GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The Colorado Mesa University volleyball team has added five soon to be high school graduates who will join the Maverick squad this fall, new CMU Head Coach
Austin Albers has announced.
"I'm really excited about this group and the impact that they will have at continuing the CMU Volleyball legacy. A lot of credit to Coach (Dave) Fleming and (Bri) Strong on getting this recruiting class started with some awesome talent and amazing young women. It's been a lot of fun getting to know this group and add some of our own signees to build what I think will be a strong and talented roster."
The list includes players from three states, including three from Colorado, one from Iowa and one from Utah and all have an extensive list of prep honors.
The Coloradoans includes
Addie Ritterbush of Palisade High School,
Ashlyn Tafoya of Thompson Valley High School and
Sienna Thatcher of Loveland High School, all of whom set records at their respective high schools.
Henley Madsen will join the Mavs from Park City High School in Utah as a first team all-state pick while
Addison Wright will come to CMU from Dubuque, Iowa and Hempstead High School, where she was a 3-time all-area pick.
Complete biographies and comments from Albers on each of the new Mavericks can be found below.
Henley Madsen (6-0, Opposite, Park City, Utah/Park City HS)
Club: Club V
2025 graduate of Park City High School… Earned 4A First Team All-State honors as a senior in the fall of 2024 for the Miners, who finished second in the state tournament… Coached by Matt Carlson… Recorded 271 kills and 54 blocks while hitting above .230 that season… Was a first team all-region and honorable mention all-state pick as a junior in 2023… Was also named as the program's offensive MVP as a junior in 2023… Was the varsity team's most improved player as a sophomore… Earned three varsity letters and a pair of spots on the Mountain View All-Tournament Team.
Club: Played for Club V,… Coached by Reed Carlson.
Personal: Is majoring in sports management… Parents are Elizabeth Madsen, Peter and Ramsey Madsen… Has two older siblings— Kaj and Kane… Aspires to continue her volleyball career after college to play professionally and then wants to work with professional sports teams… Enjoys photography, exploring and trying new things and hanging out with friends.
Why I Chose CMU: "I chose CMU for the culture, community, and the opportunity to continue my volleyball career. The campus is amazing and beautiful."
Coach Quote: "We are excited to add Henley to an already impressive 2025 recruiting class. She will be another dynamic high-flier on the pin and give us more athleticism and length in a position where we graduate a key starter. Hen is a really good personality fit for our team and staff and still has a lot of room to develop and grow as a player. She has a super high ceiling and will have an opportunity to work hard, develop and compete alongside a completely rebuilt position of point-scoring right-side attackers ."
Addie Ritterbush (6-0, Middle/Opposite, Palisade, Colo./Palisade HS)
Club: Mesa Juniors
Prep: 2025 graduate of Palisade High School… Set the Bulldogs' school record for career kills (1,316) and hitting percentage (.299) and set the single-season record of .371 as a senior in the fall of 2024… Coached by Wendy MacAskill… Named as the Southwestern League's Player of the Year after earning Western Slope League Player of the Year honors in 2023… Was a 4-time first team all-conference honoree… Earned Second Team 4A All-State honors as a senior after earning honorable mention all-state honors in both 2022 and 2023… Tabbed as the Daily Sentinel Volleyball Player of the Year in 2023… Was Colorado's MaxPreps Player of the Week in Week No. 9 of that season… Also earned First Team Academic All-Conference honors as both a junior and senior.
Club: Played for Mesa Juniors… Coached by Wendy MacAskill.
Personal: Is majoring in exercise science… Aspires to go on to graduate school and obtain a master's degree in speech pathology and hopefully work as a speech pathologist in schools… Daughter of Dacia and Mark Ritterbush… Has an older sister named Bailee… Loves outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, skiing, camping, paddle boarding and exploring new places.
Why I Chose CMU: "I chose CMU because I got the opportunity to play both beach and court volleyball. I have also grown up watching CMU volleyball and I love the culture. I love this beautiful area and all of the outdoor activities to do.
Coach Quote: "Addie is another great local addition, keeping the tradition alive of some of the western slope's top talent bringing their talent to Brownson Arena. She'll be a great addition to both the indoor and beach squads, and we're excited to see her develop during her time with us. Addie has a lot of potential and her versatility will give us a dynamic athlete who can play in multiple positions."
