It almost seemed too perfect in 2023 for the Madison College women's volleyball team to earn its first Region 4 title and a return trip to a national tournament for the first time in eight years; until it wasn't. A loss in the Region 4 final on their home floor ended the WolfPack's season earlier that planned and it has fueled the program's drive to complete the journey in 2024. Head coach Mallory Stone and company are ready to embark on their second season competing at the NJCAA Division II level and are ranked #21 in the NJCAA Division II Preseason Poll ahead of four season-opening matches at the Opening Weekend Tournament in Rockford, Illinois.

Madison College 2024 Schedule | Madison College 2024 Roster

Madison College will lean on its top two hitters with the return of outside hitter/middle blocker Courtney Gorum and outside hitter/right side hitter Addyson McHugh. Gorum, who joined the team last season following a year of coaching alongside Stone, went on to earn All-Region 4 accolades and a NJCAA All-American nomination after posting 441 kills for the second-highest single-season total in program history. The Chesapeake, Virginia, native and transfer from the University of Wisconsin, finished the season ranked ninth in the nation with a 3.94 kills per set average and led the Pack with a .308 attack percentage. Her debut season also included a record-setting moment in the second match of the year as the 6'3" Gorum registered a new Madison College record of 27 kills against Illinois Central College.

Gorum also was named to the Region 4 All-Tournament Team, along with McHugh. The 5'10" native of Spring Grove, Minnesota, tallied 282 kills with a 2.61 average and a .168 hitting percentage. Defensively, the duo ranked second and third on the team in digs with a combined 459 digs, and added 83.0 combined blocks.

Also back on the front line is sophomore Amber Horn. The 5'11" middle blocker/right side hitter was tops in blocks with 62.0, to go along with 67 kills. 

"We are excited to return some key players to our front line in the fall," boasts Stone ahead of her third season leading the WolfPack. "We will return Courtney and Addyson, two vital pieces to our success last year as 6-rotation outsides. The two of them provide us with high-level scoring ability as they led the team in points scored last year, but also exceptional defense and stability in serve receive. The two of them, combined with Amber, will team up and provide high-level net defense as Amber led our team in blocks last season followed by Courtney. We expect the three of them will help bring along the other returners, along with incoming players to help build a culture we are extremely proud of."



The 2024 roster includes returning back line players, MacKenzie Thom, Alexandria Smith, and Faith Radecke. Several newcomers are expected to make an immediate impact, like defensive specialist/libero Cora Webster, outside hitter/right side hitter Makayla Weisner, middle blocker Kate Howe, and setters Tricia Klum and Sammy Johnson. Howe joins the program from Manitowoc Lincoln High School, where she played for Stone's mother and sister. Also new to the team but not to Madison College fans is current WolfPack softball catcher/infielder Brooke Anderson, who joins the team as a setter after a one-year volleyball hiatus following a successful high school career at River Valley HS.

"We are excited to welcome a new class of high-level competitors. Cora, a Waunakee graduate, will bring a high level of ball control to our program and a fiery competitive spirit to our gym. Kate Howe will be a force at the net blocking. Both Cora and Kate come from high-level high school programs and have the ability to make a strong transition to the college level. Makayla brings a heavy arm and versatility to our front line. We have a great group of setters with Brooke, Tricia, and Sammy, who will run a great offense for us in the fall."

"I think a strength of this 2024 fall squad will be a strong and versatile offense with options at every position putting a lot of pressure on defenses that we face. A high focus for us at the beginning of the season will be ball control at all positions - allowing us to be successful offensively. Our goal is to play great volleyball every time we step on the court and compete, win a Region 4 title, make it to the national tournament, and win a national championship."

The schedule does present some challenges, including a revenge match against 19th-ranked Rock Valley College on October 18 on the Golden Eagles home court. That day's triangular will also include a contest with the College of DuPage, which opens the year ranked #5 in Division III. Sauk Valley Community College, last year's other Region 4 champion, visits H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium for the Madison College Quad on October 11 and is 23rd in the preseason poll, one spot back of fellow Region 4 power McHenry County College.

After the Opening Weekend Tournament on August 23-24, Madison College hosts the first of two home triangulars on August 28 against in-state foes Western Tech and Blackhawk Teck, the latter joining Region 4 this season. A third in-state opponent, Bryant & Stratton College, joins Highland Community College for another triangular on September 7. The Madison College Tournament is set for September 20-21 and will feature matches against #6 Illinois Central College and #7 Iowa Central Community College as part of the eight-team event. The Parkland College Tournament in late-September will have the WolfPack squaring off against #5 Parkland College, #9 Kirkwood Community College, and #10 Heartland Community College. The final regular season event at Iowa Central brings another series of strong tests against defending national champions and top-ranked Cowley College, #15 Neosho County Community College, and another match with Kirkwood.

Madison College will again host the Region 4 Division II Women's Volleyball Tournaments on November 9-10, with four semifinal matches on Saturday and two championship contests on Sunday. The winners will advance to the 2024 NJCAA Division II National Tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from November 20-23.

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