The Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Volleyball team will enter the 2021 NJCAA Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championship Tournament as the fifth seed.
The Grizzlies (27-5) will face 12th seeded Central Wyoming College of Riverton (24-7) at 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, in the first round of the three-day tournament at Hutchinson, Kansas.
The Grizzlies were ranked fifth in the last poll of the season. Central Wyoming Rustlers were ranked 11th.
Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said she and her team are looking forward to facing the Rustlers. “We are excited to finally see what the tournament bracket looks like. Central Wyoming has been in the national poll all year and comes from a good region,” she said.
The Grizzlies will need to take their play to the next level, now that they’ve reached nationals, Wiedemann said.
“Now that the postseason has started, we have to be able to put good things together regardless of who is on the other side of the net,” she said. “Our play through a tough district helped us get to this point, and winning our district put us where we want to be.
“We have fought through a lot of things throughout the season, learned some things along the way, and now is the time to play our best volleyball of the season. We have to own our side of the net and do the things that make the difference in how we play the game. If we do that, our execution goes to a whole new level,” she explained.
“Our goal is to play the best we can, and if the other team is doing the same, then it’s some great volleyball to watch,” she added.
Those who cannot travel to Hutchinson can still watch the Grizzlies in action on the NJCAA Network, NJCAA.org/Network. Day passes are $10, or fans can pay $25 to watch all three days of action.
For more information about the tournament, including the complete tournament bracket, schedule of games and NJCAA Network streaming information, visit NJCAA.org/Championships/Sports/WVBall/Div1/index.
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball program, visit MSUWPGrizzlies.com.
Send-off rally Tuesday for Grizzly Volleyball team
WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Come out Tuesday morning and wish the fifth ranked Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Volleyball team “Good Luck” as they head to nationals!
University officials are organizing a send-off rally to show campus and community support for the team as they head to the NJCAA Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championship Tournament Nov. 18-20 in Hutchinson, Kansas.
The rally will start on campus at the Grizzly House on Trish Knight Street. At 11:30 a.m., busses carrying team members will leave campus with a police escort and travel around Court Square, then north on Washington Avenue to Broadway, then west on Broadway to Porter Wagoner Boulevard, then north on Porter Wagoner Boulevard to U.S. 63 and the city limits.
Officials are encouraging business owners along the route, as well as community members, to stand curb side with homemade signs and banners and cheer the team as it passes. Officials said they also would like to see “Good Luck, Grizzlies!” on business marquees along the route.
“We want them to know how proud we are of their accomplishments this season and show them our support as they continue to make our hometown proud,” said Interim Athletic Director Crockett Oaks.
The Grizzlies (27-5) punched their ticket to the tournament Nov. 6 when they defeated Indian Hills Community College in the Midwest B District Championship at the West Plains Civic Center.
The fifth seeded Grizzlies will open the three-day event against 12th seed Central Wyoming College from Riverton at 3 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) Thursday, Nov. 18.
For more information about the national tournament, visit NJCAA.org.
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit MSUWPGrizzlies.com.