Ashlyn Tafoya (5-10, Setter, Loveland, Colo./Thompson Valley HS)
Club: Colorado Juniors
Prep: 2025 graduate of Thompson Valley High School… Had a decorated career, leading the Eagles to three 4A state titles (2021, 2022 and 2024) and a runner-up finish in 2023… Was a 2-time Colorado 4A Player of the Year (2022, 2024)… Was a 3-time conference player of the year… Named the area player of the year twice (2022, 2024)… Set the state's career assist record with 3,948… Led 4A in in all four years of her career… Was a 4-time all-state, all-conference and all-area team pick… Named to the 2024 senior all-state team.
Club: Played for Colorado Juniors, NORCO and Rocky Elite… Won the Florida Fest and placed third in the Mideast in the open divisions in 2025… Placed second in the open division at the 2024 Pacific Northwest tournament…. Named to the National Championships All-Tournament Team in 2023 after helping her team to a third place finish in the American Division… Also named to the all-tournament team at the national champions after helping the team to a fifth place finish in the USA Division in 2022… Helped her team win the Windy City USA Division title and to a third place finish at the Red Rock Rave that year.
Personal: Has not decided upon a major… Wants to contribute to the continued success of the CMU program with the ultimate goal of winning a national championship… Daughter of Josh and Sherri Tafoya… Has an older brother named Jadyn… Enjoys spending time with family and friends… Loves visiting the beach as well as snowboarding… Also enjoys tennis, golf and pickleball.
Why I Chose CMU: "During my visit I fell in love with the area and campus! The players made it feel like a family environment and were very welcoming. The continued success of the program and community support was also great."
Coach Quote: "Ashlyn is the type of setter that has the ability to make everyone around her better. She's battle tested against high level opponents and has proven to be a winner her entire career. We're so excited to get her into the gym and see how quickly she can pick up our system and connect with our hitters. Ashlyn loves to win, she's a competitor through and through but never at the expense of being a great teammate. We love what she stands for as a leader and look forward to seeing how she develops that part of her game during her career with the Mavericks."
Sienna Thatcher (6-0, Outside Hitter, Fort Collins, Colo./Loveland HS)
Club: NORCO
Prep: 2025 graduate of Loveland High School… Led the Natalie Carrasco coached Red Wolves and the Northern League in kills in both 2023 and 2024… Finished her prep career with 1,129 kills and 134 aces… Was a first team all-conference pick in 2023 and 2024… Also earned 5A Honorable Mention All-State honors in both of those years… Was a 5A Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports (CCGS) All-State Games Participant… Also earned a pair of academic all-state plaudits.
Prep: Played for NORCO, coached by Dana Burkholder… The team competed in the USAV Nationals 15s-18s.
Personal: Is majoring in criminal justice and aspires for a career in that field… Daughter of Jenette and Aaron Thatcher… Has an older sibling named Brooks… Enjoys hiking, going to church and spending time with family and friends.
Why I Chose CMU: "I chose CMU because I liked the campus and the outdoor activities surrounding the campus. I also liked the culture of the programs and being close to home."
Coach Quote: "Sienna is a difference maker. She doesn't get caught up in trying to be flashy, she just scores points and makes winning plays. With that, she'll bring an unassuming leadership and poise to the court that will make her a great teammate and elevate the level in our gym. I'm excited to get her to campus and see her go to work in the maroon and gold!"
Addison Wright (5-7, Libero, Dubuque, Iowa/Hempstead HS)
Club: Iowa Select
Prep: 2025 graduate of Hempstead High School… Was the Mustangs' team captain for three years (2022-24)… Coached by Jacque Arensdorf… Earned first team all-conference, all-district and all-area honors as both a junior and senior… Led the team to a Mississippi Valley Conference title in 2023.
Club: Played for the Iowa Select Volleyball Club… Coached by Frank Flanagan and Alexandria Becerra.
Personal: Is majoring in kinesiology… Aspires to continue to become a physician's assistant and specializing in sports medicine… Daughter of Amber & Brandon Stadel and Troy & Kris Wright… Has five siblings— Isaac, Kellen, Delanie, Reed & Beckett… Relative Kellen Strohmeyer plays baseball for the University of Iowa.
Why I Chose CMU: "I knew I wanted to go to CMU the moment I stepped on campus. The volleyball team was exactly what I wanted and so was everything else."
Coach Quote: "Addison is a three sport athlete that has the potential to develop into a play maker in the backcourt for us. Her high energy and bubbly personality will add some juice to our libero position and we expect her to be someone that sets the bar on work ethic and effort. Addison is going to grow and improve in our gym from day one and we're all excited to see the type of impact she's able to have during her time at CMU."
