Golden Athlete: Madi Andrews Shines Spotlight on Athena Teammates
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A major shoutout to Michelle Bamford from PrepDig California for the creation and inspiration behind this article series. Because Michelle Bamford’s introductory paragraph perfectly sums up the importance of this series, we are using her words to kick off this series in…
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Continue ReadingA major shoutout to Michelle Bamford from PrepDig California for the creation and inspiration behind this article series.
Because Michelle Bamford’s introductory paragraph perfectly sums up the importance of this series, we are using her words to kick off this series in Oregon…
Acknowledging and cherishing the dedication of those who stand by your side on the court is paramount in the pursuit of victory. To emphasize the importance of acknowledging and showing appreciation to teammates and to spotlight the pivotal role their support plays in the quest for greatness, we’ve extended an invitation to Madi Andrews Madi Andrews 6'1" | OH Adrienne C Nelson | 2026 State OR to share her insights on the players who make up her club team. Through her words, we aim to shed light on the indispensable contributions of the teammates who have been instrumental in shaping her success on the court.
Athena 17 Gold team photo (from L to R: Lainey Day Lainey Day 6'0" | MB Neson | 2026 State OR , Greta Jane Miller Greta Jane Miller 5'8" | S Corbett | 2025 State OR , Taina Pinheiro Taina Pinheiro 5'10" | RS Valley Catholic | 2025 State OR , Addy Azavedo Addy Azavedo 5'4" | DS/L Jesuit | 2025 State OR , Hayden McGehee Hayden McGehee 5'7" | S Jesuit | 2025 State OR , Addie Emerson Addie Emerson 5'9" | RS Valley Catholic | 2025 State OR , Ursula Harrington Ursula Harrington 6'2" | MB Corbett | 2025 State OR , Elliana Carroll Elliana Carroll 6'1" | MB Jesuit | 2025 State OR , Alexa Bell Alexa Bell 5'9" | OH Barlow | 2025 State OR , coach Nir Ofer, Willa Kayfes Willa Kayfes 6'0" | OH Valley Catholic | 2025 State OR , Madi Andrews Madi Andrews 6'1" | OH Adrienne C Nelson | 2026 State OR , Gabby Troche Gabby Troche 5'11" | MB Lake Oswego | 2025 State OR )
Highlights
From Madi: Addie has such an amazing vertical that allows her to score around most blocks. Her strength and athletic ability makes her a dominant opposite. The energy and humor she shows everyday brings the team up during long tournaments.
Highlights
From Madi: While I play against Addy in the high school season, I always look forward to competing with her during club. Addy’s commitment to her position not only shows in her ability to get to every ball, but in how the team trusts her and looks to her and her leadership. She encourages everyone to continue competing with energy and is a lot of fun to be on the court with. I love how passionate she is about this sport and
From Madi: I play against Alexa in conference play and am so happy to get to play with and get to know her this club season. I enjoy her caring and funny personality off the court. Her hard work comes through in her amazing line shots.
Highlights
From Madi: Elli, another player I compete against in high school, is not only caring and smiling all the time, but she is also one tough athlete. She is passionate about her position, being part of the team, and her work ethic. Her ability to be focused and strategic during tournaments makes us all a better team.
From Madi: As a middle Gabby is in constant communication with her blockers and connects with her setters. You can feel her energy no matter where you are on the court. She cares about her team, and she can make anyone laugh no matter what is going on.
Highlights
From Madi: Her caring and encouraging personality makes Greta a great teammate. She is focused and works hard to continue developing her setting toolbox to connect with all of her hitters. I look forward to getting to know her better throughout the club season.
Highlights
From Madi: Hayden is another player I play against during high school season, but look forward to playing with during club because of how much work she puts in to be the best and making everyone else better. As one of the captains on the team Hayden sets a good example by being one of the hardest workers on the team and always getting to the second ball. Her sets allow her hitters to put the ball away. I love how loud she is and checks in with all of us.
