'Bubbly' Harms exudes confidence on court

Madison Harms’ positive attitude fits in very well on a South Dakota volleyball team that she calls distinctively tight. Playing this sport well, it turns out, can be a real hoot if you let it. 

“We have so much fun with each other,” said Harms, a 6-3 junior from Sergeant Bluffs, Iowa. “At practice with the coaches we can be serious and get better but still joke around. It’s one of the things that makes being on this team so great.”

What is not so great is getting a volleyball past Harms, a first-team All-Summit middle blocker a year ago who led the conference in blocks and was ninth nationally in that category. 

This year she is doing the same with 1.26 blocks per set and 2.5 kills per set for the 9-2, 12-8 Coyotes, who take on Oral Roberts at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center after defeating Kansas City on Thursday night. 

It makes sense, given her skill set. She’s quick, she’s tall, she jumps high and has developed the instincts to anticipate where she needs to be and what she needs to do. 

It starts with blocking, of course, for this former state Iowa high school high jump champion, who has two more years of eligibility after this season. 

“We talk about staying still until we know where the ball is going,” Harms said. “Then we drive with our first steps to get there and get our hands over so we can get good positive touches or blocks.”

At its best, it’s a form of choreography. The last thing you want is everybody doing the same thing in the same way. It would create a lot of open spaces both in the net area and on the court. 

“Everyone has their own personal strengths and weaknesses,” Harms said. “It really helps when we know what those strengths and weaknesses are. We can help our teammates and they can help us back.”

Harms grew up a little more than a half-hour from where she plays Division I volleyball. It’s not like that for everyone but for her – especially when coupled with her desire to establish a career in medicine – Vermillion was a win for both the Coyotes and Harms’ family.

Without them nearby, she would have to find a cat-sitter when the team goes on long road trips. Almost as importantly, she would not see the other Harms as often as she does.

Harms’ family is unique. Over the course of her lifetime she’s had more than 70 foster children sharing her home in Sergeant Bluff with her parents Tom and Brenda. Five of them are now siblings. 

“My parents just love children and they wanted to help them as much as they could,” Harms said. “I got to meet so many different kind of kids -- I have a different perspective on life because of it. You never know what someone else is going through or what kind of impact you can have on them. That’s the case even if you’re only with them for a short time. It’s all been very rewarding to be a part of that.”

Harms brings the same kind of concern for others to the Coyotes. In the world of a student-athlete, some days are always going to be better than others. That’s where teammates like Harms come in. There are occasionally spirits that need lifting. 

When Williamson talked about Harms’ skills, she mentioned a lot of things you can’t teach. Things like jumping ability and quickness. Harms has since added to that with more knowledge of the game and greater confidence.

The same could probably be said of her positive attitude. She’s always figuring out new ways to use it in encouraging teammates. Ultimately she’s trying to make a spot on the Coyote volleyball roster a better place to be.