POPLARVILLE, Miss. — Being a trailblazer throughout high school and college, former Pearl River tennis player Pamela Miller Munger will continue the tradition with her induction into the Pearl River Community College Athletics Hall of Fame on July 26 at the Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis.

Joining Munger in the 2024 induction class are soccer's Jack Byrd and Walt Thomas, baseball's Nick Smith, football and basketball's Emil Jones and tennis' Pamela Miller Munger. The 2024 recipient of the Spirit of a Wildcat award will be Marjory and Bobby Thrash. Additionally, PRCC will recognize four championship teams at the banquet: 2003 men's soccer, 2003 football, 2003-04 men's basketball and 2004 baseball.

"I was shocked, I never thought about it," Munger said on learning of her induction. "I was honored. I was honored and appreciative that someone thought of me.

"I had no idea I would be the first tennis player inducted into the Hall of Fame. I was a tennis player; I was doing what I loved. Tennis made college more fun than just studies."

THE ROAD TO POPLARVILLE
Even as a small child you could find Munger competing on the tennis court. As a local tennis club member, Munger and her brothers learned the game from her future Pearl River coach, Camille Soulier.

"I grew up playing tennis, starting when I was seven or eight. I lived in the same area as my coach Camille Soulier," Munger said. "She would hold clinics during the summer when we were young kids. She was also the tennis pro at the country club when I was younger; she would literally pick us up in the summer and take us to clinics; she watched us grow up in tennis."

Munger continued to compete in club tournaments during her middle school years as Forrest County AHS did not have a school tennis team. That changed heading into Munger's freshman year when her mother, Jo Etta Miller, Forrest County's Business Administrator, saw a need for a team and became the Aggies' first tennis coach. Munger was a member of that first team. There were literally three families that grew up together and went to school together; the three families made up the entire Forrest County tennis team."

Munger recognized the dedication and sacrifice made by Soulier and her mother put her in a position for future success on the court.

"Camille had a lot to do with my growth in tennis, getting me where I could play high school and be competitive," Munger said. "My mom took the reigns over from there to give us the opportunity to play in college. I was very appreciative."

That foundation led Munger and many other Aggies to the Pearl River tennis team.

"My mom made a sacrifice to help us make it to the next level," Munger said. "Most of us had academic scholarships as well, but for some, the athletic scholarship helped them pay for school."

LIFE AT THE RIVER
Munger saw her time at The River as a place that gave her an opportunity to grow and succeed.

"I loved my time at Pearl River, my two years, I would not take them back," Munger recollected. "My time at Pearl River was so special; it felt like a family mixed with new and old friends.

I lived on campus and loved the freedom of being away from my parents, but we still had rules and schedules we had to follow as athletes. I was involved in a work-study program at the Wellness Center, so I knew all the athletes, trainers and coaches. It was a fairly small and quaint staff, and my time there allowed many new friendships. My friends to this day are athletes I met during my time at Pearl River."

Some of Munger's favorite tennis memories came off the court, whether it was the long road trips or having to run the "hayfields" for breaking a team rule during practice.

"Our van rides to and from matches were the best. Our coach was a stickler for rules. I remember getting ready to be gone all day on a long road trip. I remember her packing our lunches," Munger said. "She kept us alive on our road trips. She was strict and stern with us but she let us have fun when it was time to have fun. We were a close group.

"One of the rules was you could not chew gum. If we stepped foot on the court for practice with gum in our mouth, of course, we would forget, coach would literally stare us down, and we would have to run the hayfields. We would have to run the entire field from the tennis courts (by Seal Hall) past the gym, soccer, and baseball to the end and back. There were some bushes, and we were so thankful for the bushes because we would hide behind them and take a break. Our hay field runs were a big memory that we all have. We had so much fun, we got our butts kicked, but it was fun."

Some of Munger's favorite memories with her teammates actually happened when the weather wasn't the best.

"When it would rain, the baseball players had to tarp the infield. On nights that would happen, some tennis girls with baseball players would slip and slide on the baseball field," Munger reminisced. "That is a really fun memory; we would do that quite often. The boys usually got in trouble and had to run, but that never stopped them from doing it again."

MACCC TOURNAMENT
When the 2000 MACCC tournament rolled around, Muger's draw put her on a collision course with a familiar foe, Sara Joy from Copiah-Lincoln. Munger only dropped two sets in the tournament's first three rounds to set up a championship match against Joy.  

"We always played Co-Lin home and away, and I would usually play her. We also played against each other outside of college, so I was familiar with Sara," Munger said. "She usually came out on top, but we always had great matches against one another."

With Munger's record against Joy and her brother having an event for his senior year of high school, Munger's mother missed the tournament. Munger did the unthinkable that day, dominating Joy 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets to capture PRCC's first title.

"Of course, I met her (Joy) in the finals, and it was the one time I beat her. That is one of my mom's big regrets to this day is that she did not come," Munger reminisced. "I went into it with nothing to lose. I remember that day. I was calm on the court and thought if I made it to three sets with her, it is better than nothing. I had played her before, knew what to do, and came out on top."

LASTING RELATIONSHIP
The relationship between coach and player remains strong today as Munger remains close with Soulier. Munger still holds onto the lessons learned from Soulier and incorporates them into everyday life.

"Coach taught us always to do our best, be present, be appreciative. To this day, I have a relationship with her. She still treats me and talks to me like I just got off the court. We were her children," Munger said. "She loved us; she was stern with us like a parent. We had our rules; we knew our boundaries. She gave us everything she had. She still does that today; she still gives back to kids, and if she were still teaching on the court, she would be teaching my sons in a heartbeat."

AFTER PEARL RIVER
Munger transferred to Southern Miss after the 2000-2001 school year. She received a call from the Golden Eagle tennis coach, who wanted to speak with Munger about possibly joining the team. Munger was offered a spot on the team based on her performance at Pearl River.

"I loved my year playing there, traveling. Who wouldn't love playing D1," Munger said. "It was awesome, I got my butt kicked, but it was so much fun playing that caliber of players. It made me a better tennis player. "

Munger's first year at Southern Miss was busy; in addition to her studies and responsibilities with the tennis team, she also had an off-campus job at the YMCA. After juggling all three, Munger did not return to the Southern Miss tennis team for her senior year. This allowed her to focus on completing her Business Administration and Marketing degree and continue working at the YMCA, where she met her future husband, Jon.

Following her graduation from Southern Miss in 2003, Munger, her now fiancé Jon, and her family moved to Atlanta after her family purchased Lenny's Subs franchises.

She moved back to Mississippi in 2008 after Munger and her spouse became Chick-fil-A operators. Their partnership with Chick-fil-A brought them to Laurel and Starkville before a final move to Hattiesburg.

Pamela and Jon married in 2004, and they have two sons, Jon Corbin, 11 years old, and Channing, 3.

"We were married eight years before we had children. That allowed us plenty of time for travel and growth in our marriage before beginning a family," Munger said. "We learned a lot as a couple and figured out how to do business and life together."