Maryland Volleyball took on Michigan State on Friday night for the Dig Pink game at home. The Big Ten rivals teamed up to take on conquering a similar opponent: breast cancer. Athletes for Maryland and Michigan State both rocked pink bows and headbands. The Terps added pink socks and shoelaces to their white uniforms to raise awareness for stage 4 breast cancer and honor loved ones that lost their battle with the disease.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and fans packed the bleachers waving pink pom-poms, decked out in pink gear from head-to-toe to support Maryland Volleyball’s annual event. Maryland took their tribute the extra mile by adding Dig Pink logo official stand pole pads.
Michigan State took the first two sets of the match 25-16 and 25-20, respectively. Then, Maryland’s surge at the end of the third set required the two teams meet the in a fourth set after a hard-fought 25-22 victory.
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Redshirt-freshman Katie Myers helped carry momentum into the fourth set. The middle blocker contributed to the teams overall .405 hitting average which would result in another Maryland “W” to force a fifth-and-final set, according to Maryland Athletics.
Michigan State would earn the glory this time. They were able to outscore Maryland 15-11 in the final set. Meyers and the Terps closed in on the Spartans but were unable to defend MSU’s final two points ending the game 15-11.
In the end, Maryland Volleyball raised 115% of their intended goal for the Dig Pink initiative, according to the official fundraising website. A direct donation of $575.01 will be made to the Side-Out Foundation to study and research the most advanced form of breast cancer.
Team captain Katie Myers does not feel the sting of the loss as bad when taking into account what Friday night’s game really meant to the team and those affected by breast cancer. She says the whole team knows they are playing for something bigger than themselves.
The 6’2” Ohio native is no stranger to having to fight, either. Myers is a redshirt-freshman for the second year after the NCAA granted her a sixth-year of eligibility. During her fall 2016 campaign, she suffered an ACL injury that ended her true-freshman and redshirt-freshman seasons.
Number 23 is back and ready to prove how her enduring struggle has transformed her into the player she is today. Katie currently ranks #1 in the Big Ten and 10th in the NCAA for Service Aces per set and this is only the beginning of her four-year journey.
In the midst of her comeback season, Myers is leading on and off the court. She encourages teammates to keep moving forward to win or lose, learn from your mistakes and constantly strive for new opportunities.
“I try to let my teammates know that every day is a new opportunity to get better and keep chasing greatness,” says Myers.
We see their dedication to their sport, what we do not see their considerable commitment in the classroom. They are students before they are athletes. In Katie’s case that is a combination of class, practice, homework, rehab, tutors, traveling and playing. Does the girl ever get any time to breathe?
The answer: surprisingly, yes. Katie says a key to keeping her grades up and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is allowing time for relaxation.
Keep an eye out and expect to hear big things out of Katie Myers and Terps Volleyball throughout the rest of their 2018 season!
If you would like to contribute further to the team’s efforts to find a cure for the least funded area of research, visit https://giving.side-out.org/campaigns/14500#/