Lady Eagles Open Season with Hard-Fought Battles at Alabama/Mississippi Tournament

FULTON, Miss. – Meridian Community College women's volleyball opened its second season of play this past weekend at the Alabama/Mississippi Tournament hosted by Itawamba Community College, competing in four matches over two days.

The Lady Eagles kicked off their 2025 campaign Friday, Aug. 22, with a thriller against Northwest Shoals Community College. After dropping the opening set 25-17, MCC rallied to win the next two sets 25-22 and 25-19. The momentum continued into a dramatic fourth set that went into extra points before Northwest Shoals edged out a 30-28 victory. The Lady Eagles fell 15-11 in the deciding set, dropping the match 3-2.

Meridian rebounded in its second contest of the day against Pellissippi State. In another close opening set, the Lady Eagles prevailed 26-24 before splitting the next two frames, losing 25-18 and then winning 25-23. MCC closed strong with a 25-20 win in the fourth set to secure its first victory of the season, 3-1.

Day two brought stiffer competition as the Lady Eagles battled Wallace State Hanceville and Calhoun. Despite strong efforts, MCC fell in both matches by 3-0 scores, finishing the tournament with a 1-3 record.

Head Coach Alex Schimelpfening was encouraged by his team's performance in the season-opening weekend. "We're excited to be back on the court and competing," Schimelpfening said. "Our players showed a lot of fight and gained valuable experience that will help us as we move into conference play."

The Lady Eagles now turn their attention to MACCC competition as they travel to Decatur to face East Central Community College on Wednesday, Aug. 27. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.