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Growing up as a triplet, Natalie Meert has grown accustomed to sharing the spotlight.
"I'm not the person to always be the center of attention,” she said. “I've never been the person to be like 'here I am.' But I love being the one to start off the play."
And that's exactly what makes her such a perfect fit for her role with the Kingsmen.
"The liberos never get the glory, because it's the hitters everyone wants to see,” Penn coach Sarah Hendricks said. "We can't do anything in a volleyball game without a pass. And she's the first person, half the time, to touch the ball. And she gets everything rolling."
She's the team's co-captain, and a lock for all-conference, but you wouldn't know how important Meert is to Penn's team by looking in a box score.
You don't realize it unless you play against her.
"Defensively, she's just outstanding,” Hendricks said. “I play against her in practice all the time and I get so frustrated because I just can't get a ball by her."
“I don't get all the attention,” Meert said. “But I like being a part of the team."
Division I schools would like her to be a part of their team. Butler has strong interest. And the feeling is mutual.
"It's not just a volleyball scholarship,” Meert said. “I want it to be more academic scholarship too."
Because Meert excels just as much there. She's a 4.0 student. Her favorite subject? Math.
After all that counting to three, go figure.
"Maybe being a triplet, she's used to kind of sharing the glory, I don't know,” Hendricks said. “But she's such a team player."
"It's not the glory position, but I like it," Meert said.