sports | feature
College in
Canada Despite being undersized by volleyball standards, East senior Wes Meyer has a scrappy style of play which led him to the next level—and a different country. story jenn shafer l photos eric muenchen
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lipboard in hand, the coach peruses the hardwood. Attending the tournament with his own club organization, he was not expecting to recruit for his college team until he saw number six playing on another court. Afterwards, the coach approached him. “How do you feel about playing volleyball in Canada?” he asked. Not many high school seniors would consider leaving the country for college. Another culture, different currency and a new system of government can be intimidating. But at the first club volleyball tournament of the year, East senior Wesley Meyer caught the eye of new University of Windsor head volleyball coach Shawn Lippert, who was immediately impressed. “He just happened to see Wesley play and he asked our club director, ‘Who’s that kid? Who’s number six?’” recalls Wes’ dad, Jeff Meyer. “He saw talent; he wasn’t wrapped up in height because Wesley’s not the tallest volleyball player. But he saw his jumping ability and his athleticism, and that is [the kind of player] he likes at [University of Windor.]” Lippert saw a drive in Wes that made him unforgettable. “He is that guy who is intense, and it becomes infectious,” says Lippert. “I want to bring that intensity to the team.” Four years ago, Wes took the road less traveled and tapped into his volleyball skills, abandoning mainstream sports he had played for years. “I was playing basketball and football, and by the time I got to high school, I was kind of burned out. I wanted to try something else,” says Wes. “I dropped basketball and football, and started playing volleyball. I don’t know what made me start, but I realized I was good.” His determination in the sport started with an experience at a Ball
60 | Spark | April 15, 2011
East senior Wesley Meyer has been recruited to play volleyball above the border.
State University volleyball camp, where he initially found himself out of his league. Thinking it was a beginners’ camp, his parents signed him up only to realize they had put him in the world of competitive volleyball. “We went to drop him off and we saw these kids out there hitting and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, he is going to get crushed; he’s just going to quit.’ A lot of kids would [have],” says Jeff. “But to Wes, that just gave him a drive that, ‘I can be good at this sport, I want to be good at this sport, and I know I have to work to get better.’ That’s what his club coaches and club directors have said—that they have never seen a kid work so hard to improve.” In the fall of his freshman year, Wes started his volleyball career at Cincinnati Attack Volleyball Club. By the spring, Wes was playing on the East varsity boys’ volleyball team and now helps to lead the team. “He is the most experienced player we have,” says East varsity boys’ volleyball coach Faber Fields. “He has a lot of talent and leadership.” Wes has talent, but it was his work ethic that made him a successful volleyball player. Standing at 6 feet and 2 inches, Wes is still considered fairly short for volleyball. Nevertheless, Wes played middle for three years and considers “getting the block,” with his 42-inch vertical jump, the best thing about volleyball. His strong versatility helps him lead by example and influences his team positively. “I think he has become more of a leader,” says Jeff. “The respect he earned as an athlete and his accomplishments have provided him with a little more confidence. In basketball, he was shorter [as well], so he had to prove himself. He brought that same attitude to volleyball.” The scrappy attitude Wes brought to volleyball has enabled him to