WORTHINGTON — Madison Beckman’s dream was always to play a sport in college.
She wasn’t quite sure if that sport was volleyball. Ultimately, the Worthington High School middle hitter chose volleyball, signing to continue playing the sport at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, on Monday at the Worthington High School media center.
“It was something I always dreamed of doing,” Beckman said. “(I) always wanted to play a sport in college, even though I was a little unsure about it, but it was definitely a good choice I made.”
Before deciding to sign with the Red Raiders, there were two other schools from which Beckman received offers. One was Minnesota West, where teammate Janessa Hamann signed to play volleyball last month.
“I had an offer from Minnesota West and Dakota State University and they were in the running,” Beckman said. “And I was kind of thinking about not playing volleyball, it wasn’t a sure thing. Then I went to Northwestern University and thought it would be good.”
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Beckman was first noticed by Northwestern College in the tournament the Trojans played in Jackson during the volleyball season. At the time, Beckman’s abilities showed the Red Raiders that he could be valuable to the team.
“My assistant coach, Lacey Reitz, is from Jackson, Minnesota, so she was visiting her parents and went to the tournament that Maddie was in. She saw her and texted me and said, ‘Hey, we might want to do a tournament,’” Red Raiders coach Kyle said. Van den Bosch: “Look at this.” “…So Lacey sent me a video of Maddie. I thought to myself: We have to get this girl, she has really good potential this way.
After she was first noticed, Beckman visited the school where she met the Red Raider players and played with them on the field. This experience helped Beckman realize that Northwestern College would be a perfect fit for her, in addition to being close to home.
“…I thought she communicated well on the court when she came to play for us,” Van den Bosch said. “It’s hard to know all that stuff about leadership and all that, as a rookie, but we’re really excited about her. Hopefully she can keep up the tradition at Northwestern of having good middle hurdles.”
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The Red Raiders are a perennial power in volleyball outside of the Great Plains Athletic Conference. Van den Bosch will enter his 20th season as the team’s head coach next year and during his coaching tenure, the team has won seven GPAC championships and made the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) postseason every year since 2017.
Last year, the Red Raiders posted a 31-3 record and finished second in the NAIA tournament.
Some of the skills Beckman has displayed throughout this season with the Trojans that she will now look to add to the Red Raiders are her length, athleticism and quick swing.
“I think I would like to do more,” Beckman said. “Like learning more about blocking, it’s something I’ve never learned before. Then it’s about my hitting skills and my height, but I’m very good for the team.
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Beckman was on the Trojan University team all four years and was a solid player in her first three seasons. Her senior season this year was her best, as she posted a hitting percentage of 29.4, racked up nearly 300 kills and added 50 blocks. She was recognized as a Big South Conference player and was named to The Globe’s All-Area first team. She has made a huge impact in net after the graduation of talented netminders Eli Wiig and Taryn Spartz last year.
“Over the past year, I think I’ve improved a lot,” Beckman said. “I definitely learned a lot from Eli Wiig and Taryn Spartz, they were great role models.”
Besides volleyball, Beckman also plays basketball and golf at Worthington High School. She is currently in the middle of the basketball season, having recently returned from an injury that sidelined her for two games.
Skylar Jackson joined The Globe in July 2023 as a reporter covering news and sports. Skylar was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa, and attended South Dakota State University, graduating in 2023 with a degree in journalism. After graduating from college, he decided to settle in Worthington for his current job at The Globe.
Madison Beckman, a standout volleyball player, has recently signed with Northwestern College. The talented athlete has been turning heads with her exceptional skills and has caught the attention of the college’s volleyball program. Beckman’s signing with the college has sparked excitement and anticipation for what the future holds for both her and the Northwestern College volleyball team. Her dedication and passion for the sport are sure to make a significant impact on the team, and her signing is a significant milestone in her athletic career.