University of Georgia Athletics
Spencer Rebounds From Rough Beginning
November 06, 2014 | Volleyball
Nov. 6, 2014
Georgia volleyball's redshirt sophomore Megan Spencer has been fighting an uphill battle since she first stepped on campus in June 2012. A few weeks before her arrival, Spencer was competing in a club volleyball tournament when she went down with a knee injury. She tore her ACL, meniscus and multiple nerves in her knee. It was decided that the Kansas native would get her needed surgery upon her arrival in Athens and be redshirted for the upcoming season.
For the first few weeks of that summer, instead of joining her new team for workouts, open gyms and pool days, Spencer was confined to a bed in a hotel room where her mom took care of her.
Coming to college can be a hard adjustment for any incoming freshman and can be even harder for student-athletes with the added pressure of workouts, tutors and respective sport. Adding a serious injury to the mix, Spencer admits that her freshman year was tough mentally and physically.
"It was hard to come in and be on crutches because they require extra help and I was shy at first and was almost embarrassed to ask for help," Spencer said. "My coaches, trainers and team were always supportive and offered to help, but it was still tough for me to find my niche on the team. Looking back, I guess I hadn't really bought into the culture yet because I felt that since I was not contributing, I was not deserving."
Spencer did not give up and pushed herself to get better because, more than anything, she wanted to be on the court again. By the end of her freshman year, she was able to do most of the drills in practice and started to feel like she was more involved with the team.
"During the fall, it was a struggle to show my true colors and be myself to my teammates," she continued. "Once I got off crutches I was able to strengthen the bond with my teammates which made the second half of the year very meaningful."
When the 2013 season rolled around, Spencer was better physically but faced a new challenge. She was competing for playing time for the right side position with two upperclassmen.
"It was hard to come back for my redshirt freshman year and play behind two amazing right sides that were upperclassmen," added Spencer.
The fall of her redshirt freshman year, Spencer saw limited playing time but a lot of opportunity. With Stacey Smith graduating, Spencer knew that the spring would be a crucial time to prove herself. This past spring, she worked extra hard in the weight room and on the court. It was in the transition from spring to summer that Spencer said she flipped a switch and completely bought into the program.
"I worked and worked in practice and it was this summer that my connection and trust with Coach started to really mean something to me," Spencer said. "As I have progressed on the court, my relationship with Coach Stemke has also progressed. This summer she helped me through some things off the court and I think I really started trusting her on a new level. She has pushed me to be a better person, better teammate, friend and daughter."
Coming in to this season, Spencer was excited. She knew that she worked as hard as she possibly could and believed that it was her time to be on the court; however, she knew that she still had to compete for time. Instead of getting discouraged, her growing trust in the coach and her love for her team made her push herself that much harder.
For the first few matches of the current 2014 season, Spencer saw limited action. However, as the season progressed from early season games to Southeastern Conference play, Spencer got her opportunity to prove herself. Instead of running a 5-1 offense, in which only right-side player sees regular action, Stemke decided to switch to a 6-2 offense, in which two right-sides are needed.
Since making the switch, Georgia has seen a noticeable improvement. The Bulldogs picked up their first SEC win over Missouri in front of a national television audience on the SEC Network, in which Spencer led the team with 14 kills, while hitting at a .579 efficiency. The team picked up another win against Tennessee at home and in Georgia's most recent match, took a 3-2 victory over Auburn.
Spencer says she is grateful for the opportunity to be on the court. At the time of the injury, she thought that nothing good could come out of it, but now she realizes how much she has grown because of it.
"I have really opened my eyes to how much the staff does for us, how hard we work, how special of an opportunity I am given to play volleyball as a Bulldog, that I took for granted before," said Spencer. "The most emotional part for me is getting to play for my family again."
With nine more matches to left to play in the season, Spencer and the Bulldogs look to keep improving. Georgia travels to Lexington, Ky., to face the Kentucky Wildcats this Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. The team will then be back home on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m., when it takes on Arkansas.
Elena Perri is Megan Spencer's former teammate on the Georgia volleyball team. Perri is a native of Richland, Mich., who completed her eligibility last season. A year ago, she led the Bulldogs with 113 blocks, an average of 1.07 per set. While completing requirements to receive her degree in journalism, Perri is serving as a student assistant in the UGA Sports Communications office this year.
"Coming Attractions" is a weekly feature published on georgiadogs.com spotlighting a UGA student-athlete who will be competing in a key home event during the upcoming weekend. Previous stories include:
August 28 - David Andrews (football vs. Clemson) September 4 - Carly Hamilton (cross country in Bulldog Invitational)
September 11 - Tirah Leau (volleyball in Benson Hospitality Invitational)
September 18 - Mariel Gutierrez (soccer vs. Vanderbilt)
September 25 - Toby Johnson (football vs. Tennessee)
October 2 - Emma Sonnett (soccer vs. Tennessee)
October 9 - Jared Markham (swimming & diving vs. Alabama)
October 16 - Gaby Smiley (volleyball vs. Kentucky and Tennessee)
October 23 - Bella Hartley (soccer vs. Kentucky)
October 30 - Olivia Ball & Ian Forlini (swimming & diving vs. Florida)
By Elena Perri
Georgia volleyball's redshirt sophomore Megan Spencer has been fighting an uphill battle since she first stepped on campus in June 2012. A few weeks before her arrival, Spencer was competing in a club volleyball tournament when she went down with a knee injury. She tore her ACL, meniscus and multiple nerves in her knee. It was decided that the Kansas native would get her needed surgery upon her arrival in Athens and be redshirted for the upcoming season.
