NEWARK, DE -- As a junior at Esperanza High School in California, Megan Welch was a highly recruited volleyball player.  A first team all-conference and second team all-region selection, she was one of the top setters in the state.  But prior to a tournament attended by collegiate scouts, Welch fractured her wrist and was unable to play.

An optimist would call it a lucky break for the Blue Hens.

Without the injury, Megan Welch may not have come to Delaware.

“All of those schools chose other setters,” said Welch.  “So, going into my senior year, I thought, ‘Well, maybe I’ll just go to UC-Santa Barbara and not even play volleyball, or maybe I’ll walk on somewhere or go some place for my academics.’  And then, Delaware called me almost out of the middle of nowhere.  I had gotten a letter from them my sophomore year, and I had kind of talked to them a little bit, but it fell off.  So, during my senior year they called, and I came out for a visit and loved the school.  Then Bonnie came and watched me play in a high school match.  It all happened really fast.”

Soon, Welch was traveling cross-country for college.

As a freshman at Delaware, Welch served as the team’s backup setter.  In that role, she placed second on the team with 144 assists.  She also added 40 digs, six aces, and five blocks for a team that finished 23-9 and advanced to the final match of the CAA tournament.

Despite a solid start to her career, the following spring Welch was out to prove that her place on the team involved more setting than sitting.  And she did just that.

As a sophomore, she became a starter at one of the team’s most vital positions.

“To put it in perspective, the setter is like the quarterback,” said Welch, a product of the highly respected Southern California Volleyball Club.  “For me, I call every play.  I get to run the floor and choose what happens on the court.  Coach trusts me to do that, and that gives me a lot of confidence.”

And since 2005, that confidence has been more than deserved.

In her second season as a Hen, Welch led the team with 825 assists.  She also added 183 digs and 15 service aces.

The following season, with her spot as the team’s starting setter locked up, Welch set out to solidify her place among the conference’s elite players.

During her junior season, she led the entire CAA with 1,570 assists.  Her 13.42 assists-per-game average also led the conference and marked the highest single season rate in Delaware history, trumping the previous record by over 1.5 assists per game.

A dominant force on the volleyball court, Welch has also become a leader on the team.  As a senior this season, she was named one of the squad’s co-captains.

“I think leadership for Megan has been a priority,” said head coach Bonnie Kenny.  “In her position as the quarterback of our team, she took it very seriously, and it’s transformed from off the court to on the court.  She has such a good presence that people respond to her.  She is definitely a vocal leader, an emotional leader, and obviously is involved in all of our plays.”

This season, Welch leads the CAA with 1,127 assists.  In three of the team’s four tournaments this year, she earned All-Invitational honors including Most Valuable Player accolades following the Coastal Carolina Tournament.

Her 12.96 assists-per-game average in 2007 also leads the conference and is the 18th best rate in all of Division I volleyball.

 “Megan is the type of setter every hitter dreams of,” said Colleen Walsh, a co-captain and an all-conference selection the last two seasons.  “She can be anywhere on the court and set the ball to the same spot on the net every time, which is so important to a hitter.  It is rare to find a setter as consistent as Meg.  Her position as setter not only requires an amazing amount of athleticism, which she possesses, but also the leadership qualities to run our offense.  Without a good setter, a team cannot be successful.  I attribute much of the success of this program to the leadership Meg brings to the court every match and to the time and energy she puts into the team and her teammates off the court.”

And since arriving in Delaware, Welch has used her energy and leadership to provide as much assistance off the court as she has on it.

A volunteer for Meals on Wheels and Emmaus House, Welch is also active in the volleyball team’s Go Girl Go program.  Last winter, she and Colleen Walsh even traveled to the Caribbean to complete mission work in Trinidad.

During the trip, Welch and other members of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship held after-school programs for children, visited nursing homes, and used the entire venture as a learning experience.

 “It was basically a mission trip to reach out to children and other people in the area,” said Welch.  “But I think it was as much for us to grow and see another culture as it was for them.  It was interesting to see another world, especially one that was so different from our own.”

Since returning to her world, Welch has set her sights on another mission.  She and the rest of the team are focused on winning.

This season, Welch has helped Delaware get off to the best start in team history.  At the halfway point in conference play, the Hens stand at 20-4, including 5-2 in the CAA.

“I think it’s a reflection of our entire program – how our Coach has taken us to a higher level,” said Welch, who was named the CAA Player of the Week on September 18.  “When I came in, we were good, but this year there are no weak spots.  Everyone is contributing, and everyone is really good.  Our coaches are recruiting good athletes that are dedicated and really want to improve.”

And that consistent recruiting has given the program a steady stream of great players.

With Welch providing the assistance, Colleen Walsh broke the career kills record at Delaware.  On the other side, Kelly Gibson reached the 1,000-kill plateau in just her 100th career match.

Not only are Welch’s teammates rewriting the record books, but she is also doing a little editing herself.  Megan currently has 3,568 career assists, marking the second most ever by a Hen.  Her 11.02 assists-per-game average is also the highest in school history.

 “It’s hard not to look at that stuff,” said Welch.  “Knowing that you can reach those marks, you make it your goal.  But you want to do it for your team.  It’s not just for yourself.  I want our whole team to win the CAA’s and go to the NCAA Tournament.  But I know for us to do that, I have to do my job.  I have to be first in those areas.  That’s why I have those goals.”

And with players like Megan Welch leading the way, the Delaware volleyball team may just reach the NCAA Tournament and accomplish all of its goals.

With or without a lucky break.