AUBURN, Ala. – Part of a star-studded class that arrived at Auburn last year after an unorthodox, Zoom-centric recruiting process, sophomore Madison Scheer chose the Tigers not for what they had accomplished, but because of head coach Brent Crouch's vision for what volleyball on the Plains could become.
"The promise he made to us," Scheer said. "The plan was really important. To see it and be a part of it, it's so awesome. It's going to be a good journey."
The journey began with Scheer and her fellow freshmen helping lead Auburn to the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022, with Madison making the SEC All-Freshman Team along the way.
This season, she raised the bar even higher, earning All-SEC honors, twice being named SEC Offensive Player of the Week, and becoming the second player in program history to be named AVCA National Player of the Week.
"An honor and a privilege," Scheer said of the All-SEC recognition. "A huge award but I seriously couldn't do it without my teammates. I'm so proud and honored to be a part of this team. It's a very talented team.
"I have a lot of goals for myself but I couldn't do it without my teammates. They're awesome. They're constantly getting me the ball in good situations. It's a whole team effort. It's not an individual one at all."
A native of Eureka, Missouri, in suburban St. Louis, Scheer's offseason commitment to refining her hitting mechanics led to career marks in kills (374), kills per set (3.34), points per set (3.60), hitting percentage (.262) and blocks per set (0.48).
"A fantastic year," Crouch said. "She worked really hard in the spring and has come a long way as an attacker. I'm not surprised at all."
While teammates battled injuries that resulted in position changes, Scheer stayed healthy and remained in her outside hitter location.
"She's incredibly steady," Crouch said. "Very consistent, and she's reaping the rewards."
Scheer prides herself on providing even-keel excellence for Auburn volleyball.
"It's something I've definitely worked on," she said. "I'm not the best at it always. How I practice is how I play. I have to practice hard in order to play hard. I want to do it for my teammates, too."
Auburn's ascension to becoming a top 25 program corresponds with volleyball's growth in the Southeastern Conference, a trend that attracted Crouch to the Plains from Southern California four years ago. The SEC led all conferences with eight bids in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, two more than the next-best league.
"So much pride," Scheer said of Auburn's role in the SEC's development. "Eight teams is a lot to have in. You can tell this conference is growing. It's so cool to be a part of the growth in volleyball in general."
A year ago, Auburn shocked the NCAA volleyball community, first by reaching the national tournament with a freshman-dominated team, then by upsetting Creighton for the Tigers' first victory over a seeded opponent.
"We had nothing to lose, we were playing to have fun," Scheer said. "I think that mentality is what we need to bring."
Another season, another NCAA Tournament appearance, the first time Auburn has earned bids in back-to-back years. Scheer and the seventh-seeded Tigers departed Tuesday for Louisville, Kentucky, where they'll face Western Michigan Thursday at 3 p.m. CT.
"It's so special," Scheer said. "It's so cool. We have so much potential, especially now. We've really started to peak and I think that's going to help us a lot."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer