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Name: Maddie Hoff High School: O.L. Sacred Heart Grade: 12 Position: Middle Hitter Background Info: Hoff has started in the middle for OLSH for the past three years including this one. During her first year years, Hoff worked on the middle hitting and blocking parts of her game and didn't have to worry about her back row skills since OLSH had defensive specialists to take her place in the back row. Although she had developed a pretty good serve, she only lasted in the back row as long as the Chargers hung on to the serve! The big difference from her first two years to now is the fact that Hoff doesn't come out of the game at all! In fact, Hoff has done a pretty fair job of passing, and serving to remain in the game at all times for the Chargers. Quotes from OLSH coach Mike McDonald: "During the summer, Maddie showed enough improvement that I was willing to take a calculated risk by using her in the back row. I thought her ball control skills were pretty good and her ability to receive serve had improved quite a bit. I first tried her out in that role at the Indiana Team Camp in August, and Maddie's performance during those three days really solidified my decision that she could be used as an all-around player, which when you are at a smaller school, is pretty important since there aren't a lot of pure volleyball players in the school! Gianna Platt, Katie Tarasovich, and Sabrina Skukalek get a pretty good amount of the attention on our team, but Maddie has quietly and consistently come on as a player that you have to pay attention to and watch out for. I really like her work ethic. She's very smart, and is a good competitor who plays multiple sports (basketball, track) and that cross over has been good for the volleyball team! I currently think Maddie is our most improved player from last year to this year and she just keeps getting better. Not bad for a girl who doesn't play club volleyball! |