The fifth time's apparently a charm. At least for recently crowned Miss USA Nana Meriwether it was. A former All-American volleyball star at UCLA, Meriwether lettered all four years of high school in volleyball, basketball and track and field in Washington D.C., and unlike most, she didnt make her way onto the beauty-queen scene until well after her highly-successful volleyball career came to an end.

Despite a late start, it was her background in athletics that helped lay the groundwork for her career in the pageant business.

I missed competing and having a goal, said Meriwether. [When] competing for pageants there is a physical aspect that you have to get your body to a certain way and I miss having that through sports.

Meriwether entered in the Miss California pageant for four straight years from 2008-2011, but could only come as close as second place in 2008. Perseverance was key for the 27-year-old, who in her final year of eligibility moved back to the East Coast to compete in the Miss Maryland pageant.

After finally winning the coveted state crown in 2012, Meriwether earned herself a spot in the Miss USA competition. From there, history was made.

Meriwether was named first runner-up to Miss Rhode Island, Olivia Culpo, who went on to win Miss Universe six months later. With the new vacancy, Meriwether took over as Miss USA.

We were both part of history, said Meriwether, who found out her fate while eating dinner at a restaurant with friends. It was such a unique way to come into the title.

But for the athlete-turned-beauty queen, Meriwethers sights werent always set on the pageant scene.

I would have never dreamed she would have matured enough to possess the confidence to put herself her out there like she does standing alone in a beauty pageant, said her UCLA coach, the legendary Andy Banachowski. She was willing to speak up among her teammates and lead them, but I never imagined she would have the drive to go it alone.

Once a shy, awkward multi-sport athlete, not even Meriwether envisioned she would land where she is today.

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Ex-UCLA volleyball star now Miss USA