PARK HILLS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team picked up its 15th National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 16 Championship Saturday, Oct. 31, after dueling arch rival Jefferson College of Hillsboro in one of the best region championship matches in years.
The teams battled for two hours and 20 minutes before the 24-9 Grizzlies, ranked 10th in the nation, pulled out a 25-23, 25-17, 21-25, 30-32, 16-15 victory over the Vikings at Mineral Area College (MAC) in Park Hills, site of this year’s region tournament.
“This was one of the best region finals ever,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said. “These two teams fought for every point. The last two sets were amazing. Everyone was trying to put the ball away, and the effort put forth by both teams across the board was outstanding. It was a classic, classic battle, one of those games that was so good that you hated to see anyone walk away a loser, but I’m glad we walked away the winner.”
The Vikings reached the championship by handling the MAC Cardinals 25-18, 25-18, 25-14 Friday in the semifinals and were ready to play, but so were the Grizzlies, who took the first two sets by getting into the Vikings’ head. But Jefferson showed just how much they had improved throughout the season by correcting their errors and coming back to take the next two sets.
“The second set, we just came out and played and got in their head a little bit, but they came back in the third set and stopped missing serves,” Wiedemann said. “We were a little loose in our execution, and they started putting things together like we knew they were capable of doing. They started doing what the needed to do to put pressure on us.
“The fourth and fifth set were crazy good,” she continued. “Both teams had multiple opportunities to finish the fourth set, but neither team backed down and kept swinging away.”
The Grizzlies’ defense, however, proved to be the key to winning the fifth and deciding set. “The effort we put forth was incredible. Our defensive effort gave us the ability to finish out that set. Our blocking was solid, and it affected them because there were a lot of blocks they had to try to convert, and they started forcing errors through long points,” Wiedemann explained.
“We put forth that kind of effort throughout the match, though,” she added. “The only time we were a little loose was in our blocking in the third set, and that caught up to us, but our players did a phenomenal job keeping it together and playing together. In each defensive position, we dug at least six balls per set and took care of the ball. It was fun to watch everyone not give up on any ball that came over the net.”
Wiedemann also was quick to praise the Vikings. “From start to finish, Jefferson improved throughout the season, which is what you want any team to do as a coach. They worked really hard to reach this point, and they are to be commended for a great season,” she said.
But a total team effort by the Grizzlies proved to be more than Jefferson could overcome. Statistics show a number of contributors in a variety of roles. Sophomore outside attacker Pulotu Manoa led the way with 19 kills, four assists, 1.5 blocks and 21 digs. Sophomore middle attacker Zori Curry added 18 kills and led the team in blocks with 4.5, including two solo blocks, and in points earned with 22.5. Sophomore outside/right side attacker Breanna Taylor added 13 kills, an assist and six digs. Redshirt freshman outside/right side attacker Stephanie Phillips had 9 kills, three blocks and three digs.
Sophomore setter Susannah Kelley led the team in assists with 53, but she also recorded three kills, 19 digs and the highest attacking percentage at .429. Freshman libero Autumn Reese led the team in digs with 31 and in passing rating with 2.60. Sophomore outside attacker Gabby Edmondson, who was limited to back row play due to an ankle injury, also made her presence known with a service ace and 14 digs. She was one of five Grizzlies recording aces. Others were Kelley, Reese, sophomore right side attacker Guro Froberg and freshman setter Blanca Izquierdo.
“It was a group effort all the way around. Lotu had 19 kills and 21 digs, Zori had 18, Breanna 13. Autumn had over six digs a set. She didn’t let anything hit the floor. Neither did Gabby or Lotu, especially in the fifth set. Blanca served effectively and played good defense. And Stephanie had some key kills and digs when we needed them,” Wiedemann said.
The one sour note for the day was an injury to Kelley’s hand that occurred during her attempt at a dig in the fifth set. Wiedemann said her condition is still being evaluated for Saturday’s NJCAA District N Championship hosted by Monroe College in New Rochelle, New York at 4 p.m. The Grizzlies will play the winner of the Region 15 and 20 playoff, which will take place at noon that day at Monroe College. The district winner will then advance to the NJCAA Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championship Nov. 20-22 in Casper, Wyoming.
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website.