Lancer of the Week: Maddie France sets volleyball record
France sets her teammate for another assist.
November 30, 2017
On October 10, senior setter Maddie France, got her 1,500 career assist in her game against Tuscarora. A school record.
France started her high school volleyball career on JV but was pulled up to varsity during her freshman season and has been on varsity since.
She has played volleyball for six years and has always been a setter. A setter is the person who usually has the second touch of the play and assists the hitters to a kill.
“Maddie is a great leader, and she’s an amazing at setting. As a middle hitter, it’s important to have a great set for me to be able to score. In some way she contributes to all our points,” said teammate Jessica Mitchell.
“My mom played volleyball when she was younger and forced me into it when I was 11, but I’m glad she did,” said France.
France was always sort of quiet and shy, so volleyball helped her become more of a leader. She had great coaches when she was young, so they gave her the basis for her whole volleyball career.
France’s favorite volleyball memories are winning the Junior Varsity tournament her freshman year and winning the Varsity tournament her sophomore year.
She also used to played varsity basketball her freshman and sophomore years. However, after her second year in high school basketball, she decided that she wanted to focus her time to strictly volleyball.
France is constantly busy with volleyball. In school she takes a Team Sports volleyball class and plays a club volleyball league. She is on Metro 18 North for her third year. She plans to play volleyball at Frederick Community College, where she also plans to study Early Childhood Education.
France is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. During sports she must be aware of her blood sugar and take care of it when it gets too low or high.
“It’s constantly a juggling act with school, sports and taking care of her blood sugar, but it is what it is,” said France.
France’s freshman sister Emma France also plays volleyball. They both practice together at home and Maddie makes Emma a better player.
“She is a huge role model for me and she is the reason I started playing. Maddie pushes me to get better every day,” said Emma France.
