WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Area residents can get their first look at the 2016 Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team in action at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, 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 2016 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 four players from last year’s squad – sophomores Blanca Izquierdo, a 5-foot, 9-inch setter from Madrid, Spain; Autumn Reese, a 5-foot, 3-inch libero from Ozark; Stephanie Phillips, a 6-foot, 1-inch right side hitter from Brisbane, Australia; and Maja Petronijevic, a 5-foot, 5-inch defensive specialists from Belgrade, Serbia.
Joining the returners will be Rachel Holthaus, a 5-foot, 11-inch middle/outside attacker from Winona, who joined the team in January; Johonna Walkup, a 5-foot, 11-inch outside/right side attacker from Mtn. View; Kaitlyn Raith a 5-foot, 3-inch defensive specialist from Mtn. View; Maddison “Greer” Rogers, a 5-foot, 11-inch middle attacker from Fort Smith, Arkansas; Catja Weijzen, a 6-foot outside attacker from Houten, Holland; Adriana Darthuy, a 5-foot, 9-inch outside attacker from Marseille, France; Kinli Simmons, a 5-foot, 8-inch setter from El Dorado Springs; Elliotte Bourne, a 5-foot, 8-inch defensive specialist from Rolla; Muara Kroon, a 6-foot, 1-inch middle/right side attacker from Utrecht, Holland; and Mikhala McCullough, a 5-foot, 7-inch defensive specialist from Springfield.
“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 2016 Grizzlies!”
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website.