WEST PLAINS, Mo. — Officials at Missouri State University-West Plains have inducted former Grizzly Volleyball standout Patricia Figueiredo (2008-09) into the Grizzly Athletics Hall of Fame.
The ceremony took place prior to the volleyball team’s final game Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Grizzly Invitational Tournament in the West Plains Civic Center.
The 5-foot, 9-inch setter from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was considered a “rare find” when she joined the Grizzlies in 2008 as a freshman. Not only was she skilled as a setter, she also was a powerful and efficient attacker and blocker.
She made an immediate impact on the young 2008 squad. She ran an efficient offense and gave her attackers a good set no matter how the ball was passed. By the end of the season, she had racked up 1,735 assists, ranking her first among all NJCAA setters that season. That number still stands as sixth best in a season for assists in the Grizzly Volleyball record books, as well.
Figueiredo’s versatility paid dividends during her sophomore season when the team transitioned from a 5-1 offense to a 6-2 offense. She still led the team in assists, but she also recorded 222 kills, a .271 attacking percentage, 58 blocks, 35 aces, 315 digs and 315 points earned. Her numbers for kills and attacking percentage were second and third on the team that season.
Because of her efforts, the Grizzlies finished seventh at the 2008 NJCAA Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championship Tournament. The following year, she helped guide them to a second place finish in the national tournament.
Figueiredo was a two-time first team All-Region 16 team selection and an NJCAA and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) first team All-American honoree her sophomore season.
After graduating from Missouri State-West Plains with an Associate of Arts in General Studies degree in May 2010, she transferred to Florida State University and helped the Seminoles win the ACC championship that fall. Figueiredo graduated from Florida State in May 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics degree and later earned a master’s degree in leadership studies and communication at the University of Texas-El Paso. She is now the assistant volleyball coach and a financial aid specialist at Montana State University-Northern in Havre.
Figueiredo was given a standing ovation when presented with the award. They were joined on the court by members of the Grizzly Booster Club and some of Figueiredo’s former teammates.
This is the 17th year of the Grizzly Athletics Hall of Fame. Grizzly Hall of Fame Selection Committee members include Chairman Russ Gant, Ron Shemwell, Bo Pace, Carolyn Smith and Quanna Hafer, all of whom are members of the Grizzly Booster Club Executive Board of Directors.
