WEST PLAINS, Mo.– Officials at Missouri State University-West Plains inducted former Grizzly Volleyball standout Amy Lusk Sheble into the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame during the annual Grizzly Sports Banquet Tuesday night, April 7, at the West Plains Civic Center’s Magnolia Room.
An estimated 120 family members, friends, Grizzly Booster Club members, students, faculty and staff attended the event.
Sheble, a 5-foot, 10-inch outside attacker, came to epitomize the culture that is Grizzly Volleyball. Although sidelined by injury her first year with the program, she came back strong with grit and determination and made her presence known when she finally took the court in 2004. She helped the team earn its first ever No. 1 ranking from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) in 2004 and continue its tradition of regional domination with its sixth and seventh Region 16 championships during her tenure on the court. The Grizzlies went on to place seventh and third, respectively, at the 2004 and 2005 NJCAA Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championships.
Sheble earned several individual honors as a Grizzly. In addition to being named to several all tournament teams, she received all-Region 16 honors both seasons. She also left her mark on the Grizzly record books. At the time of her departure, she was sixth in career attacking percentage (.294) for outside/right side hitters; seventh in career attacking attempts (1,921), career kills (810) and career points earned (937); eighth in career passing rating (2.38); and 11th in career digs (843). She remains among the leaders in these same categories today.
Sheble graduated from Missouri State-West Plains in May 2006 with an Associate of Arts in General Studies degree and transferred to Georgia State University in Atlanta, where she played for the Panthers Volleyball Team during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Although with the program only two seasons, Sheble once again left her mark, placing fifth in career kills per set (3.59), sixth in career digs per set (3.37), seventh in career points per set (4.06) and 10th in kills per set in a season (3.71 in 2006). In 2007, she was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Conference third team, and she is one of only five members of the program’s 1,000/1,000 Club, racking up a total of 1,216 kills and 1,440 digs combined during her entire collegiate career.
In 2008, Sheble graduated from Georgia State with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She currently lives in Bismark, N.D., with her husband, Chris, and seven-month-old son, Noah, and works as a stay-at-home mom. She continues to play volleyball for a sand volleyball league in her spare time.
In accepting the award, Sheble said she was very honored to be inducted into the Grizzly Hall of Fame, adding she had very fond memories of West Plains, the university, the fans and the community. She recalled with emotion the support and confidence she received from then Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Trish Knight and Assistant Volleyball Coach Paula Wiedemann immediately following her injury, which occurred right after she signed with the team, and their continued belief in her abilities during her rehabilitation with Strength and Conditioning Coach Keri Elrod. Their support instilled a confidence in her that continues even to this day, she said. Wiedemann is now the team’s head coach and was part of the induction ceremony. Knight, who left the program in 2008, attended the ceremony, as did Sheble’s former teammate and fellow Grizzly Hall of Fame member Roselidah Obunaga.
This is the 13th year of the Grizzly Athletics Hall of Fame. Grizzly Hall of Fame Selection Committee members include Chairman Ron Shemwell, Russ Gant, Chuck Kimberlin, Carolyn Smith, John Williams, Missouri State-West Plains Dean of Student Services Dr. Angela Totty and, as ex officio members, Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Yancey Walker and Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann.