Russ Rose Then (2009: “Megan has had a storied career at Penn State. I’d expect her last year to be her most important. Her strengths are her physical talents and her ability to dominate a match and she’ll be given the opportunity to take those swings in critical situations. I’d like to judge her last year on her leadership skills and how she’s taken this team under her wing.”
Russ Rose Now (2025): “Megan was the number one recruit in the country her senior year in high school. She was the daughter of a player/coach, as for many, many years her father ran and continues to lead high school and club volleyball teams. She took her time making her college decision and signed her letter of intent after the signing date. I waited because she was more than worth the wait. I knew her mother from when her mother played at George Washington, so I think there was a comfort level that was established. Megan is another player who you can write a whole page about all the great accolades she had as a National Player of the Year and MVP of the Final Four, four-time First Team All American, Olympian, played in a number of countries as a professional player, and has returned to Penn State in a coaching role. Megan is quiet in many areas, but she is incredibly bright. She has three children and is sharing her expertise as a coach. She had some incredible matches, collegiately and professionally, and really represented everything about Penn State in a great fashion.”
2009 Season (Senior) (courtesy of Wikipedia): 2009 National Champion … “Her senior year, Hodge’s 560 kills helped to once again lead the Penn State Nittany Lions to an NCAA championship. She was named a First Team All-American for the fourth time in a row. . . . Hodge was also named Big Ten Player of the Year for the second time. . . . In the National Title match against Texas, the Nittany Lions went down two sets to none but under Hodge’s leadership, Penn State was able to come back and win it. Hodge tallied 21 kills in the five-set match, one of which came on the final point of the match. Following the 2009 season, Hodge won the Honda Sports Award as the nation’s top female collegiate volleyball player, and went on to be one of the co-winners of the Honda-Broderick Cup, awarded to the nation’s top female collegiate athlete.
Before Penn State: Four-year volleyball starter at Riverside High School in Durham, N.C. … 2006 Gatorade National High School Volleyball Player of the Year … one of five finalists for the 2006 Gatorade National Female Athlete of the Year … two-time North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year (2005 & 2006) … named the National High School Player of the Year by Volleyball Magazine … 2005-06 PrepVolleyball.com High School All-American and Top Senior Ace … first team Mizuno Volleyball High School All-American in 2006 … voted the 2006 National High School Senior Athlete of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association … member of the 2006 USA Junior National Team and the 2004 and 2005 USA Youth National teams … voted the Most Valuable Player and ‘Best Attacker’ at the 2004 NORCECA Championships in Cataño, Puerto Rico … competed with the USA Youth National Team at the Youth World Championships in Macau, China in 2005 … earned the prestigious Paul Williamson Award as the Pac 6 Athlete of the Year … named the North Carolina High School Female Athlete of the Year by the News and Observer … helped Riverside High School to a 74-14 scholastic record … posted career totals of 1,596 kills, 319 blocks, 647 digs, 286 aces and 130 assists … as a member of the Triangle 18’s club team, was selected as an All-American as the 2006 AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando, Fla. … selected as the Most Valuable Player of the North Carolina Regional Championships for the 18’s Gold age division … the first player from the Carolina Region to be named All-Tournament at the USA Junior Olympic Girls Volleyball Championships … three-time USA Volleyball Carolina Region MVP … four-time Pac 6 all-conference selection … two-time Pac 6 conference Player of the Year … led Riverside to the state playoff semifinals in 2002 and 2004 and the state quarterfinals in 2003 … from 1996-2002, was a member of the Bouncing Bulldogs Jump Rope Demonstration team and was a silver medalist in the 12-14 age division at the World Championship in Ghent, Belgium, as a member of the USA Jump Rope Team … ranked 53 in her class of 493 at Riverside, holding a 4.5 grade point average … member of the Riverside Student Council … acted as a peer mentor for students with special needs.