Senior Liam Meyer has always brought energy to the volleyball court, from cracking jokes during games to encouraging his teammates. Next fall, he’ll bring that energy to the Midwest — this December, Liam committed to play Division III volleyball at North Central College (NCC) in Naperville, Illinois.
“I’m really proud of him,” senior teammate Reid Taylor said. “He’s one of the most committed people on the team.”
Though he now leads the Los Altos High School varsity team in his attacks, Liam wasn’t always the best on the court. In fact, in middle school, he didn’t even make the team after his dad encouraged him to try out. Despite being cut, Liam immediately realized he enjoyed the sport and joined a travel team before his freshman year. There, the learning curve began.
“I was unanimously voted the worst player on the team in a group survey,” Liam said. “It was a hit to my self-esteem, but it also motivated me to keep improving.”
And that it did. Since then, Liam improved both his vertical jump and his speed, transforming him into one of the most consistent — and eventually, important — players on the team.
“As a freshman, I immediately noticed he was very tall,” head coach Peter Kim said. “I knew right away I wanted him on varsity.”
That decision paid off. His freshman year, Liam had a kill percentage of 43.7, continuing to improve as a sophomore. Last spring, Liam was awarded MVP for helping lead his team through a successful season.
“He’s extremely focused both on and off the court,” Reid said. “As a team captain, he’s always rallying everyone and gets them to focus.”
As a leader both on and off the scoreboard, Liam’s leadership style is simple: trust the process, which he practices in his own life. Before every point, he takes a deep breath, a habit he’s had since freshman year that helps manage performance anxiety. As far as superstitions, Liam always ties his left shoe before his right and high-fives his teammate’s left hand first.
“It’s really important to me that I get in a good mindset,” Liam said. “It helps relieve that anxiety that you get during the first set.”
And those strategies helped set him up for success, especially in the recruitment process. After looking at colleges ,Liam settled on NCC. Liam said he chose the school for both academic and athletic strengths.
Upon committing to the school, Liam was caught by another surprise — a scholarship.
“The admissions department told me I’d gotten accepted and a scholarship in the same sentence,” Liam said. “I was speechless because I never would have expected those two things to be said to me.”
Looking towards his college volleyball career, Liam reflects on the memories that the team has created as a whole.
“I’ll miss my high school teammates a lot,” Liam said. “We all respect each other and play as a great team.”
Liam’s impact on the volleyball program goes beyond his plays on the court, and will be remembered even after he leaves.
“He’ll be remembered as a very solid player, a good teammate and a great friend,” Kim said.