For the first few weeks of that summer, instead of joining her new team for workouts, open gyms and pool days, Spencer was confined to a bed in a hotel room where her mom took care of her.
Coming to college can be a hard adjustment for any incoming freshman and can be even harder for student-athletes with the added pressure of workouts, tutors and respective sport. Adding a serious injury to the mix, Spencer admits that her freshman year was tough mentally and physically.
"It was hard to come in and be on crutches because they require extra help and I was shy at first and was almost embarrassed to ask for help," Spencer said. "My coaches, trainers and team were always supportive and offered to help, but it was still tough for me to find my niche on the team. Looking back, I guess I hadn't really bought into the culture yet because I felt that since I was not contributing, I was not deserving."
Spencer did not give up and pushed herself to get better because, more than anything, she wanted to be on the court again. By the end of her freshman year, she was able to do most of the drills in practice and started to feel like she was more involved with the team.
"During the fall, it was a struggle to show my true colors and be myself to my teammates," she continued. "Once I got off crutches I was able to strengthen the bond with my teammates which made the second half of the year very meaningful."
When the 2013 season rolled around, Spencer was better physically but faced a new challenge. She was competing for playing time for the right side position with two upperclassmen.
"It was hard to come back for my redshirt freshman year and play behind two amazing right sides that were upperclassmen," added Spencer.
The fall of her redshirt freshman year, Spencer saw limited playing time but a lot of opportunity. With Stacey Smith graduating, Spencer knew that the spring would be a crucial time to prove herself. This past spring, she worked extra hard in the weight room and on the court. It was in the transition from spring to summer that Spencer said she flipped a switch and completely bought into the program.
"I worked and worked in practice and it was this summer that my connection and trust with Coach started to really mean something to me," Spencer said. "As I have progressed on the court, my relationship with Coach Stemke has also progressed. This summer she helped me through some things off the court and I think I really started trusting her on a new level. She has pushed me to be a better person, better teammate, friend and daughter."
Coming in to this season, Spencer was excited. She knew that she worked as hard as she possibly could and believed that it was her time to be on the court; however, she knew that she still had to compete for time. Instead of getting discouraged, her growing trust in the coach and her love for her team made her push herself that much harder.
For the first few matches of the current 2014 season, Spencer saw limited action. However, as the season progressed from early season games to Southeastern Conference play, Spencer got her opportunity to prove herself. Instead of running a 5-1 offense, in which only right-side player sees regular action, Stemke decided to switch to a 6-2 offense, in which two right-sides are needed.
Since making the switch, Georgia has seen a noticeable improvement. The Bulldogs picked up their first SEC win over Missouri in front of a national television audience on the SEC Network, in which Spencer led the team with 14 kills, while hitting at a .579 efficiency. The team picked up another win against Tennessee at home and in Georgia's most recent match, took a 3-2 victory over Auburn.
Spencer says she is grateful for the opportunity to be on the court. At the time of the injury, she thought that nothing good could come out of it, but now she realizes how much she has grown because of it.
"I have really opened my eyes to how much the staff does for us, how hard we work, how special of an opportunity I am given to play volleyball as a Bulldog, that I took for granted before," said Spencer. "The most emotional part for me is getting to play for my family again."
With nine more matches to left to play in the season, Spencer and the Bulldogs look to keep improving. Georgia travels to Lexington, Ky., to face the Kentucky Wildcats this Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. The team will then be back home on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m., when it takes on Arkansas.
Elena Perri is Megan Spencer's former teammate on the Georgia volleyball team. Perri is a native of Richland, Mich., who completed her eligibility last season. A year ago, she led the Bulldogs with 113 blocks, an average of 1.07 per set. While completing requirements to receive her degree in journalism, Perri is serving as a student assistant in the UGA Sports Communications office this year.
"Coming Attractions" is a weekly feature published on georgiadogs.com spotlighting a UGA student-athlete who will be competing in a key home event during the upcoming weekend. Previous stories include:
August 28 - David Andrews (football vs. Clemson) September 4 - Carly Hamilton (cross country in Bulldog Invitational)
September 11 - Tirah Leau (volleyball in Benson Hospitality Invitational)
September 18 - Mariel Gutierrez (soccer vs. Vanderbilt)
September 25 - Toby Johnson (football vs. Tennessee)
October 2 - Emma Sonnett (soccer vs. Tennessee)
October 9 - Jared Markham (swimming & diving vs. Alabama)
October 16 - Gaby Smiley (volleyball vs. Kentucky and Tennessee)
October 23 - Bella Hartley (soccer vs. Kentucky)
October 30 - Olivia Ball & Ian Forlini (swimming & diving vs. Florida)
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