Miss Volleyball Finalist Profile: Marian’s Maddie Dowd

<p>Through multiple years of coaching changes, the Marian volleyball program has needed a consistent presence to maintain the success it has had.</p> <p>That consistent presence has been Maddie Dowd.</p> <p>The senior setter has been with the Mustangs for four years and is going through her third coaching change in three years for the 2018 season, but that hasn’t stopped Dowd from playing at a high level and earning a spot as one of the 10 finalists for the Miss Volleyball award.</p> <p>“I feel like I have been the rock and the stable force in the program for the four years,” Dowd said. “I just wanted to stay consistent as a player and keep the team together through all the challenges.”</p> <p>Dowd began her volleyball journey in sixth grade, when set started playing as a middle hitter. In a few years, her desire to be involved in every play pushed her toward becoming a setter and she immediately felt at home in the position.</p> <p>“I just wanted to be in charge of everything,” Dowd said of becoming a setter. “I wanted to touch the ball the most and to be able to control the game the most. I fell in love with the position right away. It’s a very technical position.”</p> <p>Dowd would be called upon to play at Marian as a freshman in 2015 and has been the face of the team ever since. She came into the 2018 season with 3,270 assists through her first three years and is approaching 1,000 assists thus far in 2018. She currently sits sixth in MHSAA history for career assists.</p> <p>“I have developed a lot mentally over the last four years. As a freshman I was worry way too much after a mistake and getting in my head,” Dowd said. “Now I am able to move past it and focus on the next point and not let myself get too emotional.”</p> <p>Dowd does more than just feed her hitters, she has also developed into a strong defender. Dowd has racked up 255 digs in 2018 and also is approaching 100 kills for Marian.</p> <p>“Everyone says it is the quarterback of the team and I think that is really true,” Dowd said of playing setter. “You are the one connecting the offense to the defense. You can have a good defense, but if you can’t turn that into offense, then you’re team isn’t going to succeed. You can have a good offense, but if you can’t keep a rally going or defend your hitters, then you aren’t going to succeed.”</p> <p>Dowd’s consistency is impressive considering all of the different systems she has had to play. First-year Marian coach Mayssa Cook has been grateful to have Dowd to turn to as she gets the team to play her style.</p> <p>“She’s a great leader and she supports her coaching staff, so she has been an extension of us on the court,” Cook said. “She knows when to get on her teammates and when to celebrate what they have done. She is a leader by example with her effort and play and has been a great example for our younger players.”</p> <p>Dowd admitted that a third coach in three years has been a challenge for the Mustang players, but she knew it was her responsibility to keep everyone on the same page.</p> <p>“I always understood that a coach was doing what they were doing for a reason,” Dowd said. “At times it may have gotten frustrating or seemed unfair, but the coaches always wanted us to be the best we could be and that was the message I always tried to pass on to the rest of the team. It’s hard to learn to do something one way, feel like you have a grasp on it, and then have everything change again. I just wanted to be a player that would keep the team together through the hard times.”</p> <p>In the long run, Dowd feels like she has become a better player through all the coaching changes.</p> <p>“It has definitely been a unique experience and a challenging experience,” she said. “Each coach has different expectations for how they like the team to be run. It has been interesting to see the different approaches and I think that has helped develop me as a player, but it certainly has been challenging at times for the team.”</p> <p>Now, Dowd and the Mustangs are focusing on the postseason. Marian got hot in the 2017 postseason and reached the Class A finals. Dowd is hoping for more of the same playoff success this year.</p> <p>“That was one of my favorite volleyball memories because we had to beat a few teams that a lot of teams didn’t think we were going to beat,” Dowd said of reaching the semifinals. “We worked really hard that season and we just loved each other so much as a team and everyone embraced their role on the team. Everyone really cared about the team and it made the whole experience that much better. I think that is something we are trying to remember this year.”</p> <p>When it comes to the Miss Volleyball honor, Dowd was very appreciative to be nominated, but winning the award isn’t on her mind.</p> <p>“I was kind of surprised and didn’t really expect it,” Dowd said of being named a finalist. “It’s something that was in the back of my mind since I was a freshman. I have always looked up to the players that have been nominated over the years and it felt really good to be part of the finalists and know that all the extra time and hard work I have put in hasn’t gone unnoticed. I am friend with a lot of the other finalists and I am really happy for them too. It’s truly an honor just to be nominated.”</p>