UNION, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team will take a 7-2 record and a No. 6 national ranking into its game Friday night against No. 4 Iowa Western Community College from Council Bluffs at the West Plains Civic Center arena.
The Grizzlies upped their record Wednesday evening with a 25-8, 25-15, 25-14 win over East Central College in Union in the Grizzlies’ first ever Missouri Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) contest.
“We did a good job of going in and playing the way we needed to play,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said of the victory. “You never know what kind of flow you’re going to have when you play a team you don’t know much about. We always talk about the need to play a certain way, and I feel like we improved on that Wednesday night.”
Going into the game, Wiedemann said the Grizzlies talked about the need to play as a group. “We still had the bitter taste of the loss to College of Southern Idaho over the weekend, and we were still recovering from the trip, but we had a good conversation about what we needed to do as a team and how we felt about things. These discussions aren’t always easy, but they’re necessary for a team to grow.”
Statistics from the game show freshman outside hitter Catja Weijzen led the team in kills with 15, in attacking percentage with .565 and in points earned with 15. Sophomore setter Blanca Izquierdo led the team in assists with 38, and sophomore libero Autumn Reese paced the Grizzlies in digs with 17 and passing rating with 3.0. Reese and freshman outside hitter Johonna Walkup each had two service aces.
Friday’s game against Iowa Western, which is being sponsored by Hirsch Feed and Farm Supply, will be the start of several upcoming opportunities for the Grizzlies to move up in the polls. On Sept. 16 and 17, they will compete in the Polk State College Tournament in Lakeland, Florida, where they will play the host team, currently ranked third in the nation, as well as Hillsborough Community College from Tampa, Florida, which is ranked fifth. “Between this game Friday and Polk State and Hillsborough next week, we have an opportunity to make a statement, but we need to focus and take advantage of these opportunities,” Wiedemann said.
FRIDAY ACTIVITIES
Friday will be a big day for the Grizzlies for more than one reason. In addition to the season home opener against Iowa Western, the Grizzly Booster Club will host its annual Fall Picnic at 5 p.m. in the civic center arena. The free barbecue meal, provide by Almost Famous Grille and BBQ, will give fans a chance to hear about the upcoming athletics seasons from Wiedeman, Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Chris Popp and Grizzly Cheer Team Coach Nick Pruitt. Everyone is invited to attend.
In addition, between the second and third sets of the game, university officials will officially induct former Grizzly Volleyball standout Katja Stepanova (2008-09) to the Grizzly Athletics Hall of Fame. A “meet and greet” reception for Stepanova will take place immediately following the game in the Dogwood Room, organizers said. Admission to the game is free, and everyone is invited to attend.
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website.