CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two members of the Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Volleyball team have been named a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American team.
Sophomore middle blocker Ruth Manuela Bibinbe was named to the first team, sophomore setter Doga Kutlu received second team honors, and sophomore outside hitter Ilana Assis earned honorable mention accolades.
The announcement came Thursday, Dec. 1, by NJCAA officials from the organization’s headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Bibinbe, who hails from Yaounde, Cameroon, Kutlu, who is from Cakaya, Turkey, and Assis, who is from Chapadao do Ceu, Brazil, are the 41st, 42nd and 43rd Grizzly Volleyball players to receive All-American honors. Bibinbe is the 19th player to receive first team recognition.
This is the second year in a row Bibinbe and Kutlu received first and second team honors, respectively.
Bibinbe also was named a first team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Thursday.
“I’m so proud of and happy for Manu, Dodi and Assis!! They have grown so much over the past two years and made so many great things happen because of their love of the game and the work they’ve put into it,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said.
“As a coach I appreciate how they have handled the ups and downs they went through as a player and as a team, while never wavering from the process and goals they set for themselves. To make big things happen you have to do big things. They continued to show how much all of this matters to them, on and off the court. I love how much being a Grizzly means to them!,” Wiedemann added.
This past season, Bibinbe recorded 367 kills (3.01 kills per set) and hit .335. She also had 102 blocks, including 41 solo blocks, and 91 digs.
“Manu catches your attention quickly and keeps it by the way she plays the game physically and with her personality on the floor,” Wiedemann said. “So many coaches talk about her growth from her freshman to sophomore year and the joy she plays with. Her impact as a teammate is just as fun to watch as her crushing a ball or getting a huge block. She plays with a joy and humbleness that is noticeable by anyone who watches our team. She has the ability to take over a game quickly. The impact she has made on our program is big and I cannot wait to watch what she does at Baylor.”
Kutlu led the team in assists this season with 1,317 (10.62 per set), fourth most in the nation among NJCAA Division I setters. She also had 100 kills, 51 service aces, 307 digs and 33 blocks.
“I really can’t say enough about Doga and the impact she has made on our team the past two years,” the coach said. “She grew into a leader who has everyone’s attention on the floor. She makes her hitters feel more comfortable by giving them confidence, can be demanding in all the good ways, and her team wants to follow her. Her ability to spread out the offense and make everyone on the floor an option is as good as any of the great setters we’ve had play for us. Her personality is a rare combination of competitiveness, love of the game, genuineness, demanding and funny. She is a competitive learner and makes everyone around her better.”
Assis led the team in kills this season with 571 (4.68 per set), second most in the nation among NJCAA Division I hitters. She also hit .310 and had 324 digs, 26 service aces, 22 total blocks and 611.5 points.
“What a year Assis put together! She has an unbelievable arm that everyone notices. Her growth into becoming a go-to, doesn’t-matter-what’s-in-front-of-her, give-me-the-ball attacker has been fun to watch. Her ability to score points and her consistency this year set her apart from everyone else,” Wiedemann said. “She has come so far from the day she stepped on campus to being one of the best six-rotation outside hitters we’ve had in our program. We asked her at the beginning of the year what movie title would she choose for her life, and she said ‘Facing the Giants.’ You have no idea how much that made me smile.”
For a full list of this year’s NJCAA All-American honorees, visit NJCAA.org. For a full list of this year’s AVCA All-Americans, visit AVCA.org. For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit the team’s website, MSUWPGrizzlies.com.
