WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team’s hopes for a win in their season home opener Friday night, Sept. 9, were dashed when fourth ranked Iowa Western Community College from Council Bluffs took three of four sets at the West Plains Civic Center. The final score was 20-25, 25-15, 26-28, 20-25.
The loss drops the sixth ranked Grizzlies’ season record to 7-3 as they prepare to host Region 16/Missouri Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) rival Mineral Area College, Park Hills, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, then head to Lakeland, Florida, Friday and Saturday, Sept. 16 and 17, for the Polk State College Invitational Tournament. There they will face the No. 3 ranked host team, as well as No. 5 Hillsborough Community College from Tampa, Florida.
What had been a strength of the Grizzlies early this season actually proved to be their downfall against Iowa Western. “The difference was defense. We were scrambling more than they were at times. Their ability to cover space was better than ours, and that was surprising. We had been doing such a good job with that, we’ve been rock solid. That’s what made the difference,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said..
“It was a great match,” she continued. “Iowa Western played very well, and I thought we did some very good things. The things we worked on in practice we executed much better Friday. Offensively, we did well and were better out of system. We had a balanced, efficient attack. Defense is built around what your team does, not the individual. We need to do a better job reading what we’re doing as a team. This is something we can take, work on it and get back to where we were.”
Statistics show the Grizzlies were led offensively by freshman outside hitter Johonna Walkup, who had 13 kills and an attacking percentage of .414. Three players, freshman outside hitter Adriana Darthuy, freshman middle attacker Rachel Holthaus and freshman outside attacker Catja Weijzen, each had 12 kills. Sophomore setter Blanca Izquierdo led the team in assists with 47, and Weijzen and sophomore libero Autumn Reese each had a team-leading three aces.
Defensively, Darthuy led the team in digs with 21, freshman middle attacker Greer Rogers led the team in blocks with 2.5, including two solo blocks, and Walkup led the team in passing rating with 2.64. Weijzen led the team in points earned with 16.
Despite the loss, Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said the evening was nearly perfect. In addition to the game, the evening’s activities included the annual Grizzly Booster Club’s annual Fall Picnic featuring food provided by Almost Famous Grille and BBQ and Hiland Dairy, as well as the official induction of Grizzly Volleyball standout Kate Stepanova (2008-09) to the Grizzly Athletics Hall of Fame.
“The match was great and entertaining, the crowd was incredible, the barbecue was a success, and Kate’s induction really meant something to her and to us for it to happen in that setting,” Wiedemann said. “What a way to kick off the home athletics season! The atmosphere was unbelievable, and the student section was a joy to watch. They were fantastic. The only thing that could have made it better was winning the game,” she said.
She also thanked Hirsch Feed and Farm Supply for sponsoring the game. “These things don’t happen without the support of our sponsors. Their support has been tremendous year after year, and it is very much appreciated,” the coach said.
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website.