As the team's only senior, ASU volleyball middle blocker Megan Beedie has taken on a leadership role for a team mostly composed of underclassmen, and she has proven to be effective in multiple ways. One of those ways, interestingly, is not on the court but as a recruiter.
She helped recruit freshman outside hitter Marta Levinska and junior libero Paige Denton. Denton said Beedie took her out to dinner during her recruiting trip to Tempe, something that made a lasting impression and connection.
The combination of hospitality and leading by example is how Beedie has aided the team. Beedie said she has helped recruit many volleyball players to ASU by showing them around camps and making them feel welcomed.
On the court, Beedie encourages her teammates to have a calm, collected demeanor for any situation, which is still improving. Against No. 8 Washington, ASU struggled to keep its composure during long rallies against a more experienced team. The team struggled to keep its offense going against Washington State the following week.
“We are very young and don’t know what to do in certain situations,” Beedie said.
Beedie believes teammates putting in work both in and outside of practice will help the team improve. Beedie encourages teammates to keep working after practice, something she said she has been doing since she arrived at ASU as a freshman, and it has paid off.
"Megan is one of the best players on the team," Denton said. "She's definitely quieter, but she leads by example and puts in the work."
Beedie has been a consistent producer for ASU for nearly her entire career. She has played all 16 sets this season and is averaging 6.25 kills per game through four games. She averaged above 5.5 kills per game in both her sophomore and junior seasons.
After having the season pushed back from August to January due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it gave the team more time to spend together than it would for a usual season, something Beedie and Denton took advantage of.
Beedie and Denton said the team reported to training camp late last summer and spent the entire semester practicing together.
Head coach Sanja Tomasevic said she has stressed playing through the adversity the COVID-19 pandemic continues to bring and playing "as many games as possible," something both Beedie and Denton have said they have taken to heart.
With Beedie's leadership, ASU volleyball looks to post its second consecutive winning season for the first time since doing so in 2014 and 2015.
Reach the reporter at njpietrz@asu.edu and follow @NPietrzycki on Twitter.
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