No. 5 Grizzlies punch ticket to national tournament

The No. 5 ranked Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Volleyball team are heading back to nationals!

The Grizzlies (27-5) punched their ticket to the NJCAA Division I Women's National Volleyball Championship after defeating Indian Hills Community College in a five-set thriller at the Midwest B District Championship Saturday evening at the West Plains Civic Center. The final score was 18-25, 25-13, 22-25, 25-21, 15-8.

The Grizzlies reached the finals after defeating Kaskaskia Community College 25-11, 25-8, 25-14 in a district semifinal game earlier that day.

"It was a big weekend and a couple of big wins to get us where we want to be – back in the national tournament!," Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said. "I'm so proud of this group and all the work they have put into this season. They work hard, play hard and show up every day. That's a great combination!"

Battle royale

The championship game turned into a classic five set battle between the Grizzlies and Warriors – a common occurrence when these two teams meet.

The Grizzlies struggled to get anything going in the first set, but they came back with a vengeance in the second and took control early.

The Warriors jumped out early in the third set, but the Grizzlies roared back to pull within 1 point, 19-20, before Indian Hills was finally able to put the set away.

The Grizzlies jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the fourth set and never let the Warriors overtake them to send the teams to a fifth and deciding set. From there the Grizzlies took control of the remainder of the contest and never looked back.

"We are a hard team to match up with," Wiedemann said. "We have the ability to score points in a lot of places. If we take care of the ball, it makes us that much better."

As a team, the Grizzlies scored 78 points against the Warriors and hit .305. Freshman outside hitter Ilana Assis led the way for the Grizzlies offensively with 20 kills and a .375 attacking percentage. Freshman middle blocker Alana Moesch followed with 13 kills and sophomore middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe added 12.

Freshman setter Doga Kutlu dished out 52 assists in the game, while sophomore libero Lauren Weber led the team in passing rating with 2.37

Weber also led the Grizzlies defensively with 24 digs, followed closely by Assis with 19. At the net, Moesch led the team in blocks with two solo blocks. Bibinbe and sophomore right side hitter Cecilia Westfall each had 1.5.

Moesch also had four aces against the Warriors.

"We continue to be more efficient with the ball, earning more points and giving up less. That puts a lot of pressure on whoever is on the other side of the net," Wiedemann said. "It takes a lot of trust to learn to play through points time and again. We keep building that trust, and it has definitely paid off."

Semifinal results

In the semifinal contest Saturday morning, the Grizzlies controlled the game throughout, scoring at will against the Blue Angels.

Statistical leaders for the Grizzlies included Assis with 11 kills, Westfall with a .800 attacking percentage, Kutlu with 29 assists, freshman defensive specialist Sthefany Maximo with a 2.60 passing rating, Bibinbe with 3.5 blocks and Weber with 14 digs.

"There are so many reasons to be excited about what's in front of us," Wiedemann said. "Getting to the national tournament is a big deal and we can feel good about it. But there's still a lot of work to get done to be ready to play the best volleyball of the season at the right time. We can keep getting better together and have a lot of fun doing it. Sus (assistant coach Susannah Kelley) made such a great point to the team – make your next game your favorite game to look back on."

Seedings and pairings for the national tournament, set for Nov. 18-20 in Hutchinson, Kansas, will be announced later this week.

For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website at msuwpgrizzlies.com/sports/wvball/index.

DISTRICT CHAMPIONS – Members of the Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Volleyball team show off their NJCAA Midwest B District Championship trophy after defeating Indian Hills Community College 3-2 Saturday evening at the West Plains Civic Center. Kneeling from left are Sthefany Maximo, Cecilia Westfall, Sydney Rupert, Manoela Rosa, Lauren Weber, Doga Kutlu and Ilana Assis. Standing: Strength and Conditioning Coach Keri Elrod, Head Coach Paula Wiedemann, Angie Hardison, Manuela Bibinbe, Heather Montague, Leticia Barea, Raina Forstrom, Assistant Coach Susannah Kelley, Alana Moesch and Jalise Stewart. (MSU-WP Photo)