In the world of high school volleyball, where spikes and serves meet the demands of academia, junior Madison Bailey has mastered the art of juggling athletics and education. Playing for the school’s club volleyball team, Madison opens up about the challenges and triumphs that define her journey.

“I play club volleyball, and it’s much more different from school volleyball,” Bailey said. “You just know that right after practice you have to go home and do all your homework or you’ll  just end up failing.”

Taking a load of upper-level classes, Madison encounters the common struggle of navigating the demanding worlds of education and athletics. 

“I have a lot of work sometimes, and I can’t figure out how to do both,” Bailey said.

Bailey doesn’t let the stress or workload get to her even in the toughest year of high school. 

“It has been okay, but a lot more work than my past years and pressure,” Bailey said. “I would say it is my hardest year yet.”

 Despite the academic pressures, Madison finds solace and inspiration on the volleyball court, especially when playing with her seniors.

“I’m not going to lie, it was very heartbreaking coming off the court, but it was one of the best years yet,” Bailey said. “It was overall an entertaining season with many fun players.” 

Learning valuable lessons from her upperclassmen, Bailey opened up about what stuck with her. 

“The main thing everyone pushed was to never slack off,” Bailey said. “The seniors pushed to work hard.”

These words given by her peers resonate with her as she contemplates the valuable takeaways from the graduating class that she plans to apply to herself.

“Always bringing each other up is the main thing we learned from our upperclassmen,” Bailey said. “Teamwork is crucial, and I think that’s what I have seen the most.

Amidst the demanding schedule, Bailey reminisces about her favorite moment, a tournament in New Braunfels, where the team bonded on and off the court.