Sienna Meli’s softball odyssey has taken her from Florida and North Carolina to finally Whitehall.

It has been a steady ride that began with her initially playing baseball before her switch to softball, and then progressing to travel team in her early teens.

Now, Meli is a senior on the Zephyrs’ team, and she has watched her career come full circle.

“When I was in Florida, I started playing baseball until I couldn’t,” recalled Meli. “I did play some softball in Florida, but once I got to North Carolina, I was on a traveling team.

“I started playing at Whitehall in my freshman year.”

Meli has played shortstop most of her career, but she also has spent some time at third base and in the outfield. She also dabbled with some pitching early in her career.

Upon arriving in Whitehall, Meli made a smooth transition.

“There wasn’t really any difference in the style and the level of play from there to here,” she noted. “It was easy for me to play up here. I played short and I played over at third last year.”

One major obstacle Meli had to overcome was mental errors, a hurdle that plagued her early in her career.

“I did have a lot of mental errors,” remembered Meli. “That has been my biggest obstacle. It became bigger than it should have been.

“But it is easier now. I have more focus and confidence.”

In her freshman year, Meli began to develop a bond with then JV coach and current head coach Jeff Vivian, who helped her with her hitting and her overall game.

Meli hit .410 last season with 10 RBIs, and she is hitting .379 with one homer and nine RBIs this season, as of last week.

“He was my coach in my freshman year, and we get along well,” said Meli. “He always had high expectations for me and sets high standards. Softball was easier with him, and he has helped me a lot. He put me in positions to succeed.

“In my freshman year, he told me that I was reaching too much for the ball. I became more comfortable, and my swing was working.

“Last year was a good season for me.”

Vivian recognizes Meli’s veteran and valuable presence in the lineup.

“Sienna is a very talented athlete, and she can impact games in different ways,” said Vivian. “She has the speed to play a small game and steal bases, and her swing has a little pop to it, you can see that with her extra base hits.

“We thought about hitting her leadoff but she is too good with runners in scoring position to leave at the top of the lineup. So, we moved her into the five-spot to give us three, solid run-producing hitters in the middle of the lineup. Defensively, she has great range and is quick to the ball, so she really settles us down up the middle defensively.”

Meli plans to continue to softball career at Felician University next year, and study pre-vet (veterinarian). She readily admits her love for animals.

Meli recounted games last season against Freedom and Northampton when she had key triples in helping her team to wins. Both are ones are on her most memorable list.

This season, Meli isn’t overly concerned about the team hovering around the .500 mark.

“I’m not worried about it,” she stressed. “We have a good team, and we have two girls injured now.

“We have filled the spots we needed to fill. We don’t always play well in the cold weather, and we tend to get better as the weather warms up.”

Along with the weather, Meli is likely to warm up in the Zephyrs’ lineup, too.