WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team continued its winning streak Monday evening, Sept. 22, with a 25-15, 25-13, 23-25, 25-22 victory over Kansas City Kansas Community College in Joe Paul Evans Arena at the West Plains Civic Center.
This is the Grizzlies’ fourth straight win and puts them at 10-9 on the season as they head into a key Region 16 contest Thursday evening, Sept. 25, against Jefferson College, Hillsboro, Missouri. The match will begin at 6 p.m. at Joe Paul Evans Arena.
“Kansas City is a good team. They’re No. 5 in the NJCAA’s Division II ranks. We usually see a couple of top 10 Division II programs every season, usually at tournaments, and they’re always competitive,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said.
The Grizzlies had the Blue Devils on their heels early; however, some defensive adjustments allowed them to pick up one set against the Grizzlies before the final point of the match was scored.
“We played very well in the first two sets. Offensively, we were very efficient, and defensively, we took care of the ball,” Wiedemann said. “In the third set, they came out and dug balls and really stepped up their game. They gained some momentum while we were a little complacent. But we came out in the fourth set and maintained the lead throughout much of the set, although it was close. We began digging the ball better and ran better transitions, which forced them into some difficult situations.”
Offensively, freshman outside hitter Pulotu Manoa led the charge with 12 kills on 22 attempts with no errors for an attacking percentage of .545. Sophomore setter Brianna Zebert led the team in assists with 17. Defensively, sophomore libero Alyssa Aldag led the team in digs with 28, and redshirt freshman right side/middle attacker Ashley Bishton led the team in blocks with 4.5.
“Lotu is playing really well right now,” Wiedemann said. “She’s coming in, working hard, becoming more confident, and it’s paying off. She’s taking good swings, but she’s also throwing in some finesse shots that really make a difference. We’re beginning to see her perform the way we expected her to perform.
“Alyssa had a good defensive game. She averaged seven digs per set,” the coach continued. “And, we blocked fairly well as a team, with Ashley leading the way for us. We’ve been working on this and we’re beginning to see improvement. They’re moving to strong positions and taking up space, which leads to better defense.”
Wiedemann thanked Burton Creek Medical Complex and 63 Chicken for sponsoring the match, and she praised the home crowd. “We truly appreciate the support of our sponsors and our fans,” she said.
As for Thursday’s match against Jefferson, which is being sponsored by Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic, Wiedemann said the Grizzlies will need to be ready to play. “They’re struggling with some injuries right now, but we’re still going to have to be ready to make adjustments and work hard for the win. We need to stay focused on what we’re doing on our side of the net.”
The evening also has been dubbed “Dig for a Cure” night. Proceeds from sales of the “Dig for a Cure” T-shirts will go toward breast cancer awareness programs.
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit the team’s website at http://wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/vb/. Complete team statistics can be found at http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/wvball/2014-15/div1/teams/MissouriStateUniversityWestPlains.