Skyridge head coach Deanna Meyer has been coaching volleyball for a long time. Her coaching and teaching career began at Westlake Junior High in Salt Lake County and now, three decades later, she has led her school to its first state title — in any sport.
Her head coaching volleyball career spans 23 seasons at three different high schools. She was head volleyball coach at Granger in the late 1990s and led the Lancers to a region title. One of her star players was Shara Parker (Park), who currently works for KSL TV as a reporter and news anchor and was also an assistant coach for Meyer at Lone Peak. Park even mentioned Meyer was her coach and that she assisted at Lone Peak during the sports broadcast Saturday after each school won their respective state championships.
“They were some of my fondest years because those kids appreciated everything you did for them. There wasn’t a lot of money to do club, so you had to donate a lot of time,” related Meyer.
But in the year 2000, Meyer felt it was time to leave Granger and go to a relatively new school (at the time) in Lone Peak. Most now recognize the Knights as the dominant, large-school program in volleyball of the last two decades, but when Meyer arrived on the scene, they were anything but a volleyball juggernaut. The program had gone through several coaches and only won a handful of games.
As with Skyridge, it took Meyer three years to lead her team to the state title. Meyer won five state titles at Lone Peak with four runner-up finishes. In nine straight seasons, Meyer led the Knights to nothing short of the semifinals and plenty of hardware.
Comparing the Lone Peak and Skyridge experiences, Meyer said it was actually harder to get the program going at Lone Peak.
“It was difficult going in because I was the fourth coach, and I inherited a lot of baggage,” said Meyer. “They had so many coaches and coaching styles. It was hard to get them on the same page and get them to buy in. They were talented for sure and great athletes for sure,” Meyer said.
Ashlan Rogers (Court) played for Meyer at Lone Peak and was named Ms. Volleyball (the state’s best all-around volleyball player in 2010). For Court, Meyer was an instrumental figure in her life.
“Having Meyer as my coach throughout high school was the greatest blessing. She believed in me, mentored me, coached me, and was like my second mom,” Court said.
Paige Palmer (Hiatt) also played for Meyer. Hiatt was an assistant coach for Meyer at Lone Peak and now is an assistant volleyball coach at Frostburg State College in Maryland.
“Deanna (Meyer) is a very selfless coach, always putting her team and coaching staff first,” related Hiatt. “She is more than dedicated to her program, and it shows by her success. Her passion for the game is undeniable, and her love for not only coaching but mentoring the student athletes and coaches that surround her has changed so many lives.”
Another of her top players at Lone Peak was Anna Burgess, who served as an assistant coach this year at Skyridge.
Even with the successes at Lone Peak, Meyer felt it was time for a change and some new challenges.
“The uniqueness at being at Skyridge, and why I wanted to go there, was because it was a clean slate,” Meyer added. “We weren’t just talking about building a volleyball program but we’re talking about building a culture with an athletic department, and building a culture in an entire school. You [as a teacher and coach] got to be on the ground level and give input what you envisioned Skyridge becoming.”
Meyer is very content and also excited for the upcoming years in Skyridge.
It is likely, with the new upcoming realignment, that Skyridge is heading to 6A and will be put into Region 4, the league that has dominated the Beehive State in volleyball for nearly two decades. This region features powerhouses like Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove, while American Fork, Bingham and Westlake sport solid programs as well.
But while Meyer graduates five seniors who played essential roles to the program’s success, one sophomore, Annie Taylor, really shined for the Falcons at the state tournament.
When things were rough for the Falcons at the start of their championship match with Springville, Taylor actually served as the steadying influence. For the match Taylor had 16 kills as Skyridge defeated Springville 19-25, 26-24, 25-20, and 25-10 for the 5A state title.
“When everybody else was showing their nerves, she came up with some really big hits when we needed them,” said Meyer of Taylor. “I think it’s going to be fun. I get to work with Annie in club and it’s going to be awesome to see her growth and her reaching her potential. She’s probably the most raw athletic kid I’ve ever coached. She’s the fastest player I’ve ever coached, the highest leaper I’ve ever coached. She can do a lot of things above the net that other players can’t.”
Interestingly enough, two major coaching influences for Meyer aren’t volleyball coaches. Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer (no relation) and John Wooden have had huge impacts influencing her coaching philosophy. With the latter, her husband John acquired an autograph photo as a Christmas present just before the UCLA coaching legend passed away.
“I still read a lot of John Wooden and he was a major influence in my early coaching career,” Meyer stated.
A key thing Meyer has taken from Wooden was giving her players the opportunity to lead. Right off the bat at Skyridge, Meyer set up a senior leadership council where her senior players could make significant decisions in regards to team-building experiences, motivational thoughts, planning the travel itinerary, as well as being a voice for their teammates.
Meyer said the seniors, during the first two seasons at Skyridge, which included Faith Crabb, Mikayla Upham, Marissa Cannon, Brinley Watkins, Sherstin Pond, Cici Hauver, Emilee Rupp, and Reagan Calton, played a crucial role in setting the foundation for what happened in 2018.
“I sat them down and said we’re going to create this program together and build this culture, and they bought right in,” noted Meyer. “I told them, ‘we got to set this up right. What you do is going to be a big determination about the direction of this program. I’m not talking about wins and losses, but the integrity and culture of the program.’”
In regards to volleyball influences, Meyer has had too many influences to name, fearful that she might leave somebody out. However, she feels working with Carl McGown, the former USA national coach and BYU men’s head coach, was significantly instrumental.
Her father, Dennis Preece, also not a volleyball coach but who won nine state titles as a wrestling coach at Uintah, was an influence with her coaching, especially the importance of involving the broader school and community. Meyer especially remembers how the town of Vernal would rally around the wrestling program. She felt that Skyridge, and the city of Lehi, could bring that kind of support for her volleyball team.
Meyer was happy to see how the school and the community rallied around the team by attending the championship game and the post-championship parade given her athletes.
When asked to describe each of her five seniors, these are the reflections Meyer offered:
“Alice Ellsworth: She’s a charismatic personality. She’s a lot of fun and keeps the energy upbeat in practice. She does it (volleyball) because she loves it. She’s not looking to play on (college). She’s definitely there because she wants to be there and it’s something she truly enjoys.”
“Kenadee Christensen: She’s complex, she’s a deep thinker, she’s a hard worker, she’s a perfectionist. She’s constantly striving to be at her best at everything she does.”
“Tylee Fuller: A lion’s heart, that’s Tylee for sure. She’s there for everybody else. As a libero, she’s there to cover for everyone and to start our offense. Off the volleyball court she is caring and nurturing and very concerned about how everyone was treating everyone.”
“Kaitlyn Standifird: Tremendous work ethic describes Kaitlin. She came early, stayed late, and came in on weekends. She really honed her craft. She can do anything well on the volleyball court. A lot of people don’t know that because she’s more known for her setting. She’s a leader, she’s always wanting to get better, she doesn’t think she’s arrived. That’s why I think she will go far and set records, even in college.”
“Shaylee Cuff: She was the glue that holds everybody together. She always had an upbeat attitude. She was definitely no drama. She has a broader perspective about sports, and she values being part of that team and what that means.”
For Cuff, playing for Meyer was definitely a positive experience.
“It was really fun,” said Cuff. “She’s such a good coach. Helping us, not just with volleyball, but with life. She talks about problem-solving and preparing us for the future.”