WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Area residents can get their first look at the 2015 Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team in action at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, during the annual Grizzly Alumni Volleyball Match at the West Plains Civic Center arena.
The contest, which is being held in conjunction with the university’s annual Welcome Week activities, will be free and will pit the 2015 Grizzlies against players from previous squads.
“This is always a fun event for us and our fans,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said. “It’s a chance to see this year’s team for the first time and some familiar faces from the past.”
Wiedemann said she hears from alumni who plan to attend, but pointed out there are always surprises. “You never know who will show up for the game. Something we have to contend with is the fact that so many of our former players are coaches themselves, and they are in the middle of their preseasons, as well,” she explained. “Even so, we hope to have a good group here to play and, as always, it is great to reconnect with our alumni and have our current players meet those who built the culture of our program. Our alumni created an atmosphere of excellence and it’s important to not take it for granted.”
The alumni will take on a Grizzly team that returns seven players from last year’s squad – sophomores Susannah Kelley, a 5-foot, 8-inch setter from Jonesboro, Arkansas; Zori Curry, a 6-foot, 2-inch middle attacker from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Pulotu Manoa, a 5-foot, 11-inch outside hitter from Concord, California; Gabby Edmondson, a 5-foot, 10-inch outside hitter from Christchurch, New Zealand; Ashley Bishton, a 6-foot, 2-inch middle/right side attacker from Liberty, Missouri; Breanna Taylor, a 6-foot outside hitter from Houston, Texas; and Guro Froberg, a 5-foot, 11-inch outside hitter from Askim, Norway.
Joining the returners will be transfer freshmen Stephanie Phillips, a 6-foot, 2-inch outside/right side attacker from Thornlands, Australia, and Lara Temel, a 6-foot, 1-inch middle/right side attacker from Istanbul, Turkey; along with freshmen Autumn Reese, a 5-foot, 6-inch defensive specialist from Ozark, Missouri; Alyssa Young, a 5-foot, 10-inch outside/right side attacker from Billings, Missouri; Maja Petronijevic, a 5-foot, 6-inch defensive specialist from Belgrade, Serbia; Abigail Bergman, a 5-foot, 6-inch defensive specialist from Perryville, Missouri; and Blanca Izquierdo, a 5-foot, 9-inch setter from Madrid, Spain.
“It’s always great to see our alumni, and there are so many people who enjoy the event – the players, alumni, coaches, former host families, and campus and community fans who were involved with the alumni when they were at Missouri State-West Plains as student athletes,” Wiedemann said. “We invite everyone to come out, watch this year’s alumni match and meet the 2015 Grizzlies!”
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website at http://wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/vb/.