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University of North Carolina Athletics
Meghan Neelon Finds Her Place at Carolina
November 23, 2021 | Volleyball
CHAPLEL HILL - It may be her first season with the Carolina volleyball team, but Meghan Neelon's connection with Chapel Hill was formed even before she was born.
Carolina head volleyball coach Joe Sagula coached Meghan's mom, Kathy, during the summers in New York in the 1980s.
Then, years later, Sagula acted as a mentor for Meghan as she was going through the college volleyball recruiting process.
Kathy, who played for the University of Southern California's volleyball team from 1987-1990, coached Meghan throughout her life, including at Clarence High School in her hometown of Buffalo.
The mother-daughter duo spent hours in the gym together, training and practicing Meghan's transition from an outside hitter to a setter and making decisions about her college volleyball career.
"I was between committing to Duke or Alabama at the time," she said. "I ended up taking coach Sagula's advice and went to Alabama."
Neelon played in Tuscaloosa for four years, totaling over 2,200 assists. She graduated in spring 2021 with a degree in communication studies.
Like many student-athletes across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted her senior season with the Crimson Tide.
"We didn't really have a 'real' season," Meghan said. "I didn't want to end my career like that."
When the NCAA granted every student-athlete an extra year of eligibility, Meghan decided to take advantage and entered the NCAA transfer portal. Days before her graduation from Alabama, she committed to North Carolina.
"The transfer portal was crazy last year because a lot of coaches didn't know the situations with their teams," she said. "Transferring was very stressful."
She spent her days contacting programs around the country, waiting for them to figure out what positional needs their teams had.
"I wanted to go somewhere where the coach-athlete relationship was strong," Meghan said.
"My mom trusted Joe. She told me if I was going to play my fifth year, I should play for him. Carolina had everything I was looking for. It ended up being the right fit."
Meghan contacted Carolina shortly after talking to her mom and was told that they were interested.
"And then the opportunity was there," she said, "And I went for it."
From the moment she got to Chapel Hill, she felt like she found her place.
"Everyone was so welcoming from the beginning," she said. "I already felt like I was in a family when I got here."
And the coaching staff agreed.
"Meghan arrived with a great volleyball IQ and a is a gritty competitor," head coach Joe Sagula said.
"She has inspired her teammates with her work-ethic and vision for high-level play. What I admire is that at the beginning, she simply worked hard and quietly became a good role model with her effort and go-for-it mentality."
Living with teammate and fellow graduate transfer Nia Parker-Robinson, who came from Northwestern, helped make her transition easier.
"We knew each other through mutual friends. Beforehand, I was asking them what she was like and what to expect. Everyone said we are going to love each other. They were right," Parker Robinson said.
"We hold each other accountable and expect a lot out of each other because of the respect we have for one another."
They are both part of a special North Carolina team that includes four graduate transfers. They have come together to help the Tar Heels to its most successful season since 2016.
"This team gets so excited about each other's successes and our own individual successes," Meghan said."
Carolina has just one regular season match left, on Friday at Duke, before waiting to see if the team has made the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament.
Meghan, the only player to appear in all of Carolina's 101 sets this season, currently leads the team in assists, totaling 861 on the season, to go along with 234 digs, 21 service aces, 33 kills and 23 blocks. She currently ranks No. 6 in ACC play with 9.69 assists per set.
"I've never been happier than playing here. I love this team; it's the best team I've ever been on," Meghan said.
"This is the best way I could have ended my college career."
