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College coaches love three unique talents that National Scouting Report prospect Madison Besterfield brings to the volleyball court: She is left handed, she is a very good sand player and she is capable of being a setter.
That means the 5-foot-11 junior hitter from from Carrollwood Day School in Wesley Chapel, Fla., offers coaches the advantage of showering the opponent with kill shots from the perfect angle on the right side of the net; using her during the sand season; and with the restrictive NCAA substitution rules, keeping her on the court as a setter.
During her sophomore year, Madi, as she is known, grew to love sand volleyball as much as the indoor game — perhaps even more. That decision put her on a new path.
As a sand player, all of her skills play to her advantage. She can receive serve, pass effectively, set and hit for kills or place the ball in the open court for touch points. And, of course, her length allows her to intimidate opponents defensively. Watching her sand videos is like seeing an instructional tape on how to play the game.
Madi’s club coach, Eric Praetorius, thought her versatility, work ethic and determination made her a top college prospect.
“Madi absolutely has the talent to play at the next level and is very driven to get there,” he said. “She has done countless private lessons and extra practices to perfect her fundamentals. She is also an excellent beach volleyball player who has qualified for the NVL National Championships. Her beach game has added excellent ball control to her game. I have had the privilege of working with Madi since she was 14 years old. She has grown physically and mentally as a player. She has always been a very good hitter, and this season she added setting to her arsenal of talents.”
Coaches as nationally ranked Florida International University agreed.
“Once I decided to go the sand route, I targeted FIU,” said Madi, who is ranked as the 113th best player in Florida. “After trying to reach them a bunch of times, they finally took a look at me. I visited the school in Miami and fell in love with the campus and the coaches. It is a large school, which I liked a lot. I knew right away it was the right place for me, so I committed to them.”
NSR scout Brian Adams, who discovered Madi in the Tampa area, raved about her ability.
“Madison is a very talented left handed player who can both set and attack with high efficiency from the right side,” Adams wrote in his scouting report. “Madison has been playing indoor volleyball since the sixth grade and has started to also master the art of beach volleyball the last couple of years, winning tournaments throughout the summer seasons. Madison is the go-to attacker on her club open team, in-spite of playing up an age level. Madison has a passion for volleyball and it shows in her work ethic and how hard she strives to be the best.
“Madison is truly the hardest-working prospect I have. She has a personal training whom she meets with every day for workouts. Madi meets with her beach coaches three times a week as well. Madison also trains with her club team Tampa Elite twice a week as well. Everything that Madi has done is well earned and deserved, and nothing has been given to her.”
A 4.3 GPA student, Besterfield takes her studies as seriously as volleyball. After college she plans to work in the non-profit world to help others.
“Volleyball and academic excellence have always been very important to me,” she said, “so nothing would make me happier than to play volleyball at the college level while also getting the higher education I desire.”
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.