Kodiaks women’s volleyball signs Madison Yates as a libero

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks women’s volleyball team continues to grow its roster with the signing of Madison Yates from Swift Current, Sask. Yates currently plays libero for the U18 Sundogs Elite club team.

She is also a competitive beach volleyball player for Team Saskatchewan. Last summer, she partnered with current Kodiaks player Trinity Walton (first year, Criminal Justice – Policing, Warman, Sask.).

Yates began the recruiting process by reaching out to the Kodiaks coaching staff via email. They first evaluated her play through game film before watching her compete live at a local tournament in Lethbridge. 

“Her serve receive is technically very strong,” says head coach Anna Schwark. “We also consider her talents on the beach court to be a real asset for her indoor play. I think the combination of both volleyball games has allowed her to be confident in her reads and reaction on defense.”

Kodiaks coaches were impressed by Yates’ technical work – from her footwork to her platform and how she communicates on the court. “She really pays attention to the details of her play, and it very much pays off in the results,” says Schwark.

Yates says after participating in a Kodiaks practice and meeting her future teammates, she was hooked. 

“The people on the team were a big influence when making this decision,” says Yates. “I really liked the team when I practised [with them] as they were really inspiring and influential.”

Yates will be taking General Arts and Science when she attends Lethbridge Polytechnic in the fall. She says she always had hopes of continuing volleyball after high school and she believes that the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) was the right fit for her competitively. 

“I think she’ll be in a very good position as a first year,” says Schwark. “She is used to playing against competitive teams and has competitive teammates so I believe she will be ready for ACAC competition next season.”