Redshirt freshman setter Maddy Stucky quickly learned that the transition from Wyoming high school volleyball to the Division I level isn’t easy, even for one of the state’s best playing at the highest level the state has to offer.
Stucky earned a plethora of different honors throughout her prep career for the Laramie Lady Plainsmen, including Gatorade Player of the Year honors in 2022 and 2023, Wyoming Class 4A Player of the Year and was tabbed as a top 150 recruit in the 2024 high school volleyball recruiting class.
All of those accolades seemed minuscule when Stucky entered the ring at the collegiate level.
“One of the most different things is the tempo. It is so much faster in college than it is in high school, and I think that was the hardest adjustment for me,” Stucky admitted.
The freshman setter immediately knew she wanted to bide her time in her first year in the program as she adjusted to the speed of the game–especially with All-Mountain West setter Kasia Partyka handling setting duties last season as well. However, the opportunity to tutor under a seasoned veteran like Partyka–who also finished her career ranking fourth all time in total assists at Wyoming–was a chance that Stucky was not going to pass on.
“Instead of, you know, maybe getting in a game or two and losing a whole year, I thought it was best if I trained and developed myself so I could be ready to be a starter in the next year,” Stucky said. “I’m just so thankful that I did, because I feel so confident in myself as an athlete.”
Even after her redshirt season, Stucky wasn’t quite ready to take to the court right away in the Cowgirls’ opening home tournament–with confidence playing a major factor in that.
“At that point, I hadn’t earned it yet,” Stucky bluntly stated.
Instead, true freshman setter Sara Quigley jumped on the opportunity to start and took on much of the setting duties in the Cowgirls’ opening five games of the season. Stucky watched on the sideline as her fellow freshman teammate quickly settled into a contributing role, despite her inexperience.
Stucky knew that could also be her on the court, as the two previously battled throughout the summer and fall camp for the starting position, with Quigley just edging out Stucky to begin the season. However, seeing Quigley take on such an integral role in her first season, Stucky knew she could too.
“That relationship that we have both drives both of us to get a lot better of athletes and humans,” Stucky said of her relationship with Quigley. “I’m very grateful that it’s Sara that I get the opportunity to train with every day.”
That, combined with the discontentment of starting the season on the sidelines, helped fuel Stucky’s growing confidence. She played her first sets as a Cowgirl against Missouri, a team that has placed as high as 21st in national polls this season. Stucky played all four sets in a 1-3 setback against the Tigers, tallying 16 assists and 10 digs.
That well-rounded performance in her collegiate debut sparked the upstart redshirt freshman, who has since strung together some impressive performances while playing a major factor in the Cowgirls’ 8-4 start to conference play. A career-high 30-assist performance in a dramatic 3-2 victory over Border War rival Colorado State, followed by a 20-assist and career-high 12 digs in a road win over New Mexico are just a few games that come to mind.
“I finally put it together, like I am enough, I’m worthy, and it really showed in my playing,” Stucky said.
There is still a ton of season left for Stucky to represent not only the state, but her hometown–an opportunity she isn’t taking for granted.
“It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Stucky said.
“I get to see all of my friends and family every single game, and I just feel proud that I can just be out there representing not just my whole family, but the whole state, showing that, ‘hey, I’m a kid from Wyoming, and I’ve made it and you can make it too’.”
Stucky and the Cowgirls continue their season with a massive four-game road swing, beginning Thursday against Boise State.
