Greatness through adversity: Madelyn Hensley’s journey  to Player of the Year

When Madelyn Hensley won the NCCAA Player of the Year award, everyone saw a great volleyball player. What they didn’t see was the dedication, hardship and heart behind the accomplishment.

Hensley, a junior outside hitter, is known for her ability to take over a volleyball game. In the 2025 season, Hensley had 392 kills–over 100 more than any of the other Cedarville players. 

Every time she was set, the crowd shook with the anticipation of one of her kills. 

Hensley is only the second player in Cedarville history to be named NCCAA Player of the Year. She will join 2004 winner Kelsey Jones in the Cedarville Hall of Fame.

In volleyball, the connection between the setter and her hitters is critical. Senior setter Kaley Matney could always rely on Hensley to capitalize and earn the point.

“I knew Madelyn was going to put the ball away,” Matney said. “When we got in tough situations, we would kind of make eye contact with each other across the court, and I’d be like, OK, I know she wants the ball and I know she’s going to put it away for me.” 

Hensley’s award was no surprise to anybody — except for her. When she first got the text to pay a visit to her coach’s office, the news was definitely not what she expected. 

“I kind of thought that I was in trouble, and he was like, ‘So you received this award,’ and I was like, ‘What?’” Hensley said. “I was definitely not expecting that at all, but honestly, I just didn’t think this season was anything out of the ordinary.”

Considering the remarkable statistics, Hensley’s account of the season does not align. Compared to her 397 points in the 2024 season, she had 442 points in 2025. 

Hensley does not take all of the credit for herself. She has a great appreciation for her team and the connection that they had throughout the season. 

“I think it was mostly just that our team dynamic was really, really good,” Hensley said. “And that just helped me be really successful. But I guess I didn’t really expect myself to get an award like that.” 

Though her teammates served a prominent role, the person who impacted her the most throughout her volleyball career was her mom Kari. 

Throughout the past couple of volleyball seasons, Kari had been fighting cancer. Madelyn knew it was up to her to make her mother proud on and off the court. 

“She definitely impacted my growth, and I’ve kind of played for her the last couple of years,” Hensley said. Just one month after Hensley was named NCCAA Player of the Year, her mother lost her battle to cancer. 

Once a college athlete herself, Kari made sure to share her love for sports
with Madelyn and her siblings. Whether it was coaching their teams growing up or cheering them on during their college competitions, she always supported them through all of their athletic endeavors. 

“I think I am very similar to how my mom was, where she was also a really big athlete, and I know that is why she always pushed me in high school,” Hensley said. 

“She was my coach all through high school. So I think something I am most proud of is just holding to that higher standard of realizing that I can always get better, and always pushing myself to work harder than the next person.”

Anybody who watched her play could see her drive to be better throughout every aspect of her game.

“When we saw just that true competitive drive this year, we hadn’t really seen that in her,” head coach Greg Smith said. “It was against Lake Erie, it was in set five, she had this look on her face like we’ve never seen before. Just like give me the ball, I’m taking over.” 

Many attest that Hensley’s competitive spirit is what makes her a stand out volleyball player. But her leadership on and off the court also played a pivotal role. 

Whether it is the trust the team has in her to score in high-pressure situations or the way she encourages
her teammates during a tough point, Hensley is a reliable leader. 

“I could always count on her to be very much a vocal encourager and competitor,” Matney said. “And so to have her kind of step up and to be like, ‘Guys, we need to play well. We need to win. Let’s go,’ it gave me someone to bounce that competitiveness off with.”

Hensley grew as a leader majorly throughout her years at Cedarville. Her coaches testify to her growth in leadership and game play. 

“You could just see some leadership qualities coming out that weren’t there the previous two years,” Smith said. “By her junior year, it was her time to start becoming more of a leader on the court. And she did a really good job of that.

“And when she did that, it’s like you can just see her game elevate. I would say that’s probably the biggest thing that I saw that allowed her to have this kind of season.”

In any sport, leading your team well is one of the biggest factors that make a good player great. That was Madelyn Hensley for the 2025 Cedarville volleyball team. 

Since coming to Cedarville as a freshman, learning to trust her team and be a team player has helped Hensley excel as a leader in her
junior year. 

“I realized that everybody on the team is here for the same goal, and we’re here for each other and not just ourselves,” Hensley said. 

“And I think that I definitely kind of had to get used to that because it was definitely a change from people who were kind of really not in my corner at all to realize that I can trust my team and I can rely on them. That definitely changed my capabilities in the way that I play and just made it a lot more fun.” 

All that Hensley has learned from her mother, her coaches and her teammates has formed her into the player she is today: NCCAA Player of the Year. 

Tayler Sharp is a journalism major and writer and photographer for Cedars. Tayler loves playing golf, reading a good book or doing anything outdoors.