Megan Hodge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Megan Hodge
Personal information
Born	(1988-10-15) October 15, 1988 (age 36) Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Spike	320 cm (126 in)
Block	297 cm (117 in)
College(s)	Pennsylvania State University
Volleyball information
Position	Outside hitter
Current club	Minas Tênis Clube
Number	11 (national team)
Career
Years Teams 2006–2009 2010 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–2014 2015–2016 2016–2017 2020– Penn State University Criollas de Caguas MC-Carnaghi Villa Cortese Atom Trefl Sopot Azerrail Baku Guangdong Evergrande Imoco Volley Conegliano Henan Minas Tênis Clube
National team
2009–2015  USA
Medal record Women's volleyball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Silver 2012 London Team FIVB World Cup Silver 2011 Japan Team Bronze 2015 Japan Team FIVB World Grand Prix Gold 2010 Ningbo Team Gold 2011 Macau Team Gold 2012 Ningbo Team Gold 2015 Omaha Team Pan American Cup Gold 2013 Lima Team Bronze 2010 Rosarito & Tijuana Team Bronze 2011 Ciudad Juárez Team

Megan Hodge Easy (born October 15, 1988) is an American indoor volleyball player. She won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics with the US team. Megan also played for Pennsylvania State University's volleyball team.

After college, she played professionally in many countries. These included Puerto Rico, Italy, Poland, Azerbaijan, China, and Brazil. In 2023, Hodge returned to Penn State Volleyball as an assistant coach. In 2024, she helped the team win its eighth national title in the NCAA women's volleyball championship.

Early Life and Family Background

Megan Hodge was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. When she was three years old, in 1992, her family moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They moved for educational reasons related to UNC. Later, in 1999, they moved to Durham, North Carolina.

Both of her parents, Michael and Carmen, were volleyball players. They were part of the U.S. Virgin Islands national volleyball team. Her mother played at George Washington University. Her father played at the University of the Virgin Islands.

High School Volleyball Star

Megan started playing volleyball when she was 12. She quickly became very passionate about the sport. She went to Riverside High School. There, she was one of the best young players in the country.

During her four years, she achieved amazing stats. She had 1,596 kills, 319 blocks, and 647 digs. She also had 286 aces and 130 assists. Many considered Megan the best girls' volleyball player in North Carolina history.

She was chosen for the Pac-6 all-conference team four times. She was also named Pac-6 Player of the Year twice. In 2006, everyone agreed she deserved the award. Megan played for the USA Youth and Junior National Teams. She was named Most Valuable Player and "Best Attacker" at the 2004 NORCECA Championships.

Megan played club volleyball for the "Triangle Volleyball Club" in North Carolina. She was named MVP at the North Carolina Regional Championships multiple times. This included 2004 (18's Gold), 2005 (17's Platinum), and 2006 (18's Platinum). She was the first player from the Carolina region to make the all-Tournament team at the USA Junior Olympic Girls' Volleyball Championships.

After being named North Carolina Volleyball Gatorade Player of the Year twice, she won a big award. She was the 2006 Gatorade National Player of the Year for volleyball. Megan was the top high school recruit for 2006. She received over 150 scholarship offers from top universities. These included Stanford, USC, and Washington. She joined two other top recruits to make Penn State's 2006 recruiting class number one.

College Career at Penn State

Megan Hodge is a tall player, standing 6-foot-3-inch (1.91 m). She can jump high enough to touch 10 feet 8 inches (3.25 m).

Key Achievements at Penn State

Megan had many great moments at Penn State. She scored the winning point in the 2007 NCAA championship against Stanford. She also scored the winning point in the 2009 championship against Texas. As a freshman, she was named Big Ten Player of the Year. She was the first freshman ever to do this.

Megan was named a First Team All-American four times. She also won the NCAA national championship Most Outstanding Player award in both 2007 and 2008.

Freshman Year (2006) Success

In her first year, Megan led the Big Ten in points and kills per game. She was also second on her team in service aces and digs. Her 551 kills were the most for Penn State in the rally-scoring era. She was one of only seven Penn State players to get over 500 kills in a single season.

