Meghan Ball Bolsters Maryland Defense in Need of a Reload

For the first time since Maryland entered the Big Ten in the fall of 2014, someone other than a Terp won Big Ten Defender of the Year. Rutgers’ Meghan Ball was the streak-breaker.

But one streak is still alive: The Terps will have the reigning Big Ten Defender of the Year on their side for the eighth-straight season in 2024. Ball entered the transfer portal and transferred to Maryland this summer, choosing the Terps over North Carolina and Syracuse.

“I had played at Rutgers for four years,” said Ball, who finished second in Division I in caused turnovers per game (3.53) and led the Scarlet Knights with 101 draw controls in 2023. “That’s normally all you get. I took a step back and thought about it. If COVID didn’t happen, that would’ve been it. I loved everything about Rutgers and my team, but I wanted something different and to experience something new. The COVID year wound up being a blessing in disguise.”

Ball first came on Cathy Reese’s radar in 2021 — the year every Big Ten team played one another twice because of pandemic protocols. The second time was the charm for Ball and Rutgers. Ball caused three turnovers as the Scarlet Knights downed Maryland for the first time in program history.

“We learned a lot about her and real quick playing against Rutgers so many times in the Big Ten,” Reese said. “She was a defender who really stood out all over the field, and her presence offensively made her someone we had to spend a lot of time on … no matter how much we would talk about it, she would still find a way to take the ball away from us.”

That’s all water under the bridge these days. For Ball, Maryland had long been on her mind. It’s unsurprising, given the Terps have the winningest program in the sport. The Terps won their 15th national title during Ball’s senior year at Bridgewater-Raritan (N.J.).

“They’ve had so much success throughout the years. I was looking at them like, ‘Oh my God, they are a powerhouse,’” Ball said. “Even during club, you’d hear, ‘This girl is going to Maryland. That’s so cool.’ It’s almost like a dream to go there.”

It’s a dream that started when Ball was around 7 and picked up a stick for the first time, playing backyard lacrosse with her brothers. She went on to play club, where she was no stranger to Maryland teams like the Sky Walkers.

“All the Maryland teams in club were so good,” Ball said. “You almost didn’t want to play them growing up because they breed lacrosse players down there.”

And the Terps breed defenders. Alice Mercer. Nadine Hadnagy. Lizzie Colson. All three were among those to collect a Big Ten Defender of the Year honor. Maryland leans into a team-centric 1-v-1 defense that requires top-flight athletes with high lacrosse IQs. It was exactly the style Ball wanted to play.

“It was a great fit for me,” Ball said. “1-v-1 — that is my bread and butter. They were like, ‘When you go out there, people will have your back.’ That’s what I look for, knowing that they are confident in me and my skills and how great it would fit into their defense really helped my decision.”

The confidence is genuine.

“She has great anticipation, good footwork and plays great 1-v-1 defense,” Reese said.

The latest Terp to earn the honor was another transfer, Abby Bosco, who came over from Penn in 2022. Like Ball, Bosco was critical on the circle, corralling 98 draws in 2023, second to Shaylan Ahearn’s 139. But Bosco played her final year of eligibility last season. Starting defenders Maddie Sanchez and Marge Donovan, who transferred to Maryland from Princeton her final season, also graduated.

The Terps needed to reload. Then, they saw Ball’s name enter the portal.

“This was a no-brainer,” Reese said. “As soon as she hit the portal, we were like, ‘She’s the one.’  It was the perfect time for such a great player, and we’re so excited to have her part of our defense.”

Unlike Donovan and Bosco, Ball won’t need to learn what it’s like to undergo the grind of a Big Ten schedule.

“It’s hard to explain, and I think that’s why it takes people some time as freshmen to adjust and get used to college lacrosse,” Reese said. “When you’re battling Michigan, Rutgers, Northwestern, Penn State, Hopkins — it’s a battle all the time. Then you see them in the conference tournament and the postseason. You are playing against a high level every day.”

Though Ball is being brought in to fill critical holes left by three starting defenders, she isn’t expected to shoulder the weight of getting Maryland back to the Final Four — which the Terps missed in 2023 — alone. Redshirt sophomore Kennedy Major (10 CT) returns after a successful rookie season. Brianna Lamoureux (34 GB, 8 CT) and Clancy Rheude (14 GB, 7 CT) also return, as does starting goalie Emily Sterling.

Maryland is also bringing in Sophie Halus, who led Colorado with 22 caused turnovers and has two years of eligibility remaining. Reese hopes Halus benefits from playing alongside the crop of returners and a touted defender in Ball.

“Long term, it’s great because [Sophie’s] got two years,” Reese said. “For someone to come in and play with Bri, Emily and Meg, that is setting her up to lead the way as we go into that next year.”

Still, the hype of being one of the portal’s most coveted players — plus the need to step up as a leader — can feel like a heavy load for just one person. But there won’t be pressure from Reese.

“Everybody’s legacy is unique and special to that team, year and player,” Reese said. “As a coaching staff, we focus on playing to our strengths and working together.”

That’s Ball’s focus, too. Though she entered the portal as something of a gift to herself — a chance to try something new — she’s all in for the team.

“My goal is to go out there and do everything I can to help Maryland win a national championship,” Ball said. “Overall, I just want the team to do well. I’m more [of the mindset] that if the team does well, I do well.”