The Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Volleyball team’s return to the NJCAA Division I National Volleyball Championship didn’t go as planned.
In their first-round contest Thursday afternoon, the 13th seeded Grizzlies (17-6) fell to the fourth seeded Utah State University Eastern Golden Eagles (24-5) from Price 0-3 at the West Plains Civic Center. The scores were 22-25, 24-26, 19-25.
The loss sends the Grizzlies into the consolation bracket where they will face 12th seeded Wallace State Community College (31-1) from Hanceville, Alabama, at 11:30 a.m. today. The Lions lost to Iowa Western Community College from Council Bluffs 0-3 in their first-round contest.
The Grizzlies, ranked 15th in the final poll of the season, were making their first appearance in the tournament since 2015. And, with the event on their home court for the first time in nearly a decade, the Grizzlies were hoping to pick up a win Thursday and secure a place in the championship bracket.
But some of the issues they thought they had corrected earlier in the season reared their ugly heads and left the players and coaches thinking about what could have been.
“This is really hard to take,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said. “Everything we’ve done to get here, the fight, the feel, it was nowhere to be found. This was a game we could have won had we played the way we have the last month and a half. We’ve done so many good things this season, but that it doesn’t matter. Whoever you are playing next doesn’t care. It’s disappointing and it’s frustrating.
Missed opportunities
The Grizzlies kept it tight with the Golden Eagles in the first two sets. They fought back from a 5-point deficit in the first to stay within striking distance of the Golden Eagles before the No. 4 team in the nation could put it away.
In the second set, the Grizzlies found their rhythm and went up by as many as 7 points before the Golden Eagles battled back to snatch the frame. Set three saw the teams stay close early before the Grizzlies went on a scoring spree to go up by 6 points, 12-6, but the Golden Eagles once again swooped in to regain the lead at 15-16 and never looked back.
“When you’re in the game, but you know you’re not playing nearly as well as you can, that’s hard to take,” Wiedemann said. “We never had a presence on the floor that made us better and made them worry.
“To connect and make things happen, you have to get someone’s attention – your teammates, the team across the net,” she added. “Everyone can block, hit, set and dig, but we didn’t do anything to let them know we were on the floor and weren’t going away. We didn’t show any emotion when things were tough, and we didn’t communicate. We weren’t willing to do what was needed to get things done. The goals and habits we developed this season to get us here went by the wayside. I know how hard this team has worked, how much fight they have in them, and when it doesn’t come out on the biggest stage, it feels like a huge, missed opportunity.”
Statistics kept by NJCAA officials show sophomore outside attacker Maju Loureiro led the team in kills with 14, attacking percentage at .226 and points earned with 15. Sophomore setter Julieta Campana led the team in assists with 18. Sophomore middle blocker Nayla Watkins recorded a team-leading four blocks, and freshman libero Lauren Weber led the team in digs with 19.
The highest the Grizzlies can now place in the three-day tournament is ninth, but they will have to find the passion and desire to win all their remaining games to do so.
“The work still has to be done. None of this happens without effort, work and the passion to keep fighting,” Wiedemann said. “It takes hard work to get here, and it takes more work once you are here. You never arrive and get to a point that you don’t have to put in the work. The things that you build into a program are not easy to maintain, but they must become a constant. You can be good enough to try it, but you have to be tough enough to handle it.”
Wiedemann’s recognition rescheduled
NJCAA officials announced late last week that Wiedemann has been selected for induction to the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame this year. She was to have been recognized prior to the third/fourth pace contest set for 4:30 p.m. Saturday, but a scheduling conflict has bumped the recognition back a couple of hours. She now will be recognized prior to the tournament’s championship game at approximately 7 p.m. Saturday.
For more information about the NJCAA Division I National Volleyball Championship, visit njcaa.org.
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball program, visit www.msuwpgrizzlies.com.
