Enshrined: Going Back Home Great for Meyer
All-American loves small-town pace
Mike Brohard
She was just a small-town girl when Tom Hilbert first met her. All these years later, Megan (Plourde) Meyer remains the same, back in Somerset, Wisc. Where she grew up.
Back then, that’s not what she would have guessed would have happened.
“You know, not really. I moved out of state when I committed to Colorado State, and that was a pretty big deal for me, being from a small town in Wisconsin and going away from family and friends,” she said. “I have not admitted this to my parents, but I don’t think I was homesick once because of the community in Fort Collins and Tom and the team. As soon as I moved out there, instantly I had a new family and community of friends. I honestly never thought I’d move away from Colorado, and when I had the opportunity to go play in Europe, I was fortunate to experience that. I never thought I’d move back to my hometown, but when I did reconnect with (her husband) Jon, and he’s from the same area, family is huge to both of us.”
Hilbert will tell you she was the most unassuming superstar he ever coached in his CSU volleyball program, earning All-American recognition from start to finish, leading the nation in blocking in 2011 while helping pave the path for the Rams to win conference championships in each of her four seasons (2009-2012).
She averaged 1.71 blocks per set – still a school record – and three of her seasons rank in the top 10 in program history. You find her a lot in the record book, ranking second in career blocks and fourth in a single season, as well as being tied for the school record for blocks in a three-match set and the sole record holder for one going five. Her career hitting percentage ranks 10th for a career.
“She was never a limelight kid, but her numbers spoke for her,” Hilbert said. “She led the nation in blocking, and she did it in an understated way. She just made moves, filled the gap and got the block. She was clean and low error as a hitter. All the sudden the match is over and she’s hitting .460.”
She will be part of a nine-person class recognized during the annual All-Sports Reunion weekend, with the Hall of Fame Induction set for Friday, Oct. 27. The following day, the entered class will be recognized on the field during the State Pride football game with Air Force.
And he found her in Somerset, a town less than 3,000 people, just a short drive from the Wisconsin-Minnesota border.
“I did a home visit with her. She drove me around her little town, and it took me about 5 minutes,” Hilbert said with a laugh. “She said, ‘I need to get out of here; I want to go somewhere where it’s bigger.’ She’s telling me all this while pointing out places -- this is where we have the fair and the band Korn comes in every year and this is where we do this, and it was cracking me up. Here’s this small-town Wisconsin kid telling me she has to get out of there, and sure as hell, she’s back there and she’s very successful career wise.”
It puts everything in perspective. Our children are our world. I feel as they grow older, as we’re learning, every age you go through different phases. Being a parent, you’re always learning.Megan Meyer
Try as she might, there was a feeling Megan said she just couldn’t shake in the end.
She played for two different professional teams in Europe in back-to-back seasons, and when she came back, she and Jon, who lived in a nearby town, found each other again. Family was so important to both of them, six years ago the setting of Somerset was the undeniable place for which to raise a family, with two children, Linnea (3) and Gavin (1) keeping them busy.
“My family, and our faith is really important to us,” Megan said. “My family and my kids are my passion. They’re our work right now. Life revolves around our kids and making sure they are growing up with the best experiences like our families gave to us. We enjoy time with family. Time goes by very fast, so we’re trying to make the most of every moment with them.
“It puts everything in perspective. Our children are our world. I feel as they grow older, as we’re learning, every age you go through different phases. Being a parent, you’re always learning.”
Both she and Jon cross the border every day for work, with Megan leading a team to support large-scale initiatives for Anderson Windows and Doors as a supply-chain project leader.
She doesn’t get on the court much these days. She tried playing in bar league, but found she was a bit too competitive for the setting. Their home sits on three acres, and Linnea is starting to ride her bike and make friends. She’s finding staying in shape is as easy as running after her children. The setting is close enough to have good neighbors and spread out enough to find peace and quiet from the world.
“We do enjoy the smaller community feel, and we like living out in the country a little bit. We just felt this was the right place for us to raise a family and be close to family,” Megan said. “It’s been perfect. It takes an army to raise children, so having our families nearby and supporting us, we’ve been very fortunate.
“As a family, we’re very active. We’re outside as much as we can be with the Midwest weather, so we enjoy hiking, and swimming in the lakes around here. We’re outside quite a bit. I’m definitely still very competitive; I don’t think that’s a trait that goes away, but I try to find different outlets, fun ways. My husband and I are pretty competitive with each other. I use that trait in my professional work. I try to be the best I can and grow my team.”
During her Colorado State career, she never once thought about the Hall of Fame, so when the call came it stunned her.
It was quite a leap for a small-town girl who wondered when she left home if she had what it took to be a Division I athlete, let alone an All-American.
“Honestly, I was very humbled. It’s an incredible honor, so I was just totally surprised,” Megan said. “I never though in my lifetime I’d be getting a call like that. I think back to when Tom was recruiting me in high school, when you’re from a small town and I started playing volleyball competitively as a sophomore in high school. Even when Tom started recruiting me it was a great honor. To have the opportunity to attend CSU, from the beginning, the talent and potential he saw in me … then with this honor, it was very humbling for me to receive this.”
As much as the induction, she’s looking forward to her return, to the place which made her feel so welcome. A chance to reunite with people who became her second family and helped her become the woman she is today.
Almost like going home. Again. Because you really can return.