She may only be a junior, but a number of Division I colleges were interested in bringing in Meghan Williams to their respective softball teams.

Williams, who had interest from a number of colleges throughout the country, made that decision to play collegiate softball at the beginning of the school year. The decision ultimately came down to Penn State University and Auburn University, and her choice was to ultimately sport the colors she's familiar with-the blue and white of the Nittany Lions.

Following her final two years at Salisbury, Williams will suit up for the Nittany Lions and compete in the Big Ten Conference.

"I've been working really hard for a lot of years, and this has been my big goal," said Williams, who wanted to play college softball ever since the seventh grade. "It's really exciting to be able to continue my career, and I don't have to see it end after high school."

A number of other schools had interest in the Falcon short stop, including the University of South Carolina, the University of North Carolina, Mississippi State University and the University of South Alabama.

But ultimately, her final choice was between two schools that were nearly 900 miles apart and a 13-hour drive down the east coast. She admits it wasn't an easy decision.

"It was incredibly hard," Williams said of the decision. "I was going back and forth for weeks.

"I think the Big Ten is definitely a better place for me. I feel like I'm going to see a lot of playing time, which again can't be guaranteed, but I feel like my opportunities are much better in the Big Ten."

Williams committed to Penn State back on October 14, a date she will remember for quite some time.

One of the deciding factors for Williams was newly acquired head coach Amanda Lehotak, who is in her first season with the Nittany Lions. The two speak on a regular basis-roughly once every two weeks-and Williams is pleased with their relationship already.

"I love absolutely everything about Penn State," Williams said. "We just got new coaches this year. My head coach, Amanda Lehotak, she coaches with such passion and I love it. The whole coaching staff works really well together.

"I think it really all came down to the coaching staff for me. The coaching staff at Auburn was really, really great, but I feel like I can connect better with my Penn State coaches."

In addition to being one of the leaders on the Falcons' softball team, she is a member of the competitive New Jersey Intensity-Premiere tournament team. Her success in both areas have propelled her into the collegiate level. Williams was a Colonial League Second Team selection as a sophomore.

"It's such a different world playing tournament compared to varsity," Williams said. "It's a different experience."

Williams plans to major in engineering at Penn State and understands they have one of the top programs in that field.