. I’ve met a lot of different personalities, and they’ve made me branch out.”