58FALL ATHLETICS Fear On The Court A pre-match tradition continues on the volleyball court. HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH Meredith Fear was successful in leading the volleyball team to the Division II Final Four in 2020. She was also a mentor to the players, according to junior Emma Winiger. “Coach Fear truly cares for our wellbeing,” Winiger said. “I have never had a coach that deeply cares for her players off the court.” Junior player Ally Stoner agreed. “Coach Fear encourages us to be our best in the classroom and on the court,” Stoner said. Fear’s accomplishments both on and off the court were impressive, yet Fear had another talent. Before the Bisons played at home games, Fear took the floor to sing the national anthem. “I started singing the anthem before games in seventh grade,” Fear said. “After that, it just sort of stuck, and I continued it all the way throughout college.” Fear was grateful for the chance to sing the anthem before games because singing was always something she loved to do. “I’ve been singing all my life,” Fear said. “I sang a lot in church and was in choir until my sophomore year of high school.” For the players, Fear’s singing ability was just one more amazing thing about their coach. They all said they loved Fear from the moment she first recruited them. “Coach Fear was able to answer all of my questions and show me how beautiful Harding is, as well as the lifelong friendships you can make there,” Winiger said. However, Fear’s musical talent was unkown to the players until their first game. “It’s fun when the freshmen hear it for the first time; I think they are a bit surprised,” Fear said. “It typically doesn’t come up in the recruiting process.” Winiger was surprised the first time Fear took the microphone. “Honestly, I saw her take the mic and thought, ‘Uh oh,’” Winiger said. “It’s actually so nice when she sings. In my opinion, it’s definitely a lot better to listen to her sing than to listen to some recording.” The anthem singing experience was something Fear was grateful for, and it was not a privilege she took for granted. It was also one she was willing to continue. “I will keep singing the anthem as long as I can,” Fear said. “We have arranged other live performances to sing or play before our games in previous years. But, if no one else is there, I’ll never turn down a microphone.” WRITTEN BY CARTER THWEATT
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