When asked if there was one word to describe Oregon senior Maggie Scott’s attitude the moment she steps on the court, Zach Young, her high school volleyball coach, answered without hesitation.
“Passionate,” Young said.
The Oregon setter is in the midst of the final year of her career, and despite having to adjust to losing teammates to injuries and a new coaching staff, she has her mind set on continuously raising the bar for her teammates and herself.
Back on Oct. 13, in Oregon’s matchup with Washington State, Scott became the fourth Duck in program history to reach over 3,000 assists in her career. She recorded 26 assists and brought her career total to 3,109.
“I’m glad she’s getting recognition,” said Young, who still coaches at Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Missouri. “She’s the coach’s dream to coach. She’s the reason why I love doing this job.”
As a high school athlete, Scott played with the same drive she still has on the court of Matthew Knight Arena. Being able to read her hitters, paired with her competitive attitude, helped her become the dependable teammate and leader she is today.
Oregon Ducks setter Maggie Scott (3) passes over her head to a teammate. The Oregon Ducks play the California Golden Bears at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Sept. 23, 2016. (Aaron Nelson/Emerald)
During her time at Lafayette, Scott’s Varsity team won three Missouri state championships with a 40-0 record under their belt. They never lost a set in the 2012 season. Currently, Lafayette is working to achieve their eighth consecutive state championship.
When Scott has free time during the offseason, she spends it by returning to the program that built her. Her willingness to work with the setters at Lafayette while she’s back home in Wildwood over the summer is one of the many examples of her passionate mindset.
“That’s one of the neat things about her, she gives back,” says Young.
Young recalled a moment in the 2012 Missouri State Championship game when his team began to fall behind, and Scott took the initiative to make a change.
“She took the bull by the horns and said, ‘We’re not losing this thing,’” Young said. “Her teammates followed her, and we came back and won that match. We won the state tournament that year.”
For Scott, the role of being a leader isn’t about how to play the game, but instead how to be a good teammate and maintain solid communication.
“It’s really important to talk to your teammates and know what they need from you,” Scott said. “Each hitter is different and that’s one thing I love about being a setter, is being able to work with all different kinds of hitters and do my best to make them successful.”
As a freshman, Scott played in all 33 of Oregon’s matches and averaged 6.63 assists per set. By the end of that season, she had five double-doubles, three of which were consecutive towards the end of Pac-12 play.
“Maggie is a true setter,” Oregon head coach Matt Ulmer said. “She’s been very consistent for us and sets really hittable balls to our hitters, it’s a nice connection.”
Through the ups and downs the last four years, she has been able to grow and learn from every experience she has encountered.
“One of the biggest takeaways is that you can lean on other people, you can ask for help and that’s okay – you don’t have to do it all yourself,” Scott said.
Correction: an earlier version of this story said that Scott had over 30,000 assists in her career. The actual number is 3,000.
Follow Daphne Martin on Twitter @daaphnemaartin
