STARKVILLE — Starkville volleyball secured a playoff spot for the first time in three years on Monday, defeating district rival Clinton in a 3-0 sweep. This will be the team’s first playoff appearance under second-year head coach, Meghan Mullane.
The Jackets (15-6-1) have now won three straight with wins over Pontotoc, Tupelo and Clinton in the past week, moving to 4-3 in district play.
“It’s been great,” Mullane said of the team’s good form. “Our district schedule is always tough each year, so it’s a feat in itself just to get through district and secure a playoff bid.”
Mullane arrived in 2023, taking over a team that went 10-11 the year before, and became the third head coach in as many years for the Jackets.
That turnover at head coach left some uncertainty about Mullane’s longevity with the program, but she took that in stride and now has the program playing its best volleyball in years.
“They’ve been so used to having a high turnover rate at head coach that they were understandably hesitant when I came in, especially coming from Houston, Texas, they thought maybe I wouldn’t be here for long,” Mullane said. “They’ve had four head coaches if you count their middle school years, so having consistency has been important. Understanding the expectations is important and throughout the year we’ve established more trust and understanding.”
The Jackets’ roster is made up of a healthy mix of experienced players and developing underclassmen, with a group of seven seniors leading the way. The Class of 2025 has played for three coaches in four years, but they’re finally playing winning volleyball.
Starkville won 10 of their first 12 matches, including wins over the traditionally strong local rivals New Hope and Caledonia. Since starting district play in late August, the Jackets have wins over Tupelo, Clinton and Murrah, and are in a position to improve their playoff seeding with three district games still to play.
“They’re a great group of kids,” Mullane said, reflecting on the season so far. “They’ve been resilient and they’ve worked incredibly hard. I know this was our first year with an official offseason in the spring, and it was hard at times but they came out and worked every day. It’s beneficial for them now to see the fruits of their labor. I’ve seen a lot of buy-in since I’ve arrived at the program and that’s not always guaranteed with teenage girls, but they’ve been phenomenal.”
One key for the team moving forward is maintaining momentum, with Mullane stressing the need to build on what they’ve done so far. Seven regular season games remain on the schedule, all of which are opportunities to keep improving and enter the postseason with confidence in their abilities.
“I think now that we’ve been able to beat Tupelo and other teams we’ve historically struggled with, like Caledonia and New Hope, we can hopefully develop some confidence and consistency and carry that into the playoffs.”
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