David Ryan Vander Meer
Jersey number - 1
Position - Libero
Year - Senior
Hometown - Grand Rapids, Mich.
High school - Home schooled
Major - Public relations
Experience - 3 letters
Raised by a volleyball family, David Ryan Vander Meer was introduced to the game and found his passion playing in the sands of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Vander Meer had a dream of playing professionally, and participated in many sand volleyball tournaments before beginning an on-court career as well.
He later attended several Ball State volleyball camps as an offensive player and attracted the attention of head coach Joel Walton.
"The proximity of our school to Michigan made us one of the easiest places for him to come for camps," Walton said. "Even though he came to our camps as a 5-foot-9 middle attacker, it wasn't the position we saw him playing when he came to our team."
As a former national team player, Vander Meer gained valuable experience by playing for Team USA where he was a member of the youngest squad to advance to the final four. He was a member of the 16U USA Juniors team, the USA National 19U team and represented the United States at the FIVB Youth World Championships in Portugal.
The experience paid off as Vander Meer saw significant action in his first two years at Ball State.
But to become a starter for the Cardinals, Vander Meer was needed on the defensive side of the net, a move he wasn't sure about in the beginning.
"I was an outside hitter for those two years, so the libero position wasn't something I had my eyes set on," Vander Meer said. "But when coach says he needs you in this position and gives you an opportunity to play, I'd play."
His previous skills as a sand volleyball player made him a viable option for the defensive position, and Walton felt confident in his ability to step up to the challenge of a new position during his junior year.
Despite a tough transition, Vander Meer flourished in his new position.
Vander Meer stepped up in 2014, earning a First Team All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association honor and two MIVA Defensive Player of the Week awards.
He also finished his junior season eighth in school history with 308 digs in a season, set a record for most digs in a four-set match with 23 and finished with 16 double-digit dig matches and a 2.77 digs per set average.
"Some of the mentalities of playing in the sand as an all-around player is different," Walton said. "Indoor he doesn't get to attack, and he has that aggressive mentality, when sometimes he needs to sit back and let the ball come to him."
While he will be concluding his career at Ball State after this season, Vander Meer looks forward to his life after college to see what he can accomplish.
He continues to have high goals and work every day to reach his childhood dream.
"You get older and things change, but dreams don't change," Vander Meer said. "My dream has always been to be a professional beach volleyball player and reach the Olympics."
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