Hallie Meadows knows something about pushing through adversity. South Carolina’s fifth-year senior defender has endured a handful of knee surgeries during her career, and she and several of her senior teammates had no doubts about taking advantage of a fifth year of eligibility made possible by the COVID pandemic from their freshman year.
“It was a no-brainer for me,” said Meadows, who already has her degree in biological sciences with plans to go to medical school. “I remember at the end of last season, we were all saying, we’re not done. We didn’t reach the goals we wanted to reach and knowing that we had more left in us and had the opportunity to come back, and knowing the people we were bringing in, we said, let’s do it! We have a good shot, and we’re so excited about this season.”
Whenever soccer is done, Meadows wants to work in orthopedic medicine.
“I’ve had a lot of experience there – maybe too much!” Meadows said with a chuckle. “If the opportunity to play pro is there, I’d love to explore that. I’ve had five knee surgeries since my sophomore year. I know a little something about perseverance.
“I hit close to rock bottom at times. It tests you. It feels lonely down there. It’s the people around you that helped bring me up. They helped me see a light at the end of the tunnel and that it was going to get bright. They told me I’d get through this. Everything happens for a reason. I believe that, and I believe that God’s plan is bigger for me. One day I woke up and chose to embrace that. That’s made me who I am now.”
Meadows credits everyone within the program, from teammates to coaches and athletic trainers for getting her through the hard times.
“Coming back for my fifth year weighed on me heavily,” Meadows said. “Can my body take it? Spring and summer are really taxing. I looked at it as if I may only have one more year to play soccer – a sport that I love, and do that with my best friends, so I’m going to forget the injury part and go all out. I’m going to play and go have fun.”
As a defender, Meadows isn’t often in the spotlight as she won’t be racking up stats that grab headlines, but if she’s keeping the opponents from adding to their stats, she’s perfectly fine with being a key component on a team that is known for its defensive prowess each year. With the graduation of All-SEC goalkeeper Heather Hinz, Meadows knows her experience will be critical in helping whoever…