Meghan Roberts works through challenges for Lasell volleyball
NEWTON, Mass. (BVM) — Meghan Roberts wasn’t always spiking volleyballs on the competition. Her first sport was actually soccer. It wasn’t until her freshman year of high school when she realized she needed a change. This is when she found volleyball, and it turns out volleyball was the change her athletic career needed.
Now in her third year of college, Roberts has started every season she has played at Lasell University, and the Lasers are fortunate to have her on the court. She plays with a passion and outright happiness that is contagious even for the spectators in the crowd. Her teammates thrive and respond well to her energy and leadership on the floor.
Roberts’ attitude transfers to her play. She dominates on the court with block after block, kill after kill and does it all with a smile on her face. But being a college student athlete isn’t all about what you do on the court or field, it’s also about how you do in the classroom, which Roberts admittedly struggled with at first.
“Something challenging I faced was time management,” Roberts said. “I was not sure how hard it would be to have classes until about 3 p.m. and then shoot to games two hours away. However, as the next year approached and I learned how to adjust, it became a lot easier to juggle school and volleyball.”
Her drive on the court matched her drive in the classroom and that is what makes her such a successful college athlete. Roberts’ motivation is to be the best volleyball player she can be. She feels blessed to be given the opportunity to play for Lasell.
Roberts knows she couldn’t do it alone. She is thankful for her teammates and coaching staff who push her to be the best. Roberts and the team work hard every chance they get to improve and perform smoothly on the court.
Unfortunately for the Lasers, fall volleyball season was canceled before it even started. COVID has impacted schools and people throughout the globe and for the Lasers this was no different. Roberts didn’t even get to play her junior year season.
Roberts and the team do their best to stay prepared. They are allowed three practices a week with COVID restrictions. Social distancing and mask-wearing is mandatory along with many other precautions.
The hope is that in the spring there will be some kind of makeup season or schedule so the team can get games in.
“The goals for this season were to just better us as an individual player since we could not play together,” Roberts said. “That definitely is a struggle, but it still improves the team in the long run. The next step is to hope that we have somewhat of a spring season so we can play together and improve as a whole.”
Roberts knows that sharpening individual skills now will pay off in the long run. Not being able to do drills and have the proper time with each other as a group will no doubt leave hiccups in the Lasers’ team game. However, many other schools are dealing with the same issue. In 2021, Roberts can only hope for success and health across the team. The uplifting spirit Robert carries should help bring the team together even in these dark times. Now all she can do is wait and see what her future holds.
