Olivia Wells is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Paradise Valley High School for AZPreps365.com. 

Paradise Valley is not just a school with great sports, it also has a strong academics program; and senior Madeline Muller might just be the best of both worlds.

A varsity volleyball player and a member of 11 clubs, including yearbook, NHS, and FBLA, Muller is busy on and off the court. “You can ask anyone on the team they always joke that ‘Maddie’s in another club meeting’ because I am in a lot of clubs,''' she said.

Muller loves the perspective she gains from being in so many clubs and seeing what they expect and meeting their expectations.

Volleyball caught Muller’s attention in middle school. It was a sport that she enjoyed. The challenge to improve and work hard appealed to her immensely.

“I’ve never seen a harder worker,'' her mother Deborah said. "She will put in the time, with a smile on her face, to get the results she wants.”

When Muller was younger, she found an interest in engineering. The Center for Research, Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST) program offered by Paradise Valley appealed to her, so Paradise Valley was an easy choice. Muller also fit right into the school volleyball team.

The varsity’s seniors have played together since freshman year. Fellow middle and senior Amelia Casebolt said that she and Muller sometimes compete because they play the same position, but the competition helps them improve.

“Of course there’s competition, but it’s never sour,'' Casebolt said. "If Maddie gets more hits or blocks than me, I’m going to congratulate her because she’s worked hard to get those. We push each other, but without really pushing.”

The bond that the team shares is something Muller values more than anything. Sometimes, having fun with the team means more than winning. For Muller, it’s not about her own success, it’s about the whole team’s success and that they have fun while playing. That’s the kind of person she is.

Even if she doesn't plan to pursue volleyball after high school, Muller will do everything she can to elevate her team. “I’ve really been playing this year for my team,'' she said. "I want them to get as many opportunities as possible to show off their stuff, because it’s not something that’s in my future, but I know it’s in a lot of their futures, and I know that a lot of them will go on to play for a very long time.”

Muller’s mother couldn’t be more proud of her daughter and the Paradise Valley team. “They show such grace and smiles and comradery,'' Deborah said. "And it makes me proud that one of them is my kid.”

While engineering was something Muller enjoyed growing up, now she’s more drawn to creative writing.

“I like writing,'' she said. "Whenever I get to write freely, and I get to explore characters in different situations and stuff, it just really relaxes me.”

Muller has applied for colleges like Bryn Mawr and UCLA. She hopes to pursue a creative writing path and publish a series of books she has been working on. And of course, play volleyball in her free time.

“Volleyball is the one place where I can truly just let go of everything,” Muller said. “Any stresses, any anxiety, anything that’s sort of bothering me from the outside and just get to play.”