Maddie Berezowitz Continues to Provide Leadership for UK Volleyball
The Kentucky volleyball team won the NCAA championship last year behind the leadership and play of Madison Lilley, Gabby Curry and Avery Skinner, among others. But there was another quiet leader on the team who helped make those players even better.
When Lilley, Curry, Skinner and the other starters were trying to get better was during practice. And their opponents in practice were led by, among others, reserve defensive specialist Maddie Berezowitz. One of her goals from last season that she will carry into this season is to help the starters improve.
“A lot of time last year, we talked about how much depth we had and how that impacted our success,” Berezowitz said. “So, last year in practice, our side did the best we could in trying to make the other side better.”
Berezowitz continues to prove that a player can lead even when not always on the court. For example, Berezowitz played in just about half of Kentucky’s matches last season. She had two service aces and two digs during her time on the court.
But Berezowitz led the second team in practice every day, which turned the starters into national champions.
Berezowitz also leads in other ways. She knows how important it is to have the right culture in a program and she does her best to help instill that in new players.
“Trying to bring the culture that the people before me have already created,” Berezowitz said. “Keep building on what we want and what (UK head coach) Craig (Skinner) wants our culture to look like. With that being said, you do what others don’t. If I’m doing something, my teammates are likely to follow in my direction. Something you have to take pride in is making sure you’re doing the little things right every single day.”
She also leads off the court. Last season, just before the national semifinals, Berezowitz was named the winner of the NCAA’s Elite 90 Award, which honors the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in her sport while also achieving the highest academic standard among her peers.
Back on the court, Berezowitz has her eyes on getting more time on the floor this season. Her serving game is one of the things she has worked on during the offseason.
“I think a lot of it comes with experience,” Berezowitz said of good serving. “Coming in against UNLV (in the NCAA Tournament), I was confident and felt good going in. That’s something I want to build on even more this season.”
Berezowitz likes the control that serving gives her.
“With serving, you have complete control,” Berezowitz said. “There are no other factors coming into it. For me, that’s something I like, I can control what I want to do with the serve.”
Berezowitz will continue to quietly lead and impact the UK volleyball program again this season. It’s a role that’s not suited for everyone but one that Berezowitz embraces and excels at doing.
