By By Jeff Byrd/The Meridian Star
Sept. 5, 2001
The rain may be playing havoc with outdoor sports but that's not the case with indoor volleyball. The Meridian Lady Wildcats opened their volleyball season at the MHS Physical Education Building on Tuesday evening.
And what an opener it was!
The Lady Wildcats staved off four match points before getting three straight service points from Megan Mendiola to upend Northwest Rankin 18-16 in the third and deciding game of the match. The two teams had split the first two games with Meridian winning the first 15-10 and Northwest coming back to split the set with a 15-6 decision in game two.
New Meridian Head Volleyball Coach Susan Frazier said her club showed some gutsy play bouncing back from a two, four-point deficits, not to mention the four match points late in the match.
After Northwest stormed out to split the match at a game apiece, Meridian started the third game by grabbing a 3-1 lead. The Lady Cougars answered by reeling off seven straight service points to go up 7-3.
Meridian steadied themselves and got three points back to make it 7-6. Northwest went back up four at 11-7 only to see the Lady Wildcats cut it back to 11-10. But Meridian could never get the tying point until Northwest reached their first match point at 14-12.
Regina Williams saved the first point and then Lady Wildcats killed off another. Valerie Hammond then delivered three straight service points to put Meridian ahead 15-14.
Northwest Rankin then fought off two Meridian match-pointsbefore regaining the lead at 16-15. The Lady Cougars then tried to serve out the match on two more occasions but each time were rebuffed by the Lady Wildcats.
Megan Mendiola, however, had an answer, serving up three straight winners to give Meridian the 18-16 win in the deciding game.
The new coach also praised her senior in Williams.
The remainder of the Meridian starting line-up included Patricia Lanier, Jennifer Toole and Marissa Mendiola.