Amplifying Voices: McMaster Marauders Maddy Lutes

The OUA Amplifying Voices Series will share the stories, the efforts, and the impacts of the OUA's champions of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), from those who have earned conference awards within their respective sport to those who continue to make a difference within their team, their campus, and their community.   

Burlington, Ont. (David DiCenzo) - Maddy Lutes arrived at McMaster University in 2021 expecting to test herself on the volleyball court. An imposing 6-foot-1 outside hitter, she had a rep for racking up kills and denying opponents with timely blocks. A self-professed “yapper,” Lutes’ big personality and sharp intellect match her stature.

The 23-year-old from Barrie, Ontario decided that the Hamilton institution would be the perfect place to enjoy competitive volleyball and still be close enough to her family, including her two beloved younger brothers Ethan and Cole.

Lutes came to McMaster to be an OUA volleyball player. Five years later, this unique student-athlete departs a decorated Marauder, an accomplished academic Indigenous researcher, and a campus leader who has left an indelible imprint.

“Going to McMaster ignited my passion for research, which I didn’t know I had,” says Lutes.

The path to research began almost by accident. In second year, Lutes took a class called Northern Environments and Societies with Dr. Gita Ljubicic, and the experience opened doors. The course combined environmental and Indigenous studies in a way that felt both engaging and personal, and Ljubicic’s teaching style left a lasting impression. When she later encouraged Lutes to apply for IndigiNerds, a summer research program through the McMaster Indigenous Research Institute, Lutes was nervous. But she applied anyway. That decision would reshape her time at McMaster.

“I was super nervous,” says Lutes. “I didn’t know if I was enough for that. I had done zero research.

“That was one of the first steps out of my comfort zone.”

IndigiNerds had space for 10 students from across the country for a two-month summer program hosted at McMaster. Lutes applied on the last possible day – and made the cut, with Dr. Ljubicic as her advisor. She says that’s where her academic journey really began.

Before Lutes fell in love with research, she was a determined athlete. Her competitive instincts were nurtured in a sports-loving family. By the time she was in Grade 5, Lutes was already 5-foot-8, and athletics were part of the household fabric. Her father Aaron, who is Georgian Bay Métis had played hockey at Humber College, while her mother Anne was an NCAA volleyball player at Syracuse.

“I fell into volleyball on my own terms,” she adds. “My parents knew exactly what it looked like to be an athlete under pressure. They were always driving me to practices and cheering me on at games and tournaments. My brothers grew up in gyms thanks to me.

“When I went to Mac, it was definitely hard. I have barely spent time at home in the past five years, and it was hard to be apart. But they would always travel to my games and do the most out-of-pocket stuff. You could definitely hear my family. Cole would have this horn, and I would always know exactly where he was.”

On the court, Lutes emerged as an OUA Second-Team All-Star in 2023/24 and was a key contributor on the 2024/25 team that dethroned the three-time defending champion Brock Badgers to win the Quigley Cup. That championship, and the relationships built over five seasons, mean everything to Lutes. She is a recognized leader who embraces younger players and solidifies team culture.

But her legacy extends far beyond volleyball.

She came to the university with so many questions and realized there was no shame in asking them. Volleyball requires constant communication among the players and between the chatter of a match and her desire to learn about everything around her, Lutes says she found confidence, and her voice. She calls it a “transferable skill” that she took to the classroom.

“Indigenous Studies courses provided a different way of learning,” says the Environment & Society major. “There were conversations and class discussions, an alternative to western learning and not just slides on a screen. I found myself to be better after a class. And it was fun because it combined two things I care about, nature and society.”

What followed was a deeper immersion into both academic and cultural work. Through Straight Up North and McMaster’s Indigenous Student Services, Lutes found opportunities that were meaningful and demanding, from research support to community programming and campus collaboration. She helped organize Truth and Reconciliation varsity events through the Indigenous Student Athlete Council and took pride in creating spaces where different parts of her life could meet.

Straight Up North, an inter-disciplinary research group examining sustainability for Northern communities, brought her to faraway places, including a recent eye-opening trip to Iqaluit. At the request of the National Inuit Strategy on Research, Lutes was part of a team that hosted a research-gathering conference.

“It was so stunning there,” says Lutes. “We had one day where we snowmobiled for 20 minutes straight out into the land. There were local people who outfitted us with everything we needed, like parkas and gloves. They were so knowledgeable about the land. On a clear day, you could see for 50 kilometres.”

These experiences have given her a deeper understanding of her cultural background.

“I’ve always been in tune with my cultural heritage,” says Lutes. “I have wanted to approach my life, the way I do school and the way I do sports, in a respectful way. Having humility and integrity is something I’ve lived by.

“I want to learn and do better and apply those things to teaching and learnings that I already know. ISAC brings people together and being a part of this group has been extremely special to me. Graduating and leaving them is probably the hardest part.

“In Gita’s research team, I have learned how to conduct ethical and respectful research. To see the positive impact of doing community work has been huge. There are things that are irreplaceable in my life.”

Lutes’ long list of accomplishments off the court earned her the OUA Champion of EDI Award this past season. But there is more work ahead.

As she prepares to begin her Master’s of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Toronto, Lutes sees the move as another chance to grow. McMaster gave her a home close enough to family, a championship team, and the confidence to embrace her culture. Leaving is difficult, she says, but the memories and lessons remain. 

“It was that feeling of stepping outside of my comfort zone again, this time to grow in a different way,” she says. “Fortunately, it is close to Mac and I can visit.

“It’s never goodbye.”