By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

Following another school year, with academics and volleyball keeping her constantly on the go, Maddie Meyers would have had every right to take the summer off.

Instead, she backpacked 250 miles along the Camino de Santiago's historic trails in Northern Spain. Meyers documented her journey with photos and paintings, which will be on display at the Catron Scholars Exhibition in November.

Another example of a William & Mary student athlete living the full experience.

"Within our program, we encourage them to get involved with things other than athletics," Tribe coach Ryan Adams said. "Maddie is the poster child for that. She sets the standard of doing both at a very high level."

Meyers, a fifth-year senior, is majoring in studio art and environment & sustainability. Each interest provides an opportunity to challenge herself, none more so than those two weeks on her own in Spain.

She's also a 6-foot outside hitter who is fifth in the CAA in kills (3.37 per set) and points (3.76 per set). She had a career-high 24 kills along with 15 digs and three blocks against Old Dominion two weeks ago.

It's just the start to her final season Meyers was hoping for.

"Last year, I was having a little bit of trouble with some old injuries flaring up at the beginning of the season," she said. "I felt like I didn't have time to hit my stride. I'm excited to leave everything out there this final season."

Meyers came to W&M in the fall of 2020, just after the season was canceled because of COVID-19. Her class was granted another year of eligibility, and it was an offer she couldn't refuse.

"I get to play with these people I've had such an amazing relationship with the past four years," Meyers said. "The other girl in my class, Sabrina (Malcolm), we've been through all the stages of Tribe volleyball to this point.

"I felt like I had to finish it out with her. It's the last opportunity I'll have to play the sport I love at this level."

Growing up in Hoffman Estates, a Chicago suburb, Meyers started out as a soccer player. But as she got taller, either basketball or volleyball seemed more logical. Not being very good (her words) at the former, she gravitated toward the latter.

At first, volleyball was a sport she could play as a tall kid. But as she began her teen years, Meyers got more serious about the game. In addition to her high school team at Glenbard North, she played for the First Alliance Volleyball Club.

Before she knew it, Meyers was drawing attention from college recruiters.

"That was the point where I thought, 'Wow, that could be a reality for me,'" she said.

W&M students don't choose a major until after their sophomore year, which worked out well for Meyers. She started off thinking kinesiology would be her path. Then maybe sports psychology. But as soon as she began taking art classes, she was hooked.

Which brings us to Spain. She first hiked the Camino de Santiago in the summer of 2022 as one of 15 students in a faculty-led study abroad program. This time, she went solo.

She took the French route, which is called Camino Francés. She began in Leon, roughly the midpoint of the trail. It was a two-week pilgrimage, hiking up to 20 miles a day, and there are villages along the way that provided food and hostels.

There were obvious challenges of doing the pilgrimage by herself, but Meyers welcomed the opportunity to test herself.

"I usually walked about six to eight hours a day," she said. "And there were some days I'd go probably five or six hours without seeing anyone."

Even then, she felt the community behind her.

"Many of the homes along the trail have tiles built into their exterior pointing the way of the path because it is so built into the culture there," she said. "Although [solitude] was a huge part of my journey, I was also met with a lot of community support from people I met and locals."

Meyers also saw a couple of friends from William & Mary who, completely by chance, had scheduled their trip to the Camino during the same two weeks. They often spent time together at checkpoints and hostels.

The pilgrimage ends in Santiago de Compostela, but Meyers went another 50-plus miles to Cape Finisterre on the west coast. In Roman times, that was believed to be the end of the world. Instead, it was the end of Meyers' remarkable journey.

"The experience itself was so moving," she said. "People from all over the world had different stories about what brought them there, and everything felt so serendipitous that I got to meet that person at that time. Every single experience was a lesson.

"It was incredible to be able to do this, especially as a student athlete. We have a very limited amount of time we can go abroad, so having the program at the end of May and June and being able to make my own program was really special."