Anderson Volleyball has its 4th collegiate athletic commitment in the books. As of Monday night, Maddie Stuesser posted on social media, “I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my education and play D1 volleyball at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte!” Upon visiting, Stuesser noted the “beautiful location and campus culture.” Coupled with the relationships she has built with the coaches and “family-like” feel, Maddie knew that UNC Charlotte was where she wanted to call home for the next four years.
At age eight, Stuesser started playing volleyball, and approximately five years later, she began competing on the 13s club team at Roots. Maddie has worked her way up since eighth grade, and now, as a senior, sets for the top 18s team. Outside of club, Stuesser has worked with SetterU to hone in on her position which has helped her “focus [her] attention [on] the fine details of setting.” Of course, as a Lady Trojan, it’s important to mention Maddie’s Anderson career, as well. Since she was an underclassman, Maddie has stood out, making JV her freshman year. At the start of her sophomore season, she was a shoo-in on varsity, quickly establishing herself as a reliable and accurate setter among her older teammates. Besides helping Anderson win district champs in 2021, Stuesser has also received numerous personal awards including multiple selections to all-tournament teams (Sinton and AISD tourneys), and 6A all-district honorable mention (2022). Midway through her 2022 season, Maddie hit the 1,000-assist milestone and was named to the AVCA Phenom Watch List.
Aiding Stuesser through the draining and lengthy commitment process have been some incredible coaches. She specifically mentioned Anderson’s head volleyball coach and women’s athletic coordinator, Coach Byers, who has “‘always believ[ed] in [Maddie] and push[es her] to not settle for just enough.” From day one, she’s had high expectations of Stuesser and has not stopped helping her be her very best. Maddie also shouted out LT, her club coach/recruiting coordinator, who “has been by [her] side throughout the whole process.” Neither of them has doubted for a second that Stuesser is a capable athlete, something she is grateful for.
To close it out, Maddie noted her excitement now that she knows where she will be spending her next four years. Like so many athletes, she pointed out how draining the recruiting process is, but now the reward is “a major weight [lifting] off [her] shoulders.” One of Stuesser’s teammates, Ashlyn Axtell, commented how thrilled she is for her friend and how “proud really is an understatement.” “She’s going to do wonderful things at Charlotte, and they truly got an awesome girl,” she added.
This season will certainly be one to watch for Anderson Volleyball. With four committed players (Stuesser, Duncan, Axtell, and Gaston) and a host of other talented athletes, the team will be putting up a tough fight against schools including Westlake, Dripping Springs, and Lake Travis to make it to playoffs this year. The Lady Trojans have their first home game in less than a week, on August 29th, so make sure to come out and support!
