MA volleyball program filled with athletic and intelligent players
MADISON – The transition from year to year can be exhausting for any head coach in any sport as a team’s roster goes through changes due to an array of reasons such as graduations, transfers and injuries. For most athletic programs, the changes usually means the best athletes will not again be a part of the new roster, but for Madison Academy’s Nikki Knott, her loss off last year’s team also included two players who assisted in the Lady Mustangs to be named to the Team Academic Award.
A record-breaking 1,450 collegiate and high school volleyball teams maintained a year-long grade point average of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or 4.1 on a 5.0 scale were so honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
“Being named to this national academic honor roll where this team finished in the top 20-percent nationally is an incredible testament to their commitment and discipline,” said Knott, in her seventh season as head coach of the Lady Mustangs.
The actual award is for the 2024-2025 school year, but was not extended to the honored programs until this summer.
Eight current players were part of last year’s squad, which finished 24-19 overall and fell in the second round of the North Regional in post-season action. Two players who graduated last school year and were part of the honor roll guidelines included Jasmine Brantley who posted a 4.19 grade point average and Sydney Privett who carried a 3.86 grade point average away from the private school after graduation.
Among the current 2025 roster are the student-athletes who played a season ago and their academic numbers included in the AVCA requirements include seniors Jacey Crawford (3.54), Cat Schreiber (3.61) and Isabelle Sutton (4.08), juniors Bekah Mouser (3.74), Maggie Boyd (4.22), Janelle Lowery (4.09), and Kenzie Privett (4.13), and sophomore Sarah Bacon (4.18). The Madison Academy team grade point average for the AVCA Honor Roll was 3.96.
For Isabelle Sutton, one of three seniors on the 2025 team and who wants to enter the field of nursing, the intelligence of the squad is a factor that doesn’t really surprise the 5-foot-7 outside hitter. “We’re all smart and have the potential to win awards like this one,” she added. “This national award shows Madison Academy definitely leans towards us being students before athletes.”
Junior Janelle Lowery, a 5-foot-9 right side hitter, said her parents set the standard for her to have good grades as she began attempting advance programs when she was young. She continues to engage in dual enrollment facing college-level classes and indicated both of her parents are smart, so her intelligence level is genetic.
“Our winning this award and the fact our entire squad is intelligent shows Madison Academy has an environment that guides each student towards achieving success,” added Lowery, who wants to play collegiate volleyball and study sports psychology. “When I made the move to Madison Academy from public schools I quickly found out our teachers here spend time with each student and help teach us what we need. Our squad is setting an example for the rest of the school.”
Many of the Lady Mustangs compete together year-round on various club volleyball teams, and those who don’t are standout multi-sport athletes in additional sports. Regardless of their path, Knott said, “Every player brings a strong work ethic both on the court and in the classroom.”
“I really didn’t know we had that many smart girls on the team as I didn’t realize we were that smart collectively,” said Lowery, who has a team nickname of “Boinga.” “I’m proud of us. The term students-athletes I believe we’re that. We show we can do it all.”
For Sutton, who goes by the teasing nickname of “Perry” so named after she caught a parasite in May while on a mission- type trip to Africa and took months to overcome the symptoms of the organism, she has for the last three years volunteered for the school’s Little League program designated for students in grades two through six. She also has jumped into the dual enrollment program and has applied for several universities where she would like to enter an elite nursing education program.
“I believe our intelligence level causes us to be good about seeing what’s going on the court during a match as we have studied and taken notes on our opponents and just being well prepared usually gets us a few points during a match,” said Sutton. “We know how our opponents serve and their tendencies.”
Madison Academy is one of 527 girls programs in the country to earn the Team Academic Award from the AVCA.
