In Pictures: Ex-Nebraska volleyball star Merritt Beason joins Atlanta Vibe teammates as 'Golden Spike Hitters' for Atlanta United

Former Nebraska Volleyball player Merritt Beason recently shared glimpses of her Women's Day celebrations at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Beason was there with her Atlanta Vibe teammates, Khori Louis and Mia Tuaniga, to enjoy Atlanta United FC's clash against the NY Red Bulls.

Even though the match ended in a 0-0 draw, Beason and her teammates had the opportunity to hit the traditional spike in the stadium. The Golden Spike Hitter tradition involves the players and fans of the club signing the spoke and then placing it in the spike on the sidelines.

Following this, a fan or a group of fans is chosen to hammer it as the crowds sing Atlanta United's chants. Over the years, several notable personalities, such as Gucci Mane, have earned this tradition.

Following the match, Beason took to her Instagram handle to share a glimpse of her time at Atlanta United FC's home stadium. In the picture, Beason can be seen in an Atlanta United jersey bearing no.5 and her name. She further wrote in her caption:

"Spending national women’s day w/ @atlutd"

Atlanta United's Instagram handle also shared a picture of Beason, Louis, and Tuaniga together in the arena. The caption read:

"If we weren’t already vibin’... 😏,"

This visit comes just a day after Atlanta Vibe's 3-2 win against Vegas Thrill on Friday (March 7). In her four sets in the match, Merritt Beason contributed to 6 kills and 4 digs, eventually ending the match with 4 points. The Vibe will face Indy Ignites on March 9 at the Gas South Arena.

Former Nebraska Volleyball player Merritt Beason opens up about her playing time in her club during her initial years

Merritt Beason for Nebraska Volleyball during the 2023 National Championships with Texas Longhorns Volleyball captain (Image via: Getty Images)

Merritt Beason shared her experience of playing for a club during her initial years in volleyball before joining her collegiate teams, the Florida Gators and the Nebraska Volleyball.

In an interview, Beason said that she used to play for a club named Team Sting, which was later renamed to Alabama Performance. Additionally, she also mentioned that she had several memories with the club, including the time when her club teammates did a team bonding session in a place known for rock climbing. Beason said:

"I played for a club, it used to be called Team Sting, so when I was playing it was Team Sting and then they kind of rebranded and it was Southern Performance before, now it's Alabama Performance. I have so many memories but just like little things of like doing team bonding, I remember it was my 12's or 13's, we like did a team bonding at a rock climbing place, just all those little moments." [13:06 onwards]

During her initial years, former Nebraska Volleyball player Meritt Beason also earned AAU National All-Star three times in her career.