She was one of Madison College volleyball's finest, exiting as an All-American who, at the time, stood second in digs with 655 and third in kills with 487. Sadly, lower back problems now prevent Maggie Tipler from playing the game she loves at all. However, that has been the least of her worries.

The Monona, Wisconsin, native was supposed to give birth to twins in November 2011. Instead, she delivered son Zayden and daughter Londyn three months early. The result was a very long stint in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

"It was unquestionably the scariest moment of my life," said Tipler. "My daughter weighed just 1 pound, 12 ounces, while my son was 2 pounds. To see my children struggling for their lives, immediately after being born, I just felt helpless."

That's when Maggie truly experienced what it meant to be part of the WolfPack "family," as volleyball head coach Toby Parker puts it. "The day my twins were born prematurely, Coach Parker sent out a Facebook message to all my former teammates informing them of what had happened and asked them to say prayers for my family," Tipler recalled. "It meant the world to me to have that support, and it just goes to show how much WolfPack volleyball impacted my life then and to this day."

Today, the twins are "completely healthy and vibrant," according to their mother. However, she will never forget the days when they weren't.

"One of my future goals is to create and/or join an organization/website that provides local support for premature babies and their families," says Tipler. "I want to provide a place where families of premature and sick children can turn to for support and advice during their time in the NICU and beyond."

She doesn't stop there though. "Since my children's premature birth, my family and I have become involved with the March of Dimes organization. My fiance (Nick), the twins and I were asked to be Madison's "Ambassador Family" for two big events last year. We shared our experience with hundreds of people, helping to raise money for March of Dimes, to support premature and sick babies."

Speaking of support, Maggie is there for her children every single day. She is currently a stay-at-home mom, having left her job as a paralegal for Madison law firm Clifford & Raihala, S.C. immediately after giving birth to her son and daughter.

"Ultimately, I was steered in a different direction career-wise," she says. "However, once my children begin school full-time, I may decide to re-enter the legal field."

Until then, the former WolfPack outside hitter is just happy for everything she's got, as well as what's to come in the not-too-distant future. "Nick and I are going to be married Oct. 11 of this year," Tipler beams. "We have a small church wedding planned. I am so excited."

Excited for the future, grateful for her past. "An important life lesson I learned from being a student-athlete at Madison College is, whatever you decide to pursue in your life, you've either got to be all the way in or all the way out," she said. "Give it all you've got. There is no in-between."

Seems as if Londyn and Zayden must have quite a bit of their mom in them.