A group of five returning players who helped lead the Madison College volleyball team to a 23-10 record last year and a regional runner-up finish gives coach Mallory Stone lots of reasons to be optimistic.
Courtney Gorum, a 6-foot, 3-inch middle blocker and right-side hitter, earned all-regional honors last season after leading the team with 441 kills, just two short of the school’s all-time record. She also had 60 blocks and 239 digs.
Addyson McHugh, an outside hitter and middle blocker, added 282 kills, 23 blocks and 220 digs. Amber Horn led the team in blocks last season with 67, while MacKenzie Thom and Faith Radecke both saw significant playing time.
Stone believes their experience will help guide the team to even more success this season.
“We hope they will provide great leadership to our younger players, along with a great presence and voice in our gym,” Stone said. “They seem to be on a mission and hope to bring teammates along with them.”
Stone said the ultimate goal of any team is to win a championship, but that is achieved by meeting several smaller goals along the way.
“For us, there are a lot of levels to the goals that this team has for the 2024-25 season. It starts in our practice gym each day by upholding our standards of what the gym looks and sounds like daily along with increasing the level of ‘compete’ every time we take the court,” Stone said.
“Getting 1% better daily at volleyball, school, and in life. Some bigger goals include winning the region, advancing to the national tournament and winning a national championship.”
Stone believes her team will have a “dynamic offense that will put a high level of stress” on the teams they face. She also expects to wear down opponents with its blocking and defense.
Areas of emphasis for the team this season include ball control and communication.
With just five returnees this season, the team will have to rely on freshmen to fill important roles on the team.
“Our freshman class brings in a lot of talent and a lot of different styles of volleyball to our gym,” Stone said.
“I am excited to see them continue to adjust to the speed of the game and see them settle into various roles for this squad.”
The season began with four matches in the McHenry Community College Opening Weekend Tournament from Aug. 23-24. Madison College then hosts Western Technical College and Blackhawk Technical College in a triangular on Aug. 28. After that, the team hosts a triangular on Sept. 7.
“We have put together a really tough schedule for this fall,” Stone said. “Open weekend in Rockford is always a fun weekend to see what we’ve been able to string together in the short preseason we have – we also have a bunch of region games that we are excited to play along with some big tournaments in Parkland, Iowa Central and at home that will really test us.”