Madison College isn't far removed from its championship past. Its newest coach was groomed by a championship program. Mallory (Dixon) Stone is hoping she can find a way to unite those pedigrees and make something special happen for WolfPack volleyball. That process officially gets underway this weekend with the Pack participating in the Opening Weekend Tournament (hosted by McHenry County College) in Rockford, Illinois. 

"As a team, we are fired up to get started this weekend. With so many new faces, we have worked hard to put pieces together in such a short amount of time and become a cohesive unit. We are excited to have some different faces across the net and look forward to putting all of our skills together and working to problem solve throughout various situations. This weekend should provide us with a great baseline to learn and grow from."

Stone, who was hired in July to take over a program that has had five coaching changes over the past six seasons, was a player at the University of Wisconsin under head coach Kelly Sheffield, and was part of a Big Ten title winning team that went on to reach the national championship game in 2019. Two years later, Stone watched her former coach and teammates win a NCAA championship, and believes Madison College can find its way back to the top of the NJCAA mountain.

To aid in that effort, Stone and her assistant coaches of Courtney Gorum, Amy Angelos, and Ben Stone, will also be leaning on a pair of returning players to guide the rest of the 2022 roster through life as a college volleyball student-athlete.
 
"We are excited to have Mariah and Aubrie back for a second season with the WolfPack. They both bring some experience at the college level, along with great voices to the gym. They have helped create an atmosphere where players are willing to slow down and learn, but also have the desire let loose and compete. I look forward to them helping to lead this young team throughout the season as we grow together and compete."

Mariah Best, a 5'10" setter from Waunakee, Wisconsin, and Aubrie Kappes, a 5'5" defensive specialist from Marshall, Wisconsin, combined to play 51 matches on a team that went 15-13 in 2021. Best led the team with 426 assists and a 4.84 assist per set average, and was the top server on the squad with 48 aces. Kappes collected 197 digs and a posted an .893 receive percentage.

While both expect to improve upon those numbers in year two, it will be a crop of newcomers along the net that will need to step up and create the point production. Middle blocker/outside hitter Gabby Hack and outside hitter Tyra Anderson appear to be the leading candidates through fall camp.

"These two have brought energy to the gym since the first day of practice and come ready to compete regardless of the circumstance. Tyra has stepped into a vocal leadership role as she works to problem solve and learn how to best support teammates in difficult scenarios. It's awesome to see teammates look to her after just a few weeks of practice. Gabby brings an immense amount of joy to the gym, making the learning process fun for herself and teammates. However, when it is time to compete, she's someone I'd fight to have on my side of the court. Gabby brings a lot of athleticism and versatility to the squad. I look forward to coaching these two and the rest of the team."

The rest of the incoming class includes a pair of 6'1 players in middle blocker MacKenzie Plunkett and oustide hitter/right side Sophia Venne, along with outside hitter Kendall Weisensel. Daryn Schaefer will be part of the setter rotation, and in the back row will be defensive specialist Katie Wagner and Kaitlyn Wolf.

"I could not have asked for a better group of incoming athletes to kick off my college coaching career. These ladies have come into the gym every single day ready to go and willing to be pushed outside their comfort zones. They continually are looking for ways to get better and are always up for the challenge. They truly make going to the gym a joy and something I look forward to every single day. As small of a group as they are, I couldn't ask for any better of people or volleyball players."

Madison College begins the 2022 season with matches against NJCAA Division II teams in three of their four matches on August 19-20. The Opening Weekend Tournament is the first of six multi-team events involving the WolfPack, who will be hosting two of them on consecutive weekends inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium. The Madison College Triangular on September 3 will include Dakota County Technical College (MN) and Bay College (MI), followed on September 10 by the Madison College Quad against Minnesota West Community & Technical College and the Lakeland University JV. In tournament play, the Pack will square off against NJCAA Division III Preseason #1 and three-time defending national champion Owens Community College and #7 Finger Lakes Community College.

The departure of 2021 North Central Community College Conference and Region 4 champion Rock Valley College from the conference as a result of moving up a division leaves the league title and region crown up for grabs. However, the NJCAA Division III Preseason Poll has the College of DuPage ranked #4 and Harper College in the #8 spot, while Joliet Junior College is listed as receiving votes. The compeittion will be tough when N4C play opens on September 13 against the Chaparrals in Redsten Gym. Madison College college will play three home matches in the first round of league play, only to then finish with three of four on the road.

The home opener for the season is Wednesday, August 24 against Morton College.

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