Myer leaves lasting impact as she steps away from Volleyball
Evan Ponstingle | Staff Writer
While the girls volleyball team has been bumping, setting, and spiking, Head Coach Tiann Myer has been serving up a legacy.
Coach Myer is stepping away from 14 years of coaching the girls volleyball team, with her husband getting a new job at Emory University in Georgia. During her career at Mason, Myer won 268 of 358 games. Under her leadership, the girls volleyball team won the Greater Miami Conference (GMC) championships seven times. In all seven of those seasons, Myer was named the GMC Coach of the Year. This past week, Myer won the award for the fifth straight year.
Myer took over the program in 2006, and continued to build off its previous successes.
“The program was strong when Julee Hill handed it over to me,” Myer said. “She built a reputable program. Recently through the scheduling of Catholic schools and running our spring injury prevention program, I feel the volleyball program is being set up to succeed and compete with the top teams in the state.”
14 years of coaching means 14 years of worth of students, many of whom are into adulthood. Myer’s coaching has left a lasting impact on many girls, and Myer said she has many former players who excelled at Mason.
“Maggie King [2019 graduate] was my first and only athlete to earn District Player of the Year,” Myer said. “I have had several athletes earn All-American Honors and earn All-Ohio honors as well. I’ve been able to coach many great athletes.”
Senior Marilyn Popplewell-Garter has been personally impacted by Coach Myer during her four years. Popplewell-Garter said she has grown into the player she is today thanks to Myer.
“Coach Myer has helped me become a flexible 6 rotation player,” Popplewell-Garter said. “She has helped develop my serve receive and defense, and given me opportunities in almost every position. This has helped me become a better volleyball player overall, and improve my all-around game.”
Myer has utilized her position as coach to grow the players as people through their careers. Myer said that this has been just as important as what happens on the court.
“Watching young girls from as young as 4th grade through seeing them graduate is the reward of a coach,” Myer said. “Not only do we work on volleyball skill, but we work yearly on developing a young woman. My job is not just after school during the fall, I feel I have a daily job to make sure these young athletes know my door is open for whatever and whenever they need it.”
Despite the new opportunities for her husband at the Emory Sports Performance and Research Center, Myer said she will always hold Mason volleyball close to her heart.
“I will miss the relationship with the girls,” Myer said. “The daily interactions and watching each person bring their own personalities to the team. I will miss my coaching staff; their knowledge and love for the game is deep and even more important is their love for the girls. The goal is always to produce a well-rounded young lady who will leave our program with the tools for success in adulthood.”
Photo from Mason Athletic Department