Maddy Horst sits in a room just outside the main gymnasium of Alumni Hall amongst trays of catered sandwiches and desserts. Her Mustangs women's basketball team just lost their last home game of the season to the CIS number six Laurier Golden Hawks. Despite the loss, spirits are still high in and around the gymnasium. The team held solid ground against their rivals for three quarters, and the rookie Horst put up double digits in points again, shooting 50% from the field. The Laurier game was another part of a season-long learning and development experience for her and the six other rookies on the squad.
 
The 5'7" guard sits on a table swinging her legs when her mom and grandma approach her with kisses and affirmations of a job well done. They leave her with a bag of necessities before hitting the highway for the trip home.
 
"My family is a big part of my career. They're always cheering and supporting me. They're here for every home game and anywhere that's really within an hour of home, they'll be there."
 
Horst hails from Baden, Ontario; a small town just outside of Kitchener-Waterloo. She attended Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary where she was a member of the girls' basketball team, leading her school to an undefeated season and a Waterloo County senior girl's championship in 2013. In the same season, she was named an all-star and chosen as her school district's Most Valuable Player. While playing for the KW Lightning in 2014, she was named a JUEL First Team All-Star. While these accolades put her on the radar of Wilfrid Laurier's basketball program - a university right in her backyard - Horst says the support and work put in by head coach Brian Cheng helped sway her to Western.
 
"He was really supportive and a really positive coach. I could just tell that he focuses a lot on player development. I knew coming here that I would have the opportunity to make a difference and be a part of a new team that would have success in the coming years."
 
Horst loves the fast pace and aggression that basketball offers, and you can see it in her style of play. She moves quickly in, out, and around players when she's in the offensive zone. She's nearly uncatchable when she gets a break and launches herself down the court for a layup. And she puts herself on the line, taking hits and diving to save balls from reaching out of bounds. According to Coach Cheng, her style of play and willingness to learn are what makes her an integral part of the Mustangs squad.
 
"Maddy is special because of what she was able to do consistently before she got to this program," he said. "And what Maddy needed was to understand what she could get away with and what she couldn't get away with at the CIS level. So in that, what made her special is our ability to let her make mistakes and in her ability to make mistakes and learn from them."
 
Cheng's dedication to individual work with his players has helped Horst move into a key role on the Mustangs squad. Just three games in, she was moved to a starting position where she has seen her numbers steadily improve. As a starter, Horst averages 11.7 points per game, with a season-high 23 points against Queen's on January 31. She's also adept at moving into rebound positions, grabbing seven in the regular season finale at Waterloo on February 21 to complement her 18 points.
 
The rookie guard plays with the focus and confidence of a seasoned player, but says she that was not always the case. The starting spot initially made her nervous and the responsibility weighed heavily on her. With the trust and help from coach Cheng, though, she came to be more grounded on the court and understand her role as a leader on the team.
 
"I feel like I've done okay. And also the girls like to trust me with that role and having a big part of this team. I think it's been good for my development. I know I can get frustrated easily so it's been good to learn that I have to stay composed and not give myself away."
 
Another reason Horst chose to come to Western is its academic reputation. She's a first-year student in kinesiology and understands that her studies always come first; basketball is just a bonus. Like many first year students, she has found the standards of university studies much different than high school, and has had to manage those standards alongside weekly practices and games. But just like on the basketball court, Horst has found a solid ground when it comes to her studies, and has been open to advice from her mentors to help her excel in that aspect of her life.
 
"It's been a big adjustment I'm not going to lie. The first semester really hit me," she said. "But I feel like there's been a lot of support from the coaches, older players, and academic counsellors, with study hall and everything. They're really supportive in making sure we make our grades. I've adjusted well and learned to manage my time better."
 
What also helps is having a second family in the form of her basketball team. Horst has loved every second of her first year experience at Western as well as her rookie season on the basketball team thanks in part to a group of girls who aren't just teammates, but friends.
 
"We kind of clicked at the beginning. There was never any awkwardness between anybody. It's translated onto the court; I think with that closeness we've been able to pick each other up when we're down and trust each other out there and it's been great to have a group of girls like that. There's no animosity. Everybody just loves each other. We're just sisters in that way."
 
With that bond already established and a season under their belts, there's only one way for this Mustangs team to move, and that's up. Everybody on the squad is eligible to play next season, and with growing pains out of the way, Horst says the team can just focus on getting better.
 
"I see a lot of potential in us. We're all coming up and developing together and learning each other's strengths, so I could see a championship in the future. We have the potential and the passion and the heart to do it. If we really settle in and focus 100% we could be a very, very good team."