![The Phoenix varsity volleyball team lines up for the national anthem. “We were more communicative [with each other] during this game, and I feel like we kept our energy up, especially after the first set,” senior Jessica Valdov said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0202-1200x800.jpg)
![Junior Alex Alkhal pitches the ball. “[I] just let it go and keep practicing so we can focus on our goal for the next game to get better as a team,” Alkhal said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DSC_0013-1-1200x929.jpg)
Stepping onto the court she once played on, Maddie Anderson coaches the volleyball team just how she was once coached. Watching a player block a ball just as she did years ago, she remembers the thrill of getting points for the team. Once a varsity athlete on the court to now the varsity head coach on the sidelines, Anderson has been developing her coaching expertise–first as a volunteer coach, then as a junior varsity coach, and now as the varsity coach–pushing her players to success.
During her time at Rock Ridge as a student from 2017-2021, she played on the varsity team as a middle blocker for four years; she broke three records and set new records for set, match, and career, all of which still stand to this day. When she started playing volleyball at Rock Ridge, it was a program filled with skilled and experienced players. “People that played in high school went straight to [play in] college,” Anderson said.“That was what was common. It was very competitive at the time, so I automatically got a competitive nature to me.”
After she graduated from Rock Ridge in 2021, she went to college to play Division II for a year but
came back to Rock Ridge after only one year with intentions to take a gap year. “Four years ago was my first year volunteering to coach the freshman team, and they were the ones who made me fall in love with children and made me want to coach them,” Anderson said. “They made me feel seen and heard and made me feel like I could actually help them on and off the court, which is important to me because I don’t like just being a coach on the court. I want to help you in your life, and I felt like they really embraced me and made me want to stay forever.”
At first, the transition from being on the court to being on the sidelines was frustrating for her. “I always wanted to just jump on the court and do it myself,” Anderson said. However over time, she adapted. “I had to teach myself how to not just go in and do it myself.”
Anderson’s coaching style allows the players to be focused and concentrated during the games by doing the training at practice. “I see her when she’s coaching at practice, with a lot more energy,” Athletic Director Patrick McNanley said. “And during the games, I see her a lot more calm to try and let her girls perform without the pressure or stress of a coach put on them.”
However, Anderson isn’t just an inspiration on the court but also off the court. “Maddie gives me great advice on not listening to what other people say and believing in yourself and trusting yourself,” junior rightside hitter Jahnavi Kundoor said.
Senior volleyball captain Kenidy Nguyen has appreciated and responded to Anderson’s pure love for the sport. During Nguyen’s high school years, Anderson has helped her, along with many others, develop their skills and helped progress them into the players they are now. “Her not even having a job here, not even coaching here, technically, and volunteering and taking her time to do that, has really shaped me as an athlete,” Nguyen said. “[With her] selfless attitude, you can tell that she coaches with that same attitude to all of her girls.”
Anderson supports each athlete individually and guides the team, allowing them to reach their potential. “She showed me how to be an honest athlete and also a talented one,” Kundoor said. “She’s taught me stuff that I’ve never learned from another coach before, and it’s helped me improve my sport.”
As a former student, Anderson takes pride in her involvement with the school. This sets her apart from other coaches and allows her to understand the players’ perspectives. “It’s not just a coaching job for her; it’s a place that she was able to contribute to as a student, and she takes a lot of pride in our team and in our program,” McNanley said.
This year, the majority of the players were on varsity for the first time. “She actually did a really good job integrating us with everyone, because we’re all completely new,” Nguyen said. “We’re all at different levels. She [also] does a lot of team-bonding activities.”
Aside from coaching, this year she’s focused on advancing the Rock Ridge volleyball program. “I think that my main goal for this year was to begin building what Rock Ridge volleyball should be; getting spectators to come to the games, getting support from the athletic department, doing the tunnel, and getting pink out jerseys,” Anderson said. “I feel like I wanted to focus more on the program culture and building up the culture.”
As the years go on, Anderson hopes to grow the volleyball program here at Rock Ridge into a community. “I think Coach Maddie gives us that opportunity of longevity, which we haven’t had with our volleyball coaches [in] the last few years,” McNanley said. “So, I feel like having her, for that extended time [will] really grow the program in the future.”
