WEST PLAINS, Mo. – The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team picked up a key Region 16 win Tuesday, Sept. 16, when it defeated the Mineral Area College (MAC) Cardinals from Park Hills, Missouri, 25-20, 25-19, 17-25, 13-25, 18-16 in the Joe Paul Evans Arena at the West Plains Civic Center.
“Last night was a reality check for us,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said. “We’ve always been a target, and we have to learn how to compete with that target on our back. We have to learn how to maintain that level of play.”
The Grizzlies started the contest well, committing only three hitting errors in the first two sets, but their fortunes changed in the third and fourth sets. “We literally backed off. We started forcing everything, which never works,” Wiedemann said. “The first two games we were flowing and took good care of the ball, but when MAC made a little run in set three, we got stuck in one rotation and we did nothing to force a side out. It was hard to watch.”
During those two sets, the Grizzlies committed 18 hitting errors as they struggled to get back on track. “It was a huge fight, but it was good to see us battle back and win that fifth set, and ultimately the match. We’re 1-0 in the region now, and that’s huge. Every region match is huge, so this is a great win,” Wiedemann said.
Despite the problems of the third and fourth set, Wiedemann said she did see improvement in the team. “The things we worked on in the gym, we saw improvement in those areas last night. We just haven’t reached the point where we play with confidence when things get tough, and that has to change. This group can be strong. They just need to understand the team role is bigger than the individual role. I hope this win will motivate them as they move forward through the season,” the coach said.
Offensively, the Grizzlies were led by freshman middle attacker Penny Liu, who had 18 kills on 30 attempts with two errors for an attacking percentage of .533. Freshman setter Susannah Kelley led the team in assists with 26, and sophomore outside hitter Kaili Simmons led the team in service aces with two.
Defensively, sophomore libero Alyssa Aldag led the team in digs and passing rating with 28 and 2.69, respectively. Liu led the team in blocks with 1.5 and points earned with 19.5.
Wiedemann praised the crowd, saying, “They really got into the match, especially in that fifth set. It was fun,” and thanked Hirsch Feed and Farm Supply for sponsoring the match. “John Williams and his crew have supported us for so many years, and we really appreciate all they do for Grizzly Volleyball.”
The Grizzlies will use the next couple of days to prepare for the Hutchinson Community College Invitational Tournament Friday and Saturday, Sept. 19 and 20, in Hutchinson, Kansas. They will play the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) No. 1 Division I team in the nation, Iowa Western Community College of Council Bluffs, at 2 p.m. Friday, followed by Seminole State College of Seminole, Oklahoma, at 4 p.m. Saturday, they will face Frank Phillips College, Borger, Texas, at 9 a.m. and New Mexico Military Institute of Roswell at 1 p.m.
“Iowa Western has been at or near the top of the poll all season, and the other three teams are very solid,” Wiedemann said. “We expect some tough competition this weekend, and we need to be ready for it.”
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit the team’s website at http://wp.missouristate.edu/grizzly/vb/. Complete team statistics can be found at http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/wvball/2014-15/div1/teams/MissouriStateUniversityWestPlains.