Photo by: Steve Hockstein/HarvardStudio.com
DIG R KNIGHTS: Megan Vernon
Sep 23 | Women's Volleyball
Get to know the newest members of the Rutgers volleyball team. Meet middle blocker Megan Vernon from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Q: You were initially a high jumper. How did you transition into volleyball?
A: Track and field was my main sport for the majority of my athletic career and my sophomore year of high school I had a little injury. I made the decision to take off from track and field for a bit and try something else. I also wanted to stay in shape. I ended up joining a club team through some mutual friends and teachers at my high school. My club coach took me in when he needed extra players for his club team. He trained me and saw the potential in me.
Q: What type of skills from track and field translate into volleyball?
A: I think, in general, running. It helps with stamina in any sport. In high jump, you've got to jump, well, high. One of my best qualities in volleyball is jumping high so I definitely attribute that to the years of high jump.
Q. What is your earliest volleyball memory?
A: I had previous volleyball experience, so it wasn't like I went into volleyball for the first time at 15-16 years old. I had previous volleyball experience in elementary school, middle school, but that was just learning the basic skills. My experience with the club team was the first serious volleyball I played.
Q: What is your favorite volleyball memory?
A: Some of my favorite memories are from high school. My club team, we would always travel to the states to play in tournaments for fun, and I really enjoyed their company. They were some of the best friends I have made. I still keep in touch with them. There are a group of four of us and every time I come home we get together.
Q: What are your goals for the season?
For me personally, I want to build upon the skills I already have and build a stronger connection with the team and become an all-around better player. I think one of the skills I've gotten really good at over the years is blocking and defense from a middle standpoint. I think being a good blocker and having good blocking instincts is something I bring to the team. I also think playing in the Big Ten will serve as a challenge, but a good challenge, and I'm looking forward to that.
Q: What are you getting your graduate degree in?
I'm getting my master's in social work. I have an undergraduate degree in biology and am using social work as a stepping stone into getting involved with genetic counseling in the future. I can make a difference and helping people is the part I'm most interested in.
Q: What are some of the differences between being right over the border in Canada and the US?
The main difference that I struggle with is that you don't use the metric system here – so Fahrenheit, feet, miles, inches. My car is in kilometers.
Q: What is your favorite place on campus?
A: There is a sushi place that if I speed walk, it's a minute from my house. I'm a pescetarian so I only eat seafood. I go there way too often but they have really good sushi. That's where all my money goes. I'll usually order the spicy salmon roll.
Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?
A: I'm kind of an open book … but a fun fact is that I can juggle. Only three though and they have to be spherical.
Follow Rutgers women's volleyball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
,
Q: You were initially a high jumper. How did you transition into volleyball?
A: Track and field was my main sport for the majority of my athletic career and my sophomore year of high school I had a little injury. I made the decision to take off from track and field for a bit and try something else. I also wanted to stay in shape. I ended up joining a club team through some mutual friends and teachers at my high school. My club coach took me in when he needed extra players for his club team. He trained me and saw the potential in me.
Q: What type of skills from track and field translate into volleyball?
A: I think, in general, running. It helps with stamina in any sport. In high jump, you've got to jump, well, high. One of my best qualities in volleyball is jumping high so I definitely attribute that to the years of high jump.
Q. What is your earliest volleyball memory?
A: I had previous volleyball experience, so it wasn't like I went into volleyball for the first time at 15-16 years old. I had previous volleyball experience in elementary school, middle school, but that was just learning the basic skills. My experience with the club team was the first serious volleyball I played.
Q: What is your favorite volleyball memory?
A: Some of my favorite memories are from high school. My club team, we would always travel to the states to play in tournaments for fun, and I really enjoyed their company. They were some of the best friends I have made. I still keep in touch with them. There are a group of four of us and every time I come home we get together.
Q: What are your goals for the season?
For me personally, I want to build upon the skills I already have and build a stronger connection with the team and become an all-around better player. I think one of the skills I've gotten really good at over the years is blocking and defense from a middle standpoint. I think being a good blocker and having good blocking instincts is something I bring to the team. I also think playing in the Big Ten will serve as a challenge, but a good challenge, and I'm looking forward to that.
Q: What are you getting your graduate degree in?
I'm getting my master's in social work. I have an undergraduate degree in biology and am using social work as a stepping stone into getting involved with genetic counseling in the future. I can make a difference and helping people is the part I'm most interested in.
Q: What are some of the differences between being right over the border in Canada and the US?
The main difference that I struggle with is that you don't use the metric system here – so Fahrenheit, feet, miles, inches. My car is in kilometers.
Q: What is your favorite place on campus?
A: There is a sushi place that if I speed walk, it's a minute from my house. I'm a pescetarian so I only eat seafood. I go there way too often but they have really good sushi. That's where all my money goes. I'll usually order the spicy salmon roll.
Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?
A: I'm kind of an open book … but a fun fact is that I can juggle. Only three though and they have to be spherical.
Follow Rutgers women's volleyball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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