One of the senior leaders on the Bellefonte girls’ volleyball team just achieved a milestone she will never forget. On September 1, Bellefonte Area High School (BAHS) senior Madison Melius recorded her 500th assist during the team’s match against Clearfield. In this match Bellefonte came out to a shaky start and lost the first set, but after this they came back and won three in a row, ultimately beating Clearfield three sets to one.

    In the moment, Madison did not want the attention on herself, though she appreciated the steady support of her community. 

“To have all my friends and family there supporting me was an amazing feeling,” she said. 

Madison said she set the goal for herself and achieved it, adding that the moment was incredibly special.

“It is a moment and feeling I will never forget,” she said.

    Madison’s teammates were very supportive and proud of her. 

“She is a great athlete and is always working to get better. She constantly looks for feedback for ways in which she can improve her game and allow others to do the same,” junior Carlee Pepperman said.

Carlee admires Madison’s natural ability to be a leader.

“She is verbal and approachable. As one of only two seniors on the team she is everyone’s big sister, someone all of us can rely on, both on and off the court,” she said. 

 Another one of her teammates, junior Grace Novitsky, had all positive things to say about Madison. 

“She has the ability to influence the team for the better, and be a role model for everyone in the program,” she said.

Grace believes that Madison worked hard to make this milestone goal a reality because of the dedication and hard work that she has put into the game. 

“Knowing Madison has let me witness firsthand how hard-working Madison is as a person. On multiple occasions, I have seen Madison setting extra by herself, or always asking for another rep in order to get it right. If anyone were going to work hard enough to reach this goal, it would be Madison,” she said.

Grace, as well as other student athletes on the team, see Madison as someone who takes initiative to do what needs to be done. 

 “[She] always ensures that things are being done correctly during practice and games. She makes sure that everyone knows how things need to be done, on the court, and in every other aspect of the program. She is someone everyone can look up to and learn from,” Grace said.

Coach Monica Smith also commented on Madison’s personality and effort. 

“She makes sure everyone is putting in effort on the court to make sure there isn’t trash left on the bus. We have two of the best people I know as our seniors leading this program right now and I’m incredibly lucky to have them,” she said.

    Coach Smith also commented on her work ethic throughout the season. 

“Madison is a fantastic leader on and off the court. She works incredibly hard and is always the first one in and last one to leave. She truly leads her team by example,” she said.