She set a career high with 27 kills in a comeback win against Texas. She also tied a school record with 25 kills in a three-game match against Northwestern. Megan had 20 digs against Michigan. She achieved 11 "double-double" matches (double digits in two stats) that year.

Megan made Big Ten history by becoming the first freshman to be named Player of the Year. She was also the first Big Ten volleyball player to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year and AVCA National Freshman of the Year in a row. She was named a First Team All-American as a true freshman.

Sophomore Year (2007) and First NCAA Title

In 2007, Megan had 561 kills and played in every game. She was tied for second in service aces and had 310 digs. She was very good at receiving serves, with only 33 errors in 833 attempts. She led the team in total points. She helped Penn State win the Big Ten title with a perfect 20–0 record.

In the 2007 NCAA Tournament, she led Penn State to the final four. This was their first time since winning in 1999. In the championship game against Stanford, she had 26 kills. She also had a key serving streak in the final game. Her performance earned her the NCAA championship Most Outstanding Player award. She was also named a First Team All-American for the second year.

Junior Year (2008) and Second NCAA Title

As a junior, Megan led a team with six All-Americans. She had 470 kills and a high hitting percentage. She led the team in kills 21 times. By the end of 2008, she was fifth all-time on Penn State's career kill list. She was also named an ESPN The Magazine First Team All-American.

In Big Ten games, she was named a First Team All-Big Ten selection for the third year. Penn State had a perfect 20–0 record in the Big Ten and did not lose a single set.

In the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Megan was named the NCAA University Park Regional Most Outstanding Player. She had 23 kills against Nebraska in the semifinals. The next night, she was named an AVCA First Team All-American for the third year.

In the National Title match against Stanford, Megan had 16 kills and 14 digs. She helped the Lions win their second straight NCAA championship, finishing an undefeated year. She was named the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row. She was only the third player in NCAA Tournament history to win this award twice.

Senior Year (2009) and Third NCAA Title

In her senior year, Megan's 560 kills helped Penn State win another NCAA championship. She was named a First Team All-American for the fourth time.

Megan was also named Big Ten Player of the Year for the second time.

In the National Title match against Texas, Penn State was down two sets. But with Megan's leadership, they came back to win. Megan had 21 kills in the five-set match, including the final point.

In 2010, she won the Honda Sports Award as the nation's top female college volleyball player. She also shared the Honda-Broderick Cup, given to the nation's top female college athlete.

Professional Career and National Team

After college, Megan played volleyball professionally around the world. In November 2010, she joined Carnaghi Villa Cortese, a team in Italy.

She played at the 2013 Club World Championship with Guangdong Evergrande. Her team won the bronze medal.

International Success (2012-2013)

Megan competed for Team USA in the 2012 Grand Prix. She won a gold medal and was named MVP and Best Scorer. Later, she won a silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

In the Pan-American Cup, Megan won the Best Spiker award and a gold medal.

Awards and Honors

Megan Hodge has received many awards throughout her career.

College Awards

• Four-time First Team AVCA All-American (2006–09)
• Four-time unanimous First Team All-Big Ten (2006–09)
• 2010 Honda-Broderick Cup
• 2010 Honda Sports Award winner in Volleyball
• 2009 Big Ten Player of the Year
• 2009 Academic All-American of the Year
• 2008 NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player
• 2007 NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player
• 2006 AVCA National Freshman of the Year
• 2006 Big Ten Player of the Year
• 2006 Big Ten Freshman of the Year

High School Awards

• Four-time Pac-6 All-Conference (2003–06)
• Two-time North Carolina Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year (2005–06)
• Two-time Pac-6 Player of the Year (2005–06)
• 2006 Gatorade National Player of the Year
• 2006 Volleyball Magazine National High School Player of the Year
• 2004 NORCECA Championships Most Valuable Player
• 2004 NORCECA Championships "Best Attacker"

National Team Awards

• 2012 FIVB World Grand Prix MVP, Best Scorer
• 2013 Pan-American Cup "Best Spiker"

See also

• Penn State Nittany Lions women's volleyball
• List of Pennsylvania State University Olympians