PARKERSBURG -Parkersburg High School senior Megan Morrison had three priorities when choosing what college she would attend.
She wanted a school where she could continue playing her favorite sport, volleyball. A place where she could earn a degree in elementary education so she eventually could become a teacher and a coach. And she wanted to stay as close to her home in Parkersburg as possible.
Stealing a basketball term, Morrison hit a trey with her choice of Ohio Valley University, with whom she signed during a Monday night ceremony before family, friends and teammates at Memorial Fieldhouse.
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Megan Morrison
Joining the OVU volleyball program headed by Paul Jacoby will allow her to accomplish all of her goals.
Accomplishing goals is nothing new for Morrison. Just ask the two coaches for who she has played during her career at Parkersburg High School.
"Megan represents the epitome of a student-athlete,'' said girls basketball coach Kenny DeMoss. "She is a leader, a good student and comes from a great family. She's self-motivated. OVU is getting a great addition to their athletic program.''
When Morrison told PHS volleyball coach Carl Harnish she was interested in playing college volleyball, the first person he contacted was Jacoby.
"Megan is such an all-around player,'' Harnish said. "And she's a fierce competitor. She won the Gatorade Will To Win Award.''
Morrison will leave PHS with four years of both volleyball and basketball on her resume, including two years as a basketball captain and one year as a leader of the volleyball team.
"PHS volleyball has given me so many memories,'' said Morrison, the daughter of Ed and Missy Morrison. "I have learned so much about the fundamentals. Coach Harnish has been such a big influence. He has been there for me all the time.''
Morrison paid a recent visit to OVU and came away quite impressed.
"I was really excited,'' she said. "Their players made me feel welcome.''
Morrison knows there is be a big difference between playing high school volleyball and participating in that sport at the Division II level in college.
But she believes she is up to that challenge.
OVU likely will use her at the libero position her first season, but she's such an all-around player there isn't any position she can't play.
Morrison is used to being successful. The Big Reds won the Mountain State Athletic Conference title three of the four seasons she participated in volleyball. They made it to the state tournament each year, finishing as the runners-up twice.
Before she leaves PHS, she has one more season with the basketball team. A season for which Morrison has set a lofty goal. She wants to be part of the team that gets PHS back to the state tournament for the first time since 1997.
Given Morrison's track record for accomplishing what she sets out to do, don't be surprised to see the Big Reds in Charleston come March.
