If there’s one thing that 18-year-old Mackenzie Meehan will miss from high school, it’ll be the “Wildcat pride.” Throughout her volleyball career at Arundel, the cheering from her peers and teachers and the support she felt while on the court was one of her favorite things about playing. Meehan is hoping to find that same energy when she competes for Radford University this fall.
Meehan, a Crofton resident, played softball for eight years before she grew tired of the sport. She tried gymnastics but was told she was too tall. After briefly playing AAU basketball, which Meehan found unenjoyable, her mom suggested she try volleyball. Once she did, she “couldn’t get away from it.”
Meehan began playing volleyball in eighth grade and realized she had an affinity for the sport. Although she hadn’t been playing for long, she quickly became a standout player and made varsity her freshman year. In eighth and ninth grade, Meehan competed for South River Volleyball Club as a middle blocker. Her sophomore year, she switched to the elite D.C.-based travel team Metro Volleyball Club, and has competed in high-level tournaments all around the country. Her club career ended in late April with nationals in Dallas.
During her four years at Arundel, 6-foot-1 Meehan helped the Wildcats to two county championships (2017, 2018) and a trip to the state final in 2017, where they lost in a hard-fought battle against Northwest High. Her senior season, Meehan led the team all the way to the 4A East regional final.
“Mackenzie is one of the most cheerful and positive players I’ve ever coached,” says Arundel Girls’ Volleyball Head Coach Ashley Yuscavage. “She brought so much energy and enthusiasm to her role as a leader on the team. Her senior year, we had her play an entirely new position, and she quickly adapted and made it her own because that is what the team needed her to do.”
Meehan earned a Washington Post All-Metro honorable mention her junior year, was named to the All-County team her junior and senior year, and made The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro first team her senior year. She finished her career with a school-record 574 kills.
“It’s just very surreal to me because I would [have never thought I’d get] all that recognition,” Meehan says. She says a big part of her motivation for her senior season was proving doubters wrong. “A lot of people [told] us that we [were not] going to be good since we lost a really big chunk of our team from the year before, so everyone was like, ‘Oh, who’s Arundel?’ I think that was the biggest thing.”
Meehan also excelled as a student. She carried a grade-point average of 3.63, was on the Athletic Leadership Council for two years, and was a founding leader of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Meehan also received Teacher of the Year three consecutive times from The Little Wildcat Preschool at Arundel. The preschool is part of the child development curriculum, and provides high school students interested in working with children hands-on teaching and childcare experience. She plans to study elementary education at Radford, and hopes to become a kindergarten teacher.
“I have a connection with kids and I just love kids,” she says with a smile. “I love being around them. I love teaching them.”
Meehan reported to Radford at the end of June for her summer season, which consists of team-led practices and working with the athletic trainer on cardio and weight training. Although she was being recruited by top NCAA Division I schools, such as Wake Forest and Boston College, Meehan chose Radford for its successful volleyball and elementary education programs, as well as the team camaraderie.
“Mack has an infectious personality that is hard to miss, and was one of the first things that caught my attention about her,” Radford University Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Marci Byers says. “On top of that, you could always tell she loved the game and loved her teammates. Whether she was playing or cheering from the bench, you got the same kid, and that can be rare sometimes. She will have an amazing opportunity here at Radford because we lost a senior middle that started for four years. I know she will work tirelessly to be great and to make her teammates around her better. Above all, she is a great person that has values and, as a coach, you are always looking to find quality people.”
