Bio

2018 Grizzly Hall of Fame inductee video, Courtney Hendrickson recalls what drew her to Missouri State-West Plains.

When it comes to competitive spirit, former Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball player and assistant coach Courtney Hendrickson had it in spades.

The 5-foot, 8-inch outside attacker from Florissant brought a thirst for winning to the Grizzlies in 2004 and 2005 that helped maintain the tradition of excellence established during the program’s first decade.

“Building a program is one thing, maintaining it is another,” Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann said. “Courtney helped us maintain the winning tradition we had built in our program. Her teams finished seventh and third, respectively, at the NJCAA Division I Women’s National Championship, and she was instrumental in maintaining that culture of Grizzly Volleyball.”

 Hendrickson developed her competitive spirit while playing for Incarnate Word Academy in St. Louis, one of the premiere volleyball programs in the state of Missouri. During her tenure there, the team placed first and third in the state championships, and she earned first team all-state honors.

“Her competitive drive to be a winner was a given,” Wiedemann said. “Players who have the ability to bring a winning attitude to their team are valuable, and Courtney had that from the beginning. She wanted to make things happen and get things done, and that’s exactly what she did – she got things done on the court.”

That drive helped the Grizzlies get off to an impressive start in 2004. The team won the prestigious Salt Lake Community College Tournament and earned the  program’s first ever No. 1 ranking from the NJCAA in its weekly poll.

Hendrickson took advantage of her first start against Northeastern Oklahoma A & M College and led the team in kills with 15. She continued to make her presence known throughout the season, leading the team in various statistical categories in different contests and earning praise from her coaches and the team’s opponents.

“She was a six rotation, passing, hitting, defensive machine,” Wiedemann recalled. “Her complete game made her a leader on the court, and her teammates loved playing with her. When you have someone who creates a feeling of ‘Let’s Go!,’ you follow it.”

By the end of the 2004 season, Hendrickson had helped the Grizzlies post a 44-7 overall record, pick up a sixth consecutive Region 16 championship and place seventh at the national championship tournament. She also earned honorable mention All-Region 16 Team honors.

Hendrickson continued leading the Grizzlies by example in the 2005 season. She set the tone on the court with consistent all around play, and she helped nurture an atmosphere of success with her winning attitude and bright personality.

“Her complete game was a great contribution because it gave us stability in every aspect of the game,” Wiedemann said. “And, she gave us so many things that are important to great teams. Her personality and winning attitude were contagious, she worked hard and was a vocal leader – all the things you need in great players.”

As she had during her freshman year, Hendrickson turned in team-leading statistics in various categories throughout the season. She earned all-tournament team honors at the Grizzlies’ First National Bank Tournament with 49 kills, .342 attacking percentage, six assists, two blocks, three aces, 43 digs and 54 points earned, and she was one of three players singled out by then Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Trish Kissiar-Knight for turning in a great all-around performance at the annual Jefferson College Halloween Classic.

She also was instrumental in securing the Grizzlies’ seventh consecutive Region 16 title, serving up three aces in the final set of the championship game against Jefferson. Her efforts earned her first team All-Region 16 honors.

“She went from being a good attacker to a go-to attacker her sophomore year,” said Wiedemann, who was the team’s assistant coach at the time. “She’s the type of player I reference when I talk about someone putting themselves in a great position to attack the ball every time. Her approach made her a great hitter, even though she was only 5-foot, 8-inches. Her ability to help us create offense was so good – by making a perfect pass to defensively keeping the ball off the ground to taking the right kind of swing to create points – she made us better all around.”

Hendrickson also played a key role in the Grizzlies’ third-place finish at nationals. She guided the Grizzlies into the championship bracket with her service game in the first round, and she became the unofficial team MVP in the third-place contest against Western Nebraska Community College when she scored the last two points of the game, including the game-winning kill in the fifth set.

“You could see it on her face as we set up that play,” Knight explained at the time. “She was saying, ‘Give me that ball!’”

Hendrickson ended the game with 20 kills, 24 digs and 22 points earned, leading the team in all three categories.

“Going into that third-place game, we were so excited,” Wiedemann recalled. “We knew, regardless of the outcome, we were going down swinging.”

Hendrickson said the back-to-back appearances in the national tournament are among her fondest memories as a Grizzly. “We were playing the best of the best, and our team was one of the best. The rush and thrill of the competition that each player brought to the court is also something that I will never forget,” she said.

Hendrickson recorded 486 kills, a .310 attacking percentage, 48 blocks, 476 digs and 573 points earned her sophomore season, good enough to garner second team All-American honors from the NJCAA.

After graduating from Missouri State-West Plains in May 2006 with her Associate of Arts in General Studies degree, Hendrickson transferred to Drury University in Springfield. While playing for the Lady Panthers, she was named to Great Lakes Valley Conference team both seasons and was ranked second in kills and third in points per game among all conference players during in 2007. Her 29 kills in one game during the 2007 season is second only to Wiedemann’s 31 in the Lady Panther’s all-time record book.

Hendrickson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise Science from Drury in May 2008 and became Wiedemann’s first assistant coach after Wiedemann took over the Grizzly program in 2009. Hendrickson currently lives in St. Louis where she works for World Wide Technology.

When she thinks of the Grizzly program, Hendrickson said, she thinks of the phenomenal fan support. “Grizzly fans are, without a doubt, the very best fans. They are the reason this program remains successful year after year,” she said. “The national tournament was held in West Plains during my time as a Grizzly. The support that the community and fans showed during that time is unforgettable.”

For Wiedemann, Hendrickson will always be among the Grizzlies’ greatest players. “Being a big part of a final four team at the national championship and being an all-American puts her in elite company. She helped maintain the standard that Grizzly Volleyball is built upon and is striving to meet year in and year out. I loved coaching her because she was all in when it came to how we do things and why it makes a difference. She and her teammates bought in and accomplished great things.”

Courtney’s Missouri State-West Plains Career Stats            

2004-2005 • 276 Sets Played                                       

Courtney’s Drury University Career Stats   

2006-2007 • 225 Sets Played