A-K Valley Senior Spotlight: Kiski Area’s Maddie Joyce

By: Ted Sarneso
Monday, November 11, 2024 | 10:18 AM

When Maddie Joyce set foot on the campus of Fairleigh Dickinson, she knew it was the right school for her.

“People say that when you know, you know,” said Joyce. “Coach David Nguyen is a great guy, a great coach and prioritizes the girls having plenty of bonding opportunities, and I was looking for an environment like that.”

The Kiski Area senior libero and captain watched a few of Fairleigh Dickinson’s games and was pleased with what she saw from the Division I program’s back row.

“I loved their resilience,” Joyce said. “In the stressful situations, all the players communicated and didn’t seem mad at each other. It looked like a great on-court relationship between the players and the coaching staff.”

Joyce knew to play volleyball at the higher levels of the sport, she needed work on one specific area of her game.

“Serve and passes are one of the biggest parts of the game, and once you get to that next level, it’s even harder to give a good pass,” Joyce said. “So that’s why I focused on my serve and receives this season.”

Joyce will head to FDU after setting nearly every record for Kiski Area volleyball. She is the career leader in assists and has over 1,500 career digs. She missed out on the season record for assists, but according to her coach, Dakoda Fickes, she could have broken that record had she been a setter all year.

“Because of the injuries we sustained this season, Maddie needed to fill various positions for us,” Fickes said. “I moved her to outside at the beginning of the year and then I moved her to setter, where she was the rest of the year. She was a setter for six or seven games, but had she been there all year, she would have that record as well.”

Kiski Area made the playoffs after finishing the season 9-8 overall and 5-5 in section play. The Cavaliers lost in the first round to Peters Township.

Joyce took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did the team do with the move to Class 4A this year?

It was an adjustment, but we handled it pretty well. We faced some challenges, but we came together as a team and in the end we all improved.

How disappointing was it to lose in the first round of the playoffs?

It was pretty disappointing, but everything is a learning process. I’m really excited to see how far the team goes next year after learning from mistakes this season.

How do you think the team performed in the playoff match?

We started off slow and towards the end of the match, we just couldn’t finish and that’s normally what we struggle with. But overall, we played a good game, and Peters Township is a great team.

What was it like to switch positions, not once, but twice this year?

I didn’t really mind it because I’m willing to do anything my team needs, and if that requires me to switch positions twice, I’ll do that for them. I used to set when I was 14, and just getting back to that was really nice.

What’s it like to have nearly every school record in volleyball?

I don’t know what those stats are. I just love to play the sport. It feels really good to have my name up on those banners after all the work I put in.

What was the highlight of the season for you?

Beating Fox Chapel on senior night to get into the playoffs. All the girls came together and played a great game as we swept them.

What lessons have you learned from playing sports?

Patience and learning how to react to and talk with different types of personalities in stressful situations.

What’s one piece of advice you’d want to leave your teammates?

Enjoy it while it lasts. I just blinked, and I’m a senior. Enjoy your time with one another because time is something you can’t ever get back.

Favorite high school memory so far?

My junior year when we went to Latrobe. It was their senior night, so it was a full house and their student section was screaming in our faces. We played for each other and reverse swept them.

What do you plan on studying at Fairleigh Dickinson?

International business and possibly a double major in international business and sports management or sports marketing.

What are you looking forward to most in the last six months of your senior year?

Building relationships with my friends in high school and taking it all in because it really does fly by.

Tags: Kiski Area