By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
Aug. 20, 2003
Spending a couple of hours every afternoon in the hot, cramped girls' gym at Meridian High School could make a normally mild-mannered teenage girl become understandably defensive.
Defensive enough, Eulanda Maxwell hopes, to help spur her Lady Wildcats volleyball team to a berth in the 5A state playoffs.
Maxwell, the first-year head coach of the volleyball team, said the team has been practicing for about a week and has shown constant signs of growth.
Maxwell, who came to Meridian from South Leake High School in Walnut Grove, said she spends her practices focusing on volleyball fundamentals like serving, technique and defensive strategy. Although stamina is important, she said her players entered the program in good shape.
Maxwell inherits a team with a history of success. The Wildcats are a perennial playoff contender, and Maxwell said she is excited to be a part of that tradition. Her influence on the team will only go so far, though, and she said she will depend on her four seniors to help lead the team.