WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team picked up a key Region 16 victory Thursday evening when it defeated the Jefferson College Vikings 25-23, 25-21, 14-25, 25-18.
“It’s a region win, good, bad or ugly, it’s still a region win,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said.
The Grizzlies, now 7-3 on the season and 1-0 in region play, kept on top of the Vikings in the first two sets, but they let their counterparts from Hillsboro take the upper hand in the third. The Grizzlies battled back to win the fourth set handily and take the match.
“We started making good adjustments to take that second set and go up 2-0, but we’re missing the killer instinct, and that’s an important part of being a team that wants to do big things,” the coach said. “It doesn’t matter what team is on the other side of the net, it has everything to do with what we’re doing on our side. If you have that instinct, it doesn’t matter what the other team does, so we will continue to work on this as we move forward.”
The mental aspects of the game seem to be the Grizzlies’ biggest struggle right now, and Wiedemann is relying on the sophomores to use their experiences from last season to help the team overcome those issues. “The sophmores have to realize they have the power and the ability to handle the pressure of leadership so we can build on last year’s experiences to make this team what it needs to be,” she explained.
As for the nuances of the game itself, the Grizzlies are beginning to implement much of what they’re learning in practice. “They did some of the things we worked on, and I see where they’re trying to do more, but sometimes it can be overwhelming. The more they work on it, however, the better they will become. I think there’s a couple of things we can do that will make us better overall. The ability to have options on the court is important, but we need to put those options into practice,” Wiedemann said.
Statistical leaders for the Grizzlies in the match included sophomore outside hitter Pulotu Manoa, who had 15 kills and 17.5 points earned; sophomore setter Susannah Kelley, who recorded 30 assists; freshman defensive specialist Maja Petronijevic, who had a passing rating of 2.40; sophomore middle attacker Zori Curry, who recorded three blocks; and freshman libero Autumn Reese, who had two service aces and 12 digs.
The Grizzlies were once again cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd, and Wiedemann said she and the players truly appreciate the support. “It really makes a difference when you take the court, the atmosphere created by a great crowd of fans who want to see you do good things,” she said.
She also thanked The Fish Shack, The Pizza Shack and Burton Creek Medical Complex for sponsoring the match. “Their sponsorship and support of Grizzly Volleyball has been tremendous and helps us do all that we do,” she said.
The Grizzlies return to the road next week to compete in the Miami Dade College Invitational Tournament Sept. 18 and 19 in Kendall, Florida.
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website at http://wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/vb/.