Madison Pulsipher: Leadership on the Court and in the Community
10/7/2026 10:05:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Murrieta native Madison Pulsipher transferred to UC Riverside to be closer to home. But the sophomore outside hitter had bigger plans, especially after working two summers at her father's dental clinic in Tonga.
Read Pulsipher's story and learn how her passion for community health and prowess on the volleyball court has not only set her up for a University of California degree, but also an opportunity to change the world.
Talk about your experience this past summer with your family's dental clinic in Tonga. What did you learn from that experience?
My grandpa went a couple of years ago, and my sister was actually adopted from there, so he experienced firsthand the adversities in the clinic. The healthcare they have there isn't as great as it is here in the United States and in a lot of other places, so he decided to help furnish and build a dental clinic there to help the kids in that high school. I got to go last year and this year to be involved and see firsthand how healthcare can impact the community. It was really eye-opening to see how different the access to healthcare is and how it can look depending on where you live. I also learned that it's so much more about not what you do for the person, but how you treat them as well and the impact you can make on their lives. It made me more passionate about community health because I sa
w how meaningful it is to help people who may not always have easy access to healthcare. It also allowed me to come back with more gratitude and a better understanding of why global and community health matters.
You mention in your bio that you're a Grey's Anatomy fan. How much of an influence has that had in your interest in health?
I've always loved Grey's Anatomy, so it definitely made healthcare seem exciting to me when I was younger, but I know healthcare is a lot different than it is on a TV show. So I would say it started some of the curiosity, but my real life experiences are what turned it into something I could see myself pursuing as a career.
You're a transfer from Fresno State. What led you to come back home to the IE and major in Global and Community Health here at UCR?
Transferring was a big decision, but I wanted to be closer to home and my support system while continuing to compete at a high level. Global health really stood out to me because it looks at health beyond the individual and considers communities, access, prevention, education, and health disparities. After working in my family's clinic in Tonga, it felt especially meaningful to me, especially being able to see it firsthand. Being here is a place where both my athletic goals and my career goals can grow together.
How does UCR's mission statement of preparing student-athletes for life through sport play into your career preparation?
I really like that the focus isn't only on who we are as athletes right now. The focus is on who we're becoming after our sport ends, and that's really big, and a lot of universities miss that with athletics; it's what you're becoming after your sport that matters, and not just who you are as an athlete. That's pretty big where it sets you up for your career afterwards instead of just the athletics work.
What are your plans after college volleyball?
I'm deciding between going to dental school and taking over my dad's practice, or going to medical school and becoming an anesthesiologist. Having those two options is big for me, and experiencing what I experienced in Tonga with my dad's dental clinic opened me up to having the opportunity to maybe go to dental school and have that as my future career.
How does it feel to know that you're getting an education in your passion from the best public education system in the country?
It's something I'm really grateful for and definitely don't take for granted. Competing at a Division I volleyball program while getting an education is something I'm passionate about. It's a really special opportunity. I love how there's so many resources, professors and experiences and people here that I can learn from. It makes me want to take advantage of every opportunity I have while I'm here. Ultimately, I want to leave UCR knowing I grew as an athlete, a student, and a person, and that I'm prepared to use my education to make an impact in the real world.
Go into detail about what you're going to take advantage of here at UCR as you continue to grow and go out into the world.
We have a lot of great opportunities and resources in the way of tutoring and being able to go out into the community and see the experiences other people have gone through. Being able to look at those and place them into play when you're in your major and in school, and having those available to me is really important, given what I want to do in my future.
Fans can catch Pulsipher and the Highlanders all season long at the SRC Arena. Single-game and season tickets are on sale now at www.GoHighlanders.com/tickets.
