WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Officials at Missouri State University-West Plains have inducted former Grizzly Volleyball standout Mafo Joelle (2005-2006) into the Grizzly Athletics Hall of Fame.
The ceremony took place during halftime activities of Wednesday’s basketball game between the Grizzlies and State Fair Community College at the West Plains Civic Center.
A good crowd of Grizzly Volleyball and Basketball fans were on hand for the ceremony, and many stayed after the game to celebrate with Joelle.
Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann recognized Joelle and highlighted her accomplishments.
The 5-foot, 11-inch left-handed outside/middle attacker from Yaounde, Cameroon, was known for her big lefty arm swing when she arrived in fall 2005. That swing made an immediate impact for the Grizzlies, and her improvements throughout the season only added to the team’s effectiveness and success on the court.
On a team that featured four future Grizzly Hall of Famers, Joelle led the Grizzlies in multiple categories on several occasions her freshman season from the middle attacker position, picking up two all-tournament team honors during the regular season and an All-Region 16 accolade in the postseason. She even recorded one of the program’s highest hitting percentages on Nov. 1, 2005, when she recorded a .909 against State Fair Community College.
In the 2005 NJCAA Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championship Tournament, Joelle led the team in kills against Midland College in the first round and against College of Southern Idaho in the semifinals, and she had 19 kills against Western Nebraska Community College to help the Grizzlies secure a third-place win. Her efforts earned her a spot on the all-tournament team.
During her sophomore season, Joelle moved to the outside hitting position, but she still set the tone for the team, recording 17 kills in the first game. She continued leading the team at the net until a shoulder injury sidelined her in mid-September. “Even when she was out due to a shoulder injury, she stayed engaged and involved, so when she returned, the team was ready for her to be back on the court,” Wiedemann said.
Joelle returned a month and a half later, and although it took her a few games to get back into the swing of things, she was ready to make an impact for the Grizzlies in the postseason. She helped the team win its eighth consecutive Region 16 title and return to the national tournament.
In the tournament, which was at the West Plains Civic Center, Joelle recorded 12 kills against Northwest-Shoals Community College in the first round and another 9 against San Jacinto College-Central in the second to help the Grizzlies reach the semifinals once again. Unfortunately, history repeated itself and the Grizzlies lost, this time to Iowa Western Community College, a team they had defeated three times during the regular season.
Joelle recalled that defeat and the third-place game the following day against North Idaho College. “We all went back to the dorms and cried as a team because we didn’t understand how we lost to them when we beat them during the season,” she said. “The coaches did not know about this, but we gathered ourselves that next morning and made it a point to beat North Idaho and finish third again that year. We worked hard as a team to be the best. We wanted to win as a team.”
Win they did in a five-set nail biter, securing a national tournament legacy that subsequent Grizzly teams use to measure themselves. “I played with the best players the program has ever had – Candace Saleaumua, Luiza Jaroka, Amy Lusk, Patricia Gandolfo, just to name a few. I played with the best, so I became one of the best while learning from them,” Joelle said.
By the end of her sophomore season, Joelle was third among all-time Grizzlies in attacking percentage for outside/right side hitters and eighth among all hitters (.330) and sixth in points earned (959).
“Mafo was a really good player when she arrived, and she worked hard to be a great player by the time she left,” Wiedemann said. “She played with some great teammates, and we were better with her on the court because of her ability to score points and be a big presence on the floor. Every team needs that, and she was a big part of those teams finishing third at the national championships.”
After graduating with an Associate of Arts in General Studies degree in May 2007, Mafo transferred to Arkansas State University in Jonesboro where she completed her collegiate career. She received a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion in 2009 and is now living in Austin, Texas, where she is the head volleyball coach at Huston-Tillotson University.
“I am trying to build a successful volleyball program like the one at West Plains,” Joelle said. “I will always do what I can to help others like me achieve their goals. That opportunity happened for me, and I want to make sure other young women get that same opportunity. I am so proud to be a Grizzly, and I will always be one.”
Joelle was given a standing ovation when presented with the award by Wiedemann. They were joined on the court by members of the Grizzly Squad.
This is the 18th year of the Grizzly Athletics Hall of Fame. Grizzly Hall of Fame Selection Committee members include Chairman Russ Gant, Ron Shemwell, John Williams, Carolyn Smith and Quanna Hafer.
