Scholar Athlete: St. Mary's Madison Keem

LANCASTER, N.Y. (WIVB) -- There’s a unique connection on the court between St. Mary’s High School's Madison Keem and her head coach, Don Pieczynski — her grandfather.

Pieczynski has built a remarkable legacy at St. Mary’s, earning a reputation as one of the most successful coaches in Western New York. With a coaching career dating back to the 1990s, he recently reached the impressive milestone of 700 career wins this fall.

For the past four years, Pieczynski has had the privilege of coaching his granddaughter, Maddie. While he’s proud of her accomplishments, he admits it will be difficult to see her go.

“I’m going to miss her a ton,” Pieczynski said. “All the car rides together to and from practices, to and from tournaments. We’ve bonded so closely and I’m very proud of her. She has my heart and desire — she’s like a female clone of me, and it’s incredibly rewarding.”

Keem is the kind of athlete any coach would be lucky to have. A standout on the court, she was named First Team All-WNY and All-Catholic in her senior year. Next fall, she will take her talents to the collegiate level, continuing her volleyball career at Bryant University.

As Keem prepares to leave the St. Mary’s program she’s been a part of for so long, she finds herself grappling with bittersweet emotions.

“It’s very bittersweet. I’m a big crier, so I cry about it all the time,” Keem said. “But they’re my family, and I love them. I’m also excited for the new opportunities ahead. I’m incredibly grateful. A lot of people told me it goes by super fast, and I’ve never heard truer words. It really does go by so, so fast.”

Off the court, Keem’s achievements are just as impressive. With a perfect 4.0 GPA, she plans to major in biology with the ultimate goal of becoming a doctor of veterinary medicine.