WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Missouri State University-West Plains’ new assistant volleyball coach, Crystal “Stiggie” Stigler, says she can’t wait for the 2012 season to start.

“I’m so excited!  I was excited to come here, and now that I am here, I’m still so excited about this program and the new season.  Seeing how hard the players are working in practice makes me excited for the season,” Stigler said in a recent interview.

Stigler began her assistant coaching duties Aug. 3.  Her hiring is pending approval of the Missouri State University Board of Governors at its Oct. 26 board meeting.

The Grizzly volleyball program and Region 16 competition isn’t new territory for this native of Houston, Texas.  Stigler started her collegiate career in 2003 as a member of the Mineral Area College (MAC) Cardinals in Park Hills, Mo.

“It was the one place I recall where the gym just lit up.  The crowd support was great,” she explained.  “It’s also the place where my family first watched me play as a collegiate athlete.  They traveled all the way to West Plains to watch us play the Grizzlies.”

Stigler also said she made a visit to West Plains last fall when she attended the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championship Tournament on a recruiting visit for Prairie View A&M University, where she finished her collegiate playing career in 2006 and began her coaching career.

Stigler was a three-sport athlete in high school at Eisenhower High School in Houston.  After a year at MAC, she transferred to Galveston College in Galveston, Texas, for her sophomore season and Prairie View, an NCAA Division I program, for her junior and senior seasons.  While at Prairie View, she garnered numerous awards, including the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Newcomer of the Year award and second team All-SWAC Conference honors in 2005.  In 2006, she helped lead the Panthers to the SWAC Conference Championship and NCAA Division I Tournament berth while earning another second team All-SWAC Conference honor.

In 2008-09, she played middle/outside attacker on the U.S. Goodwill Ambassador Team, which toured Europe and competed in Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris and London.

She received her bachelor’s degree in human performance from Prairie View in 2007 and master’s degree in human science in 2010, also from Prairie View.  She served as a graduate assistant coach for the Panther volleyball team while completing her master’s degree and spent one year as an assistant coach with the program during the 2011 season.

Stigler said she hopes she can further develop her coaching skills by working with Head Coach Paula Wiedemann in the Grizzly Volleyball program while passing along some of the tricks of the hitting trade to the players.

“One of the reasons I sought this job was because I wanted a different experience.  For the past several years, I’ve gone through the same routines as a player and a coach within the same program.  I wanted to step out of my box, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, and I wanted to expand my coaching experiences,” she explained.

“I also look forward to passing along what I know to the next generation of players,” Stigler added.  “I’m a hitter.  I’m strong in all positions, but I specialize in the middle.  I’m looking forward to bringing the skills I’ve learned in those positions to this team and teach them how to hit and read the court.”

Wiedemann said she is happy to have Stigler as part of the Grizzly Volleyball staff.  “She understands what our program represents, the goals we want to achieve on a year-in, year-out basis and is ready to contribute her knowledge and passion for the game to our players.”

Area residents can see the coaches and players in action for the first time this season during the annual Grizzly Alumni Volleyball Match at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, at the Student Recreation Center on the corner of West Trish Knight Street and Garfield Avenue.  Admission is free.

For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, including a copy of the 2012 schedule, visit the team’s website at http://wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/vb/.