Eagan featured a youth-filled roster when McKenna Melville took over as head coach for her mom, Hall of Fame coach Kathy Gillen, in 2023.
Eagan senior libero Madi Kraft poses for a photo at a Breakdown Sports Media shoot in Apple Valley on Saturday, March 1, 2025. (Jason Wachter / Breakdown Sports Media)
Melville needed someone she could lean upon to uphold a sound defensive structure.
Luckily, she had Madi Kraft.
The now 17-year-old Kraft stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall, and has played for Eagan’s varsity team since eighth grade. Melville said Kraft – a two-year starter at that point – was a focal point when she arrived and helped craft the style of play her team would adopt.
“She helped form the foundation of, okay, well, we can have a solid defense because we have Madi Kraft on the court,” Melville said.
As a libero, Kraft’s main duties fall on the defensive side, but that doesn’t prevent her from affecting the Wildcats’ offense.
Attend an Eagan volleyball match and there is one sound guaranteed to ring through the gymnasium: Kraft calling out to her hitters, identifying the opposing team’s weak spot for them to target with swings.
Melville said the coaching staff is working with Kraft on being more than just a passer on the court.
“She can see the game at a level that most of our athletes can’t see the game,” Melville said. “So we wanted her to vocalize, hey, tell the girls what you see. Because it’s most likely right.”
The mental aspect of Kraft’s game is something she has had to work on throughout her time playing for the Wildcats.
Gillen remains on Eagan’s coaching staff as an assistant coach, and Kraft said the seven-time state champion coach provides pointers that help her with the cerebral side of the game.
“Gillen has helped me get mentally tough; she’s pushed me through a lot,” Kraft said.
Kraft said her playstyle is gritty, confident and resilient. As a senior leader for Eagan (13-4), confidence is key. Melville noticed the growth in Kraft’s leadership over the last two years.
At the Eagle Invitational recently played in Apple Valley, Kraft had 43 digs over two games, which pushed her north of 2,400 digs for her high school career.
With the wealth of experience Kraft has gained, having started on varsity for the last five seasons, Melville said Kraft is thriving with the increased responsibilities.
“She puts the team on her back,” Melville said. “The first thing she says is, ‘What more can I do?’ and as a little sophomore, she wasn’t asking that question.”
Melville also admires Kraft’s approach to each match.
“She’s the kind of person where you’re like, ‘I need you to run through a brick wall right now,’ and she would go and then ask the question after,” Melville said. “That’s exactly what we need, that bought-in factor.”
That’s a quality Melville understands is important at the next level. The coach played five seasons of college volleyball at Central Florida, and led the nation in kills her senior season with 617. Kraft, too, will experience the Division-I level. She committed to Minnesota a year ago, noting Gophers coach Keegan Cook played a big role in her decision.
“How much (he) cares for his athletes stuck out to me,” she said, “and … how smart he is about the game.”
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