Horned Frog Feature: Madilyn Cole
9/13/2022 10:15:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
A painful journey to play the sport she loves.
By Holland Sutton
"High achiever, hard worker, and joy to be around" are just a few adjectives TCU volleyball assistant coach Kyle Luongo used to describe 6-4 middle blocker Madilyn Cole.
"No one works harder than Madi," Luongo said. "She gets everything out of her day."
Certainly, Cole's credentials on the court in 2021 sparkle. The redshirt junior averaged 1.19 blocks per set to rank second in the Big 12. Her 81 total blocks were the fourth-most among her conference peers and 64th among all Division I players.
But the untold element of Cole's story is the pain and uncertainty she navigated to enjoy the breakthrough 2021 campaign. In fact, there was never a guarantee Cole, who arrived at TCU in 2019 from Magnolia High School, would suit up for the Horned Frogs.
Cole was diagnosed with scoliosis as a seventh grader in 2014. What began as a seven-degree curve in her spine quadrupled into a 28-degree arch over the ensuing 24 months.
Typically calm and collected, Cole began to worry. The bend had progressed, but not to the extent that surgery was warranted.
She started "schroth," a method of physical therapy that helps align the spine and return the structure to its natural curvature.
Yet the arch worsened, this time reaching a 52-degree curve. Cole was subsequently diagnosed with right thoracic scoliosis.
On Sept. 23, 2020 – Cole's 19th birthday – she underwent spinal fusion surgery. Doctors placed two chromium cobalt rods and titanium screws in her back to straighten the curve.
"It gave me a whole new perspective," Cole said of her struggles going through surgery.
Cole spent her fall freshman semester at home and away from TCU volleyball. She attempted to remain connected to the team as much as possible, a dynamic that was soon exacerbated due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Luongo, who served as an assistant coach at Pepperdine from 2014-2018, connected Cole with a former player, Heidi Dyer, who endured the same condition
"The phone call with Heidi really eased my nerves and helped me gather some realistic expectations," Cole said
Cole finally returned to campus in the spring of 2021 after nine months away from the program. She was not cleared for volleyball activities but resumed training, utilizing the truncated 2020-2021 season to build strength and flexibility.
Exactly 338 days after surgery, Cole made her TCU debut on Aug. 25, 2021. And she did so in style. Cole totaled four blocks vs. eventual NCAA Volleyball Champion Wisconsin – the most by a Horned Frog in their collegiate debut in the Big 12 era.
Cole's triumphant return to the court eventually led to her receiving the TCU Faculty Senate "Pillar of Purple" award, which is given to one male and one female student athlete each semester. The accolade "honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of college athletes from all sports at TCU."
Now in her second full season at TCU, Cole intends to use her journey to aid in others' recovery.
"I want to pay it forward."
"High achiever, hard worker, and joy to be around" are just a few adjectives TCU volleyball assistant coach Kyle Luongo used to describe 6-4 middle blocker Madilyn Cole.
"No one works harder than Madi," Luongo said. "She gets everything out of her day."
Certainly, Cole's credentials on the court in 2021 sparkle. The redshirt junior averaged 1.19 blocks per set to rank second in the Big 12. Her 81 total blocks were the fourth-most among her conference peers and 64th among all Division I players.
But the untold element of Cole's story is the pain and uncertainty she navigated to enjoy the breakthrough 2021 campaign. In fact, there was never a guarantee Cole, who arrived at TCU in 2019 from Magnolia High School, would suit up for the Horned Frogs.
Cole was diagnosed with scoliosis as a seventh grader in 2014. What began as a seven-degree curve in her spine quadrupled into a 28-degree arch over the ensuing 24 months.
Typically calm and collected, Cole began to worry. The bend had progressed, but not to the extent that surgery was warranted.
She started "schroth," a method of physical therapy that helps align the spine and return the structure to its natural curvature.
Yet the arch worsened, this time reaching a 52-degree curve. Cole was subsequently diagnosed with right thoracic scoliosis.
On Sept. 23, 2020 – Cole's 19th birthday – she underwent spinal fusion surgery. Doctors placed two chromium cobalt rods and titanium screws in her back to straighten the curve.
"It gave me a whole new perspective," Cole said of her struggles going through surgery.
Cole spent her fall freshman semester at home and away from TCU volleyball. She attempted to remain connected to the team as much as possible, a dynamic that was soon exacerbated due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Luongo, who served as an assistant coach at Pepperdine from 2014-2018, connected Cole with a former player, Heidi Dyer, who endured the same condition
"The phone call with Heidi really eased my nerves and helped me gather some realistic expectations," Cole said
Cole finally returned to campus in the spring of 2021 after nine months away from the program. She was not cleared for volleyball activities but resumed training, utilizing the truncated 2020-2021 season to build strength and flexibility.
Exactly 338 days after surgery, Cole made her TCU debut on Aug. 25, 2021. And she did so in style. Cole totaled four blocks vs. eventual NCAA Volleyball Champion Wisconsin – the most by a Horned Frog in their collegiate debut in the Big 12 era.
Cole's triumphant return to the court eventually led to her receiving the TCU Faculty Senate "Pillar of Purple" award, which is given to one male and one female student athlete each semester. The accolade "honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of college athletes from all sports at TCU."
Now in her second full season at TCU, Cole intends to use her journey to aid in others' recovery.
"I want to pay it forward."
Players Mentioned
MB
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