Daily Mining Gazette: Tech adds natural-born leader in Utlak
By Daver Karnosky – Daily Mining Gazette
dkarnosky@mininggazette.com
Editor's Note: This feature originally appeared in the August 4 edition of the Daily Mining Gazette.
HOUGHTON, Mich. — In the sport of volleyball, hitters get most of the glory on a given play as they are the ones who typically come up with the key block or deliver the heavy swing that knocks a ball into the back row, out of reach of all the defenders.
But how do they get the ball in the first place?
Often times, they are passed to by a setter, whose job it is to literally "set up" the big hits.
And how does a setter get a ball to pass? They often take a pass from a defensive specialist.
Incoming Michigan Tech freshman Megan Utlak is a defensive specialist, and while she will never score the kinds of points like Mariah Sherman, or a make key blocks similar to Lauren Emmert, Utlak will affect things in the Michigan Tech offense from the back row in important ways.
She fully embraces her role.
"If I am doing my job [to] the best [of my ability], that usually means my teammates are scoring," said Utlak. "Their job is that much easier. During the game, I probably get more excited and happiness when my teammates are scoring. That is awesome for me."
The Parma, Ohio, native grew up just outside of Cleveland and comes from The Academy Volleyball of Cleveland, where she was a key defender throughout her four years of high school.
While she has developed into a strong defender, there is another skill that she developed during her time with The Academy and with her high school team, the Parma Panthers: her ability to lead.
"Developing my character was really big for me," said Utlak. "I really tried to help out the younger girls. It was tough, but it built me mentally."
Utlak, who was chosen as a team captain with the Panthers starting her sophomore year, likes to the be the center of attention on the court. With that challenge comes the responsibility of making sure her teammates are fully supported, and that is where Utlak shines.