Menu
FEATURED ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Maggie Meyer, Greencastle
Maggie Meyer is a senior volleyball player at Greencastle High School. She was the 2016 Banner Graphic “Player of the Year.”
Banner Graphic: How important are sports in your life, and what have you learned from sports?
Athlete: “My life would be super boring without sports. I’ve been playing volleyball since fifth grade. I have learned how to be a good teammate and how to communicate with others. In a team sport like volleyball, you deal with five other girls and you learn how each girl is different and how they handle pressure.
BG: What led you to volleyball, insetad of other sports?
MM: “My mom [Denise Meyer] played in high school [Muncie Burris] and college [Hanover] got me involved and took me to some Burris camps. I really started to love it, and I wanted to play travel so my parents got me in AAU volleyball. I used to swim, and I would probably be doing that if I hadn’t fallen in love with volleyball.”
BG: How important has the travel team been in your volleyball development?
MM: “I think it’s important to get outside your community. It makes a huge difference. Not only are you getting exposure from colleges, but you are meeting and playing against people from other schools.”
BG: What are your college plans?
MM: “I have sent out a lot of e-mails to colleges I’m interested in and gone to a lot of camps and showcases. There are a couple of schools I’m really excited about where I can play at the college level.”
BG: What kinds of things do you do that are not sports related?
MM: “We have a club at Greencastle called ‘Purple Pals’ where students serve as buddies for special needs students, and give them someone to talk to in the halls. I’m not an official member, but I like to hang out with them. I like to go and be their friend. I’m really into the show ‘Last Chance U’ on Netflix. It’s about junior college football, and you learn about the players from all different type of backgrounds. I like to watch ESPN and keep up on sports, and I like to go to school events. Last night the volleyball team all went to a girls’ soccer game. I think it’s cool to support other teams, and it’s nice to have that school support. They come to support us a lot. Our football team will be in the crowd and cheer for us. It’s fun.”
BG: What are your career plans?
MM: “I want to go into business, but I don’t have it narrowed down exactly in what area. I want to get my MBA, so I will be in college for five years working toward that. Hopefully during my freshman year I can find the exact direction in which I want to go. Right now, the entertainment side of business like hotel administration sounds fun.”
BG: Summarize your four years at Greencastle High School.
MM: “It’s gone really fast, and it’s kind of scary that it’s coming to a close. I’m excited for the future to see where I end up and what I will be. It’s been a great experience here. I love Greencastle and Greencastle volleyball. Coach [Maggie] Walters and coach Meyer do a great job of supporting helping us on and off the court to make you the best person you can be.”
BG: Your mom is one of your coaches, but that’s not the only family in the program. What is it like having your little sister [Lilly, a freshman] on the team this year?
MM: “It’s been great. She’s doing a really good job, especially for a freshman. She’s really stepped up in big situations, and she’s been that person we can rely on to put the ball away. She’s not that far behind the other hitters, but she has some work to do like all freshmen. She’s been a big part of our offense.”
BG: Will she be better than you?
MM: “She will definitely be better as a hitter, but I think I have her on passing. I didn’t get lucky with the height. My sister Abby [a junior swimmer at GHS] is the tallest at 5-9 or 5-10, and Lilly is about 5-8 and still growing. I topped out at 5-4.”
BG: Do you have any goals you want to accomplish before your senior year is over?
MM: “Last year, I finished with 515 digs and this year I would like to have between 545 and 600. I would like to keep growing that number. I would also like to chase the record for aces. We have a good serving team. It will be interesting to see who ends up on top of that.”
BG: How will the team do this year [2-1 going into Tuesday’s match at Southmont]?
MM: “I think this year we have our best chance of winning the sectional. We haven’t won a volleyball sectional title here since 2002, and I would love to be able to do that. We have the potential to win the sectional.”