Bayfield High School’s volleyball team is on a roll. The Wolverines have won five matches in a row and turned around what head coach Terene Foutz once called a “learning experience” into a potential league title if Bayfield can beat Alamosa Tuesday night.
The entire team has performed well in resurrecting a season in which Bayfield started 2-5, but the experience and talent of junior Maddi Foutz has been instrumental in what has become another winning season for a perennial powerhouse Bayfield program.
Foutz has played a different position and taken on a different role in each of her three seasons as a Wolverine.
There’s not a spot on the floor or a technique required to perform that she’s uncomfortable with.
Her skills are so fine tuned that she verbally committed to Colorado State University, one of the top programs in the nation, as a sophomore.
Foutz value is evident as she leads the team this season in kills (180), aces (70) and digs (235). At 5-foot-4, she fits the description of a libero and she can certainly play the position with ease.
When she jumps off the ground like a rocket and winds up for a kill, however, it is something special to watch.
“You can’t play volleyball in one position for your entire life,” said Foutz, daughter of Mike and Terene Foutz. “You have to be ready for whatever you’re called upon to do and whatever the team needs. You have to be good at everything and recruiters want to be able to see a complete skill set.”
The team only has two seniors, one who was forced to sit out for most of the year, and Foutz has taken on a leadership role that most juniors aren’t asked to perform.
Foutz credits her former Bayfield and future CSU teammate, Kirstie Hillyer, with the inspiration to lead and perform at the highest level.
“Kirstie inspired me to become the best player I could be no matter what,” Foutz said. “Sometimes it can be intimidating coming from a small town, going places and competing on a national level and she gave me the confidence not to be afraid of anyone. She was a great leader for us and I learned a lot from her.”
They may be small town girls, but they’ve done big things at Bayfield. Hillyer was an All-American in her senior year at Bayfield.
In Hillyer’s four years at Bayfield, the team went to the Class 3A Girls Volleyball State Championships all four years. Foutz has been there for two of the title runs, and if the Wolverines keep improving as they have all season, it’ll be three for three.
“At the beginning of the season we played a lot of 4A teams and even though we started out tough, those experiences got us ready for league play,” she said. “I think we got really angry when we looked at our record and it was what it was.”
“It lit a fire under us and one day it just clicked. Now, we have a mentality that no ball hits the floor without a jersey under it and that’s the way we’ve been playing.”
It would be safe to assume that a girl who plays volleyball all year and also performs at a high level academically would have most of her time taken up.
Foutz, however, works at a local pizza place and volunteers in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.
She loves giving back to the community that’s supported her and her team time after time.
“I started Big Brothers Big Sisters this year,” she said. “I go down to the elementary school and we find a friend to hang out with. I love hanging out with kids and I like helping people so it’s perfect for me.”
Maddi and the Wolverines are playing for the Intermountain League title at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday at Bayfield High School. If they can beat No. 6 Alamosa, they’ll share the crown.
“We’re excited for Alamosa,” she said. “We can’t wait to bring it to them.”
jfries@durangoherald.com
Behind the scenes
What is your nickname?: Mad Dog. My mom has been calling me that forever.
What is your favorite local restaurant?: AJ’s in Bayfield
What is your favorite sports movie?: Glory Road
Who is your celebrity crush?: Definitely Tom Cruise.
Who is your favorite athlete?: U.S. Olympic Volleyball Team player Destiny Hooker.
What place would you like to visit that you’ve never been to before?: Australia. I want to see kangaroos.
What song is stuck in your head right now?: Anything by Josh Turner.
What teacher has had the greatest impact on your life?: Ms. Guy. She’s always pushed me to do my best in math class and she’s also involved in a program that focuses on religion. That’s important to me.
What job would you eventually like to have?: Something in the medical field. I like to help people so maybe a physical trainer or a performance trainer.
Do you have any pets?: I have two dogs. Ginger is a golden retriever and Samson is a St. Bernard.
