The Hillsdale College volleyball team didn’t have to go far to replenish its talent pool in this season’s signing day class of incoming freshmen.
The Chargers stayed right in the state of Michigan for all three of their new prospects who will join the team in the fall of 2025, mining a rich vein of in-state talent to add to their roster and help replace a decorated senior class that’s graduating this spring.
Taylor Cook (St Johns, MI/St Johns), Maddie Krappmann (Clarkston, MI/Everest Collegiate) and Madison Peal (Grand Rapids, MI/Grand Rapids Christian) are all talented players who will fill needs for Hillsdale in seasons to come.
Cook is a standout outside hitter who led St Johns, just north of Lansing in the center of the state, to strong finishes in her sophomore and junior years before an injury cut her senior season short in 2024. A prolific outside hitter with 1,106 kills, 117 aces and 117 total blocks in three and a half years of varsity play, Cook earned back-to-back All-CAAC Red and All-Region honors as a sophomore and junior and made the Lansing State Journal’s Dream Team in 2023. She was on pace to have her best season by far as a senior before the injury brought her campaign to a close mid-season, and was awarded second-team All-State honors by MIVCA despite missing half the year due to her play when healthy. Cook is a two-sport athlete at St. Johns who also earned Team MVP honors and honorable mention All-CAAC Red honors in girls’ basketball as a sophomore.
A strong student, Cook is a two-time top Academic Performer in her class at St. Johns and a member of the National Honor Society and the Renaissance Club. She’s also stood out on the club volleyball scene, playing currently for Attack Volleyball after past successful stints at Michigan Volleyball Training Academy and Capital Volleyball.
Krappmann is a small-school volleyball legend in the state of Michigan, playing a major role in Everest Collegiate’s first-ever volleyball state title in Division 4 as a junior, and helping the Mountaineers go unbeaten on the way to a repeat title this fall. The outside hitter was a three-time All-Catholic League, All-Region and All-State honoree, including back-to-back first team All-State honors in 2023 and 2024. Krappmann led her team in blocks as a senior and was one of Everest’s most important attackers on the outside. A two-sport athlete, Krappmann also has excelled for the Mountaineers in track and field, winning the CHSL St. Anne Division title in the 400m dash and qualifying for the MHSAA Division 4 state finals in the 4x100m relay and long jump.
An excellent student, Krappmann is Vice President of her school’s National Honor Society, as well as a National Merit Semifinalist and AP Scholar. She’s stood out on the club volleyball circuit with Unified Volleyball’s National Team, making the JVA Watch List three times as well as the AVCA Phenom list and earning AAU Academic All-American honors.
Peal is the libero for a Grand Rapids Christian program that’s a state of Michigan powerhouse. As a four-year varsity player and two-year captain for the Eagles, Peal helped lead Grand Rapids Christian to three MHSAA Division 2 district titles, two regional titles and two final four appearances, while earning All-OK Conference, All-Region and All-State honors three consecutive seasons. A veteran player who surpassed 1,000 digs for her career early in her senior season, Peal made the AVCA Phenom Watch List three times and was part of Prep Dig’s D2 preseason All-Star team in both 2023 and 2024.
An impressive student, Peal is on track to graduate with honors from Grand Rapids Christian this spring and is an Eagle Nation Club Member. She’s also stood out on the club volleyball circuit, playing for the MVA Rise Academy’s National Team for six years.
Photos are courtesy of the athletes. From left: Taylor Cook, Maddie Krappmann, Madison Peal
