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10/28/2021 12:00 AMMadison Neviaser is happy to be back on the court with all her teammates on the Valley girls’ volleyball squad after the Warriors were separated due to COVID-19 last year. Madison feels even happier about leading her resurgent Warriors’ team as a senior captain this season.
“I love helping lead the team and help everyone out as much as I can,” says Madison. “It’s so nice to be able to help others and be able to connect with the younger players, seeing how they’re doing and knowing they’re going to grow and become better.”
Madison has embraced being a leader and stepping up to help a Valley volleyball program that’s gone through three coaching staff transitions since her freshman year. Madison started her high school career playing for former coach Kathy Scott, who presented Madison with the Coach’s Award following her sophomore season.
“She always believed in me,” Madison says of Scott. “She always said she knew I’d be captain one day and that I was meant to be a leader. She was inspirational.”
Last year, Christine Miller stepped in to coach the team, after which Sofia Cullina and her sister Katie Cullina, both program alums, were hired for the job this season. Sofia Cullina, who is Valley’s head coach, says that Madison is making a big impact on the team this year. Even though she didn’t watch Madison play as a sophomore, Cullina can “clearly see” why she received the Coach’s Award that season.
“Madison has been such a hard worker since the first day of practice. She comes into the gym every day and gives her absolute best. She is always there to help someone out and or boost them up when needed,” says Cullina. “Madison is a force on the court, being both loud and aggressive. Madison is a great representation of the Valley Regional volleyball team. She is a great player, teammate, and captain.”
Thus far this season, Madison has recorded 285 digs with 79 kills and 47 aces for the Warriors, who have won six of their last seven matches to improve to 10-8 and clinch a spot in the playoffs. Coach Sofia Cullina has been impressed by Madison’s ability to play a multitude of positions for Valley throughout the season.
“Her response to us was, ‘I’ll do what is best for the team and what it takes to win.’ That is what being a good teammate and leader is all about,” Cullina says. “One of the best qualities Madison has is how she puts the team first. She has had a great season so far, and we are looking forward to seeing what she accomplishes next.”
After starting volleyball with the intramural program in middle school thanks to her older sister Mackenzie’s influence, Madison got called up to play varsity for the Warriors at the end of her freshman year. By the time she was a sophomore, Madison was making major contributions for a Valley squad that went on to win the Shoreline Conference title.
“Winning Shorelines was really fun and also really special, because my sister was a senior. It was amazing to experience that with her, and it’s something I’ll never forget,” says Madison. “I really hope to win Shorelines again. We’ve beat some of the higher seeds this season, so I know we could do it if everyone puts in their all.”
Madison loved competing alongside her sister for two seasons. Madison feels grateful for Mackenzie’s support and guidance, especially all of the practice time they had in their backyard.
The Neviaser sisters have also played offseason volleyball with several of their Valley teammates. Madison was a member of the high-performance team at Velocity in her freshman and sophomore years. When that team wasn’t running last year, Madison joined the high-performance team with the Husky Volleyball Club.
“After freshman year, I really wanted to work to get better,” Madison says. “I love it, because I get to play with so many girls who are at such a high level, and it pushed me to work harder and become better.”
Madison says that she’s learned something new from every coach she’s had while competing for her various teams. Madison feels that having to adapt to different coaching styles has helped her improve as a volleyball player.
In addition to her coaches and her sister, Madison appreciates the support of the rest of her family, including her parents Erin and Ian, who are “always there for me when things get hard.” Watching her older brother Mac play sports at the collegiate level has taught Madison to how keep going and “stick with it even when things get hard.”
Madison’s family has also influenced her choices when it comes to what sports she plays. Long before her sister encouraged her to play volleyball, Madison started playing lacrosse in kindergarten. Madison’s father played lacrosse in high school and college, and both of her siblings grew up playing lacrosse and then continued with the sport at Valley.
Madison is a midfielder for the Valley girls’ lacrosse team. The Warriors have fielded a young club throughout Madison’s tenure, but she is hoping that the experience they’ve gained throughout the past few years will pay off next spring.
“We’re hoping to make it into Shorelines, and we have a great chance, because we have a lot of seniors,” says Madison. “Each game we play is a highlight, because we have so much fun and everyone is working together.”
Outside of sports, Madison is in the National Honor Society at Valley and enjoys giving back to her community through volunteer work as a four-year member of the Interact Club. She’s also been working at Fresh Salt for the past two years.
Madison hasn’t made a definite decision on college, but is considering going premed as she is interested in the medical field due to the influence of her grandfather and her uncle, who are both surgeons. While she won’t be formally playing volleyball in college, Madison still plans to continue with her favorite sport in some shape or form. Before that, though, Madison wants to enjoy every moment of her final weeks as a Valley volleyball player.
“I’m definitely going to look into play club or intramural, because I just love it every day that I’m playing,” Madison says. “My favorite moment for volleyball was definitely winning Shorelines, but overall, the best part has been watching myself progress and becoming who I am.”