This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The only thing more difficult than winning a state championship is winning two in a row. That task gets a little easier when senior Megan Bean is on the roster.
The Richfield volleyball team had the good fortune to have Bean, and it rode her to a second consecutive Class 2A state title. It was the school's third volleyball championship in the last five years.
Bean, who was the 2A volleyball MVP last season, was the key to that year's title team, but she was the outright leader this season.
"Winning the championship this year was harder because we lost some really good seniors last year," Bean said. "I knew that we couldn't rely on them anymore, so we knew we had to step up."
As has been the norm for Bean, she stepped up when it counted. She posted 15 kills and 23 digs in the Wildcats' five-set victory over Enterprise in the championship match.
Aside from her statistics, Bean led Richfield with her confidence. It was Bean who kept the team together when the Wildcats dropped the opening set against Enterprise. It was the first set the team lost during the state tournament.
"We knew we were still going to win," Bean said. "We just had to do what we were capable of doing."
With this title and MVP, Bean is setting herself apart as the premier 2A female athlete. She now has won back-to-back volleyball MVPs, and she was last season's girls' basketball MVP.
In addition to the two volleyball championships, Bean also has a basketball championship ring, which she earned her freshman season.
But Bean takes credit only for her team's downfalls and credits her teammates for the Wildcats' success.
"It's really cool to win these awards, but they are all because of the teams I have been on," Bean said. "I'm nothing without my teammates, and they have made me who I am. These honors belong to them, just as much as they belong to me."