Adjusting to a new environment is a challenge for all college students coming to a new campus. The process forces students to adapt, and adapt quickly, to survive. Redshirt sophomore setter Megan Cyr has done just that and more in her first few months with Wolfpack volleyball.

Cyr, a University of Colorado transfer, has been able to make the transition to starting setter at a Division 1 school seem seamless and easy.

“I thought it was going to be a lot harder at first,” Cyr said. “I didn’t know if there would be animosity among the team or anything. So I really didn’t know what to expect. But I am pleasantly surprised with how well we all mesh and how well we all get along on and off the court.”

But Cyr admits that having junior outside hitter Becah Fogle transfer with her has been crucial to her transition.

“I don‘t even know what I would do without Becah,” Cyr said. “I’m so happy we made the decision to go to the same school. It made me more comfortable from the beginning. I was able to be myself and I was able to open up to the girls a lot quicker.”

Cyr came into a struggling program with a new coach at a crucial time and has helped the Pack (11-4) to more wins than it had all of last season. She has led her team in assists every game.

“Everything is new [this year,]” Cyr said. “It’s not just the coaches. It helped because as a transfer I didn’t feel like I was the only new person. Everybody was learning a new system of play, everyone was adjusting to the new coaching style, and I think it’s helped a lot.”

Her success hasn’t surprised coach Bryan Bunn, who said he knew she could play at this level since he saw her play in high school.

“I knew she was going to be good,” Bunn said. “We recruited her when I was at Baylor so we expected her to be good for us.”

And natural talent isn’t the only thing helping Cyr succeed. Coming to State over the summer allowed her to get accustomed to her teammates.

“Being here over the summer really helped,” Cyr said. “We had workouts everyday and we tried to hang out outside of volleyball. There was a sense of family before I got here so I was able to adjust into that.”

This familiarity with her teammates has also helped the team to improve in an area where it has struggled in years past–middle hitting.

“It completely changes how you play a team when they have an active middle,” junior middle hitter Margaret Salata said. “When you play a team that has an active middle, you have to take your attention away from an outside or an opposite, and that leaves more room for Becah, or for [junior outside hitter Luciana Shafer] to get an opportunity for more kills because the block isn’t automatically focused on them. So it completely changes how you play defense against a team and I think that’s helped us a lot this year.”

Cyr has also contributed greatly to the Wolfpack’s defense, notching four double-digit dig games on the year.

“She sees the game pretty well,” Bunn said. “So she knows where the ball is going to go. So that helps on defense. As a setter she understands the game a little better than some other players who don’t set. So she sees where the ball is going to go and she gets there.”

Cyr and the Pack will host Florida State Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Miami Sunday at 1:00 p.m.