Eupora volleyball is under the direction of a new coach in year two with Meideth Woolbright leading the way and the Lady Eagles are starting to find their groove.
Eupora got off the mat from four-straight losses and have reeled off three-straight wins. This past week was very good to the Lady Eagles as they rolled passed J.Z. George and then beat Grenada in a competitive ball game.
There was only a glimpse of hope for J.Z. George on Tuesday night at Eupora.
The visitors took a 1-0 lead in the first set of the volleyball matchup but it was quickly evened up. In a blink, Eupora had a lead and they never trailed again the rest of the match as the Lady Eagles ran away with a 3-0 straight-sets win.
J. Z. George is in a position that the Lady Eagles were last season as they’re playing the first matches of their program’s existence this year. New Eupora coach Merideth Woolbright cautioned her team that anything can happen in the game of volleyball.
“My girls knew that this team was a first-year program, but you never know, and you can’t underestimate them. They knew the consequences they would face if they didn’t play to the level that they’re supposed to be playing,” Woolbright said. “I set the bar high for my girls and they know that if they play to their potential then they can do a lot more than if they play down. I think we definitely did that.”
When the Lady Eagles went down 1-0, they focused in on the task at hand. Eupora came back with eight-straight points and would outscore the visitors 25-3 the rest of the way on the way to a 25-4 set one win.
It was much of the same in set two for the Lady Eagles as they marched out to a big lead and won 25-6. While set three was much more competitive, it was still a 25-15 win for Eupora as they earned a quick win.
Neelie Dillinger was a big reason for the rally early on with her serving as she and Cydney Murphy finished with nine aces. Mackenzie Reed Wood had 11 digs.
After taking home the victory on Tuesday night, the Lady Eagles came back on Thursday and got a chance for redemption against Grenada.
The Lady Eagles dropped the first meeting on the road to the Class 6A opponent, but they came out and got a 3-1 win on Thursday. The Lady Eagles took the momentum built from the JZ George match and put together a set one win at 25-21.
After dropping the second set 21-25, Eupora came out with an ultra-competitive set three. Both teams moved past the 25 point total and Eupora would pull out a tough 27-25 decision. The Lady Eagles took home the win in set four with a 25-18 triumph.
It was a successful week for the Lady Eagles going from 1-4 on the year to 3-4 now. Woolbright has seen her team steadily get better match by match both from a team and individual standpoint.
“Macey Ray is probably the player that has improved the most and is one of the best players that I have. Neelie Dillinger has never been a setter before, I told her that I wanted her to be a setter and she is now a perfect setter,” Woolbright said. “I tell my girls that everything is a team. I think they’re finally understanding that.
“The team that I walked into in our first practice and the team that we have now is a completely different team. The thing that I love about my team is that they want to learn. I’m hard on them but they know that I’m hard on them with a purpose. Every player I have is coachable.”
The Lady Eagles had their Tuesday matchup with Ethel cancelled and they’re tentatively scheduled to play at Water Valley on Thursday. Saturday’s matches at a tournament in Nettleton have also been canceled.
