Meghan Macdonald is a junior middle blocker for the Illinois volleyball team. Macdonald has started every match for the 13-12 Illini this season and recorded a career-high 20 kills in September in a five-set win over Eastern Illinois.

Q: Why did you come to the University of Illinois?

A: I had a really good feeling here after I had a couple of visits here. I loved the team, I loved the coaches and I had a really good feeling. It felt like home.

Q: What other schools did you look at?

A: I looked at mostly all the Big Ten schools, but in the end it came down to Purdue and Illinois.

Q: What’s the best part of playing at Illinois?

A: I think playing at home with the atmosphere coming into home games. That feeling we get whenever we have a home match, just being in Huff having that competitive attitude.

Q: Do you have any pre-match rituals?

A: Well, sort of. Before every match we have a gift from my mom that I give out, a motivational thing – like quotes. We also turn the music up loud and sing and dance.

Q: Who is the most interesting person on the team, and why?

A: That would have to be Vicki Brown, because she’s the most random person, and she says the most random things. She’s kind of blonde, even though she really isn’t.

Q: Who has the best nickname on the team?

A: Probably Ray-Ray for Rachel Henderson or K-Boogie for Kayani (Turner). They’re both good.

Q: If you didn’t play volleyball, what sport would you have played?

A: If I didn’t play volleyball, I would be playing basketball. I played in high school, and I really loved it, and my dad coaches.

Q: What is your major, and how did you pick it?

A: I’m an elementary education major. My dad’s a teacher, and I always kind of knew I wanted to be a teacher.

Q: What is your favorite movie or TV show?

A: I watch the “OC” a lot, and my roommate’s a big reality buff so sometimes she’ll have that on and I’ll watch that.