Myia Jeter comes from a family that loves basketball. Both she and her brother, Gordon, who played for Salisbury University, began playing the sport at a young age. But when Jeter started high school, she fell in love with another sport: volleyball.
“Volleyball was just one of those sports I felt I should try because of my height,” says Jeter, who is 5-foot-9. “I ended up really liking it.”
At the beginning of her freshman year at Easton High, Jeter decided to try out for the volleyball team. Not only did she end up liking volleyball, but she ended up being pretty good, too. The 16-year-old earned a spot on the varsity roster.
“Myia is an exceptional athlete,” Easton Volleyball Team Head Coach Jennifer Powell says. “She has been a varsity starter for three years, earned team MVP, achieved first-team All-North Conference twice, and was the 2018 Player of the Year. She’s an asset to any team.”
Now in her junior year, Jeter keeps herself busy with sports. She continues to play volleyball and basketball, and also lacrosse in the spring in summer, which she picked up in middle school. Though Jeter admits that volleyball has become her favorite sport, she also excels in the other two.
On the basketball court, she’s been an offensive and defensive standout for three years, earning defensive MVP and first team All-Conference her sophomore year. She averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game during the 2019 season. She’s also played varsity lacrosse all three years, and competes for the Lady Blue Crabs club team in the summer. She was named the defensive MVP and was first team All-Bayside North her sophomore year.
According to Robert Smith, head coach of both the Easton High School girls’ varsity team and the Lady Blue Crabs club team, Jeter is the most dominant, lock-down defender in the Bayside Conference. “Myia is an elite-level defender who has led the team’s defense since she was a freshman,” he says. “She’s not only a great player, but a truly great person and teammate, and a role model on and off the field.”
Jeter is also an exceptional student. She carries a 4.0 unweighted grade-point average and has taken several advanced placement courses, including biology, language and composition, and government. Jeter admits it isn’t easy balancing athletic and academic responsibilities.
“I have teammates who are going through the same thing, and teachers who will stay late and help me,” Jeter says. “So that really makes it a lot easier than doing it by myself.”
“Myia is an amazing young lady who excels in both the classroom and on the court,” says Matt Griffith, head coach of the girls’ varsity basketball team. “She leads by example, and she has a tremendous work ethic.”
With college right around the corner, Jeter is beginning to think about her next steps, both as a student and an athlete. Topping her list is the University of Florida, which has been her dream school since she was a little kid. If she pursues a sport in college, Jeter says she’ll likely play volleyball; however, she’s still unsure whether or not she wants to be a college athlete. But if she isn’t on the field or the court, she’ll likely be close by. Jeter is planning on studying sports psychology and hopes to help athletes work through mental barriers.
“It’s hard to put into words just what Myia means to our school, teams, and coaches,” Powell says. “She’s a wonderful young lady with a bright future ahead of her, and I am excited to see where it leads her.”
