Grizzlies remain undefeated in Region 16; will host Grizzly Invitational Fri., Sat.

The Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Volleyball team kept its Region 16 record unblemished Wednesday evening with a 3-1 victory over Jefferson College in Hillsboro.

The No. 8 Grizzlies, who are 3-0 in region play, downed the Vikings 25-17, 24-26, 25-18, 26-24 in a classic battle between the two long-time region foes.

"This was a big win for our team, and I'm really proud of how they worked through this game," Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said. "Jefferson is a better team than the first time we saw them, and they never give up on a play. They made us do what we need to do as a team, and that's work together to get the job done. It was a great team win."

Balanced offense was key

Four Grizzlies hit in double figures for the night, and redshirt freshman right side hitter Manuela Bibinbe led the charge with 13 kills. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Angelina Hardison followed with 11, and redshirt freshman right side attacker Cecilia Westfall and freshman middle blocker Alana Moesch each had 10.

Hardison was most efficient at the net with an attacking percentage of .360. Bibinbe was close behind at .310.

"Doga (Kutlu) did a great job spreading out the offense, and Manu and Angie did a great job of leading the way in kills and efficiency," Wiedemann said. "They were absolutely pounding the ball, and when you establish the middle, it opens up everything else.

"It was a balanced, well executed offense. Our hitters know they have to be ready and be an option for us to continue to do good things," she added.

Redshirt freshman libero Lauren Weber led the team defensively with 26 digs and a 2.65 passing rating. Freshman outside hitter Ilana Assis followed with 17 digs to go with her eight kills.

"Our defense was on point, averaging 19 digs per set," Wiedemann said. "Lauren anchors us in defense and passing, and she did a great job leading the way and talking through adjustments we needed to make.

"Sthefany (Maximo) is back on court after a long break, and she's doing good things when she's out there," the coach added. "She is very vocal, and that makes a difference when you talk and make things happen. The more people we have talking and adjusting, the better."

Up next

The Grizzlies will take an overall record of 14-5 into the Grizzly Invitational Tournament Friday and Saturday in Joe Paul Evans arena at the West Plains Civic Center.

Joining the Grizzlies at the two-day event will be Jefferson, Hutchinson Community College, Trinity Valley Community College and Tyler Junior College. Games begin at 10 a.m. each day.

The Grizzlies will face Hutchinson at noon Friday then play Trinity Valley at 6 p.m. Saturday, they will face Tyler at 2 p.m. and close out the tournament with a 6 p.m. rematch against Jefferson.

For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website at msuwpgrizzlies.com/sports/wvball/index.