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Match Point Blog: Morgan Montgomery
March 09, 2016 02:41 PM | Volleyball
Some people are just born with the natural instinct to lead others. They’re someone other people want to emulate, look up to and go to for advice. Morgan Montgomery, a member of the West Virginia University volleyball team, is a proven leader on the court. With only two years of experience under her belt, Montgomery is more than ready to lead this squad to great heights in her final two seasons as a Mountaineer.
The Centennial, Colorado, native started playing volleyball with her neighbor at the age of 11, and she fell in love with the sport immediately. Montgomery loved it so much that she stopped playing soccer in order to focus on volleyball. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter wanted to sharpen her skills and take her game to the next level. Over the years, she developed the mental focus that was needed to become a Division I student-athlete.
“I knew right then and there that was what I wanted to do,” Montgomery noted. “I played soccer at the time, and I chose to stick with volleyball because my love for volleyball outweighed my love for soccer.”
Montgomery came to West Virginia as a bright-eyed freshman ready to play. However, she had to take a step back early on and learn to play the supporting role for her teammates. In 2014, Montgomery played in just 25 sets in 14 matches and averaged 1.52 kills per set with five total blocks.
“It was definitely a change,” Montgomery noted. “I had to learn how to play the supporting role because I didn’t start right away. It was a challenge to sit back and fight for a spot. The physicality of college sports is so different from high school. Nothing can prepare you for Big 12 play.”
However, Montgomery didn’t realize that playing the supporting role her freshman year helped her succeed in the near future. She soaked in everything that her teammates and coaches had to offer in order to have a standout season her sophomore year. Montgomery also used the offseason to focus on her technique, but the transition between coaches last summer is what helped her in the long run.
“Reed (Sunahara) is more of a technique coach, so I really focused on the fundamentals of the game,” Montgomery explained. “Before I took steps forward, I had to take a lot of steps back, but it helped me grow as a player. I was able to get down to technique. I become more of an aggressive player, and I learned to go for the ball every time. I also had to learn to play the leadership role. I didn’t have that my freshman year.”
And she did just that.
In 2015, she emerged as the team’s top hitter and led West Virginia with 374 kills in 100 sets played. She averaged 3.74 kills per set with 37 total blocks. Though the team’s record may say differently, the girls seem to have gained more than they lost. Next season, Montgomery looks use those positives and lead a team through the tough times.
“I see this team being a top-five team in the Big 12 by my senior year,” Montgomery stated. “We work so hard, and everyone on this team plays with so much effort. We are definitely in transition, but Reed (Sunahara) is going to take this program to a whole new level.”
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