Lady Eagles Battle to Five Sets in Conference Opener at East Central
DECATUR, Miss. – Meridian Community College women's volleyball opened conference play Wednesday night in a hard-fought matchup on the road against East Central, falling 3-2 inside Founders Gymnasium.
The Lady Eagles, playing in just their second season as a program, came in off a challenging Alabama/Mississippi Crossover tournament where they went 1-3 against tough competition. Against the Warriors, in their inaugural season, MCC got off to a slow start by dropping the opening set 25-15.
Meridian responded in sets two and three with strong play, winning 25-22 and 25-21 to grab a 2-1 advantage. The fourth set brought the loudest energy of the night as fans from both schools filled the gym. The teams traded points throughout, but East Central pulled away late for a 25-23 win to force a deciding set.
In the fifth, MCC grabbed an early lead but the Warriors held steady down the stretch, taking the set 15-12 and securing the 3-2 victory.
Head Coach Alex Schimelpfening was encouraged by his team's fight in the hostile environment. "Our players showed a lot of determination and nearly pulled out a big win on the road," Schimelpfening said. "We'll build from this experience and be ready to go again."
The Lady Eagles move to 1-4 on the season and will return to action Friday, Sept. 5, when they travel to Andalusia, Ala., for the LBW Tournament.
