With two years of eligibility left, Jordan Meredith had enough time to make a change.

The 2008 Kamehameha graduate left the Boston College women’s volleyball team before the end of last season, deciding to transfer to Rice for her junior year.

Just 12 games in, Meredith says she feels right at home with the Owls.

"I feel like I’ve been here for two years already," said Meredith, a 6-foot outside hitter. "There’s five newcomers to the team, so that’s made the transition easier. It’s not like I’m the only new one here."

Meredith spent close to two years playing alongside 2008 University graduate Brennan Clark at Boston College. The Eagles went 2-18 in consecutive years in conference play, resulting in the resignation of head coach Andrea Leonard last December.

The negative vibes around the volleyball program were enough for Meredith to find a new school to finish out her collegiate career.

"It’s way more competitive here and the education is so much better," Meredith said. "At Boston College we were 2-18, so there weren’t really high standards.

"Here, it’s much more competitive. It’s good to be challenged and the competition for starting spots is very high."

It hasn’t affected Meredith, who has started 12 of Rice’s 13 matches, including last night’s sweep of Houston in the Owls’ Conference USA opener.

She ranks third on the team with 83 kills, hitting .222. She’s fourth on the team with 87 digs and was named to the Rice Invitational all-tournament team on Sunday, helping the Owls (6-7) win their own tournament.

"I think we kind of had a rocky beginning because we had so many newcomers," Meredith said. "But I think the team is a lot more united after this last weekend because we finally started to play up to our potential."

Volleyball has been a way of life for Meredith, who started playing in the second grade. She started club volleyball three years later and has played year-round ever since.

She won three state titles at Kamehameha and has played on both the USA Youth National and Junior National teams.

Still, as the stakes have gotten bigger, she’s been able to keep things in perspective.

"Sometimes it’s tough because you look at it as more of a job than a sport," she said. "There is a lot more riding on your performance, but once you get past that, the love is still there.

"It has to be, especially when you put so much time into it."