Calumet right side hitter Maddie Torola (in the Michigan Tech sweatshirt) is joined by her teammates and coach Kate Bonacorsi (left) as she signs to play volleyball at Michigan Tech in the Fall. (David Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)

CALUMET — For Madelyn “Maddie” Torola, getting a chance to get a college education and play her sport, volleyball, close to home was too exciting to pass up. The Calumet Copper Kings star right-side hitter made her decision to join the Michigan Tech Huskies after a visit to campus last week.

For new Huskies coach Cindy Pindral, the fit was obvious from the moment she stepped on the floor to work out with the team. For Torola, getting to be close to home quickly became a no-brainer as she went through the practice with the team.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “It’s like the perfect situation. To be home, and to continue doing something that I love, it’s super fun.”

For Torola, volleyball is exactly that, fun.

“Well, the sport in general is just…it’s just so fun to play,” she said. “The team, and the energy around the sport in general, it’s definitely growing as a sport. I just love the energy and the game. It’s just so fun.”

While Pindral is excited to have Torola join Michigan Tech, for newest Huskies recruit, the decision has not yet sunk in. As she posed for her signing photo, all her teammates came to the Calumet Gym to support her, and even tease her a little.

“It’s super exciting,” Torola. “I feel like it doesn’t feel real yet. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without all of them (my teammates).”

Torola’s coach at Calumet, Kate Bonacorsi, is proud of her for all she has already accomplished.

“It’s really exciting,” said Bonacorsi. “It’s a great opportunity for Maddie, and it’s exciting for the whole team. You saw them all down here. They’re all really proud of her, and excited for her, especially that she’ll be close at Michigan Tech, so we can watch her and support her. Yeah, it’s great.”

Bonacorsi describes Torola as a six-rotation right-side hitter. While she did suffer a leg injury this season, she still managed to play in two-thirds of the Copper Kings’ sets. She led the team in kill efficiency (.236), blocks per set (.42), and aces per set (.82).

She had a season-high 19 kills in a four-set win over Kingsford, and future teammate Maddy Kreider. Torola hit .309 and had 40 kills on the day when Calumet won the D3/D4 Showdown in Livonia. She also passed over a 2.0 in serve-receive for the season, which is an area of the Huskies’ game that Pindral will be looking to improve.

“She’s just on this trajectory where she improved so much over the last three years,” Bonacorsi said. “In her senior season, she was just able to see the floor really well, and hit the ball with so many different shots, which is going to be important for her to keep developing at the next level.”

Part of the reason that Torola was able to have the type of success she has had at Calumet during her time on the varsity team has been the help of Pindral and other coaches with the Keweenaw Volleyball Club (KVBC).

“I feel like, even on the visit and everything, it was a lot more comfortable, since I knew her,” Torola said. “She’s been my coach for the past couple of years. So, I’m aware of her coaching style, and I’m a fan of it. That definitely helps.”

Her high school coach agrees.

“For Maddie, I think it’s great how it worked out,” said Bonacorsi. “Cindy has seen Maddie play now for a few years, so she knows what Maddie’s all about, and what she’s capable of.

“I think it’s great for both of them. Hopefully it’ll add a level of familiarity and support for Maddie, so that she can be successful.”

Torola was a WestPAC First Team selection, a MIVCA All-Region selection, and a First Team All-State selection in Division 3. She credits the KVBC with helping her improve her game in several ways.

“It’s been super helpful just to continue playing outside of the season,” she said. “(It) definitely helps in-season. You see a lot of different playing styles, and players, in general. So, that helps you improve, and be prepared for the regular season, and prepared for anything, I guess.”

Bonacorsi feels that having a program like the KVBC is helping area players grow, even as they also play other sports, which is also beneficial to local athletes.

“It’s, I think, providing a lot more opportunities for girls to play at the next level, and maybe evening the playing field, because downstate teams have had big clubs that are developing players for lots of years,” she said. “They are developing our players in the offseason, which is great.”

Torola is Bonacorsi’s second player to move on to college volleyball, with the first being Helen Beiring at Northern Michigan. Torola is excited to get to play against her a couple of times a year over the next two seasons.

“She has really high volleyball IQ, so she knows where to put the ball, and she’s very aggressive,” Torola said. “So just, (I will) try and put a big block on her, and (play) defense and all that stuff. It’ll be super fun.”

Torola has not yet fully settled on what she will major in at Michigan Tech, but she knows it won’t be engineering. She is leaning towards something more in line with business, as she has a life goal of potentially opening a cafe.

“I like the idea of running my own business, even just if it’s a little cafe or something,” she said. “That sounds fun. I like the idea of it, and having my own style and stuff like that.”