From Madi: Lainey, one of my high school teammates, is one of the more athletic teammates I have played with. Her long arms, jumping ability and competitiveness give her the ability to get a block up from the middle to the pins, as well as being able to hit the ball to multiple places on the court. I love that I can always count on her for advice and her ability to make me laugh.
From Madi: Taina’s ability to jump out of the building is truly amazing. She is able to block and get a hand on tipped or high hit balls to put in back on the other side. She is our loudest teammate, cheering us on, funny, and always making people laugh.
Highlights
From Madi: Ursula is one of the harder working middles I have played with. She is aggressive, always calling for the ball and commits to her routes which makes it hard for the other side to know where the hit is going to come from. Her ability to swing to multiple spots makes her a difficult middle to block.
From Madi: Willa works to get better every practice by being focused and prepared for whatever comes her way. She finds a way to get her hit between or around blocks. We have good chemistry on the court and are always communicating about open shots.
Highlights
And finally, we are proud to spotlight Madi Andrews Madi Andrews 6'1" | OH Adrienne C Nelson | 2026 State OR , a 6’1” sophomore from Clackamas, Oregon.
Currently, Andrews sits as the #1 2026 prospect in the state, according to the class rankings by PrepDig Oregon. A complete six-rotation outside hitter, she is terminal from anywhere on the court. Teams know to feed Andrews on the outside, right side, middle and in the backrow, given her ability to put an end to rallies with a kill. With an explosive approach, impressive leaping abilities, and a whip of an arm, when she connects with the ball is it deadly. She exhibits a great tempo, building on her the explosiveness with a notable slow to fast approach. Defensively, she puts up a formidable block with an aggressive press back into the court, shutting down attackers. With a well-rounded skill set, she is confident on serve receive, with an early angle and steady platform. She makes good reads on defense, and with long arms, is able to sprawl and get her arm on balls attacked to either side of her. From the service line, she has an aggressive jump float that racks up lots of aces and disruptions.
Her play all around has been an integral piece of Nelson High School’s success these past two seasons. She has helped them to a conference title, and back to back 3rd place finishes at the 6A State tournament. Shouldering a major offensive and defensive burden, she was rarely seen off the court both her freshman and sophomore campaigns. Her stats across two seasons speak to the impact Andrews has made: 892 kills, 544 digs, 224 service aces, 57 blocks, and 61 assists. For her play, she has been honored with a Mt. Hood First Team All-League selection both seasons. She was also named to the All Tournament team and the All-State Second Team this past season.
Just a sophomore, Andrews is playing up, aging up with her Athena 16-1 club team from last season, now the Athena 17-1 team. Although a year younger than most of the team, she is a definite leader on the court and one of their primary attack options, shouldering a major load all around. Currently, the team is 11-6 across CEVA’s Open tournaments, and is seeded #3 in the region going into Regionals, making them the highest ranked 17s team. Andrews play has undoubtedly been a major factor in this success.
Outside of volleyball, Andrews is incredibly active in National Charities League, “a non-profit organization designed to encourage community service and volunteering opportunities for mothers and their daughters in grades 7-12.”. She has been involved with this non-profit since 2020, taking on a bigger role within the organization with each year, currently the ℅ 2026 Vice President of Programs. Through NCL, she has a very impressive resume of community volunteering opportunities, working with Special Olympics, the Oregon Humane Society,
the Center for Healing through Art Projects, and many more organizations. When she is not engrossed in her studies, playing volleyball, or volunteering, she loves to be in the kitchen baking and cooking meals her grandmother taught her.
Currently, Andrews is not committed to a collegiate program. However, she still has plenty of time left in her recruiting journey. A highly sought after recruit, there is no doubt she who will have a plethora of options to choose from.
With these aforementioned skillsets and qualities, Madi Andrews Madi Andrews 6'1" | OH Adrienne C Nelson | 2026 State OR proudly earns her spot as one of PrepDig’s esteemed Golden Athletes.