In 4th grade, senior Madi Hseih didn’t ever think that she would ever play collegiate Division I volleyball. She had always believed she would do intramurals or club volleyball, but she got everything she ever wanted for herself at Columbia University. 

Hsieh has been playing volleyball for about 8 years now and has been following in her uncle’s footsteps to Columbia. From her childhood, her uncle has talked about his college experience and her parents have supported her every step of the way by attending all of her tournaments to cheer on her passion for volleyball. Now, Hsieh’s efforts have paid off and provided her a future to play Division I volleyball and continue her academics at Columbia.

 “My recruiting process started when I was about 16 years old,” Hsieh said. “I wasn’t too serious about it at first because I didn’t know if I wanted to play collegiate volleyball. But, after visiting the coaches at Columbia and going to camps during the summers, I ended up falling in love with them as a whole.” 

During Hsieh’s decision-making process, she considered some factors to look for in colleges that were important for her future and for the best college experience. 

“I definitely wanted to attend a high-academic school because academics have always been important to me,” Hsieh said. “I also looked for a competitive program where I hope that I can make a difference on that team with all my other teammates.”

When she was younger, Hsieh had never thought she would be committing to play collegiate volleyball, but she did have some thoughts about continuing through college. 

“A part of me always knew that I wanted to play volleyball in college, whether it was intramurals or club,” Hsieh said. “It was kind of surreal to me that I was gonna end up playing collegiate Division I volleyball because all sports have so many setbacks and you never expect to be able to do what you want.”

In the past few years, Hsieh has experienced some of her own setbacks that have limited her playing time in the volleyball season.   

“I think COVID definitely had a big negative impact because half of our season ended up getting canceled and it was really difficult for coaches to make sure we’re staying active,” Hsieh said. “After that, getting over mental hurdles, the hard practices, and the rocky games were just some things I had to take time to get through.”

With a ton of experience in the committing process as a senior, Hsieh provides some of her own advice for future seniors thinking of committing for Division I volleyball.

“I would say that finding your perfect fit is the most important part of recruiting,” Hsieh said. “It’s not a race. Just see what’s best for you and your family because this is your time to focus on yourself.”

Hsieh plans to treasure her last year in high school and take on the excitement of attending Columbia in the upcoming year. 

“I can’t wait to finish out this year as a Vandegrift student,” Hsieh said. “Columbia is an up and coming program, and I’m super excited to just be a part of that and see what Columbia volleyball can do in the next four years.”