The Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Volleyball team gave Region 16 rival Jefferson College a taste of its own medicine Friday evening.
After losing a heart-breaking 3-1 decision to the Vikings at home Feb. 23, the Grizzlies (13-4) returned the favor, defeating the Vikings 3-1 at their home court in Hillsboro. The scores were 25-20, 29-27, 26-28, 25-22.
“It was a very good game and a great win for us,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said. “I keep telling our girls that we need to be pushed hard every time we step on the floor in order to get better. Nothing gets easier from this point forward.”
“We talk all the time about how ‘our side matters,’ and if we take care of those things that affect our ability to play at the highest level as a team, the result is some very good volleyball,” she added.
Visible growth as a team
Wiedemann said the Grizzlies have grown a lot as a team since the rivals faced off last month. The players are playing through hard moments when execution is key, and they’re learning to trust each other and give each other what they need to lift the team to success.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth, and we’re continuing to see the team take ownership of those things that will matter going forward,” the coach said. “We are playing at a more consistent level of giving what each other needs to make each one of us better.”
Freshman outside hitter Imani Nicholson is a perfect example of this change, Wiedemann said.
“Friday night, Imani struggled offensively at times, but she didn’t let it affect her game completely. She kept talking, pushing her teammates, and just continued to play hard. Her passing was on point, she had some key kills at the right moments and didn’t let things frustrate her. That’s how we have to play the game, giving to the team regardless of how things may be going individually.
“I was really proud of her. She has a big personality on the floor, and when she’s in it, everyone knows it,” the coach added.
Friday’s game stayed close throughout, but Wiedemann said winning the second set really made the difference in the outcome.
“We won the first set, then in the second set, we were up, but they made a push. They had set point three different times. It was awesome to see how we fought through that set,” she said.
Although the third set was tight, the Vikings held on for the win. But the Grizzlies responded in the fourth set and maintained their lead to take the game.
“You’re going to have to be able to handle being up a point or two then down a couple of points from now on,” Wiedemann said. “The teams on the other side, they’re going to do good things, and we have to be okay with that and keep fighting as a team. We’ve come a long way, and that’s good to see.”
Statistical leaders
Statistical leaders for the Grizzlies included freshman middle blocker Manuela Bibinbe with 16 kills and 17.5 points earned; sophomore outside hitter Maju Loureiro with an attacking percentage of .333; sophomore setter Julieta Campaña with 28 assists; freshman libero Lauren Weber with a 2.45 passing rating, three service aces and 23 digs; and sophomore middle blocker Nayla Watkins with 2.5 blocks.
“Sometimes it can be frustrating if a player feels like she isn’t getting the ball enough, but you never know when those opportunities will come around,” the coach said. “We had people step up in key moments, and it took everyone doing their job to get it done. Nayla had three big kills in the fourth set that made a huge difference for us finishing the game.”
The Grizzlies travel to Park Hills Tuesday night to face Mineral Area College (MAC) in the final Region 16 contest of the regular season. Currently, the Grizzlies and MAC both have 2-1 records in the region, so the winner will earn first seed in the Region 16 Championship Tournament while the loser will be seeded second.
Jefferson has a 1-3 record in the region and will be the tournament’s third seed.
“Every region game is big, and this is going to be a huge game, too,” Wiedemann said of Tuesday’s contest. “It’s going to set the stage for the region tournament.”
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball program, visit www.msuwpgrizzlies.com.
