Bio

She was a versatile player whose maturity, leadership skills and volleyball acumen provided the anchor for one of the best teams in Grizzly Volleyball history, so it's no surprise that Luiza Jarocka would be honored with a place in the Grizzly Athletics Hall of Fame.

"Her leadership and maturity combined with the ability to play at a very high level made her one of the best setters our program has ever had," said Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach Paula Wiedemann. "Her complete game gave us stability in every aspect of the game. Her maturity as a setter was outstanding. She understood matchups on the court better than most, and it made our teams play at a higher level."

"She displayed a calmness when she played, but she was extremely competitive, and others on the team fed off that competitive drive," the coach continued. "What made her a great player made her a great person - she loved new experiences and always wanted to get the best out of it. What she may not have realized is she had a way of getting the best out of others, as well, and that's what made her special."

The 6-foot setter/outside attacker from Warsaw, Poland, came to the Grizzlies in 2005 and immediately made an impact on the team. Working in tandem with fellow Grizzly Hall of Famer Candance Saleaumua, the Grizzlies attacked the season with confidence, knowing Jarocka's talents gave them the option of running either a 6-2 or a 5-1 offense that would keep opponents on their toes.

Jarocka frequently stood among team leaders in statistical categories that season and turned in her best performance at the Jefferson College Invitational Tournament, where she earned all-tournament team honors after recording 29 kills, 46 assists, eight blocks, three services aces, 46 digs and 40 points earned. Her talents helped the Grizzlies earned their seventh straight NJCAA Region 16 Championship in 2005 and place third in the NJCAA Division I Women's National Volleyball Championship Tournament that same year.

In 2006, the Grizzlies relied on Jarocka's talents even more. Through natural attrition and injuries early in the season, the team found itself facing the campaign with more questions than answers. "The 2006 team was one of the most memorable teams we had the pleasure to coach, even though at the beginning of the season we were trying to figure out how to deal with all the adversity thrown our way," Wiedemann said. "We ended up with only eight players on our roster but what they accomplished during the season was nothing short of extraordinary."

After starting 6-5, the team went on to win 35 of the next 37 matches, including a stretch of 23 consecutive victories; won six tournament titles during the regular season - the most by any team in program history; and finished the regular season ranked as the No. 2 team in the nation. The Grizzlies capped it off with their eighth consecutive Region 16 title and another third place finish in the National Tournament.

"Lu had such an impact on the performance of this team through her competitveness and ability to control the tempo of the team," Wiedemann said. "She anchored the team with her leadership and took over the court with her play. It was amazing to watch her from a coaching standpoint. I could see the team transform into a winning machine, and it all began with her."

Jarocka says the team's accomplishments that season hold a special place in her heart. "We were undefeated for the majority of the season, and we had the most diverse players of any other team that year. Even with no one on the bench, we made it to the end with quite a good result," she said.

Jarocka earned quite a few individual accolades that season, as well. She was named to several all tournament teams and received most valuable player honors at two; she was named the NJCAA's Division I Player of the Week following her performance at the Miami-Dade Invitational Tournament in October; she earned first team All-Region 16 honors and all-tournament team honors at the NJCAA Division I Women's National Volleyball Championships; she was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association's All-American team; and she received NJCAA first team All-American and Distinguished Academic All-American honors, becoming the first Grizzly athlete to receive both honors in the same season.

"Lu was the complete package when you talk about being a student athlete," Wiedemann said. "She was our first - and only - NJCAA first team All-American on the court and Distinguished Academic All-American in the classroom. The 2006 team she led to third place finish at the national championships was one of the most memorable teams in the history of Grizzly Volleyball. I loved coaching her and appreciated what she did in the two years she was a Grizzly."

At the time of her departure, Jarocka was first in career attacking percentage (.337) for outside/right side hitters, fourth in career attacking percentage among all hitters (.338), fourth in career assists (2,205), fourth in single season assists (1,819 in 2006) and seventh in single season attacking percentage among all hitters (.405 in 2006). She remains first among outside/right side attackers in career attacking percentage and now places fifth in career attacking percentage among all hitters, career assists and single season assists and eighth in single season attacking percentage among all hitters.

Jarocka graduated from Missouri State-West Plains in May 2007 with an Associate of Arts in General Studies degree and transferred to the University of Missouri-Columbia where she played one season for the Tigers, helping them post a 17-13 record and reach the NCAA National Volleyball Tournament. She graduated from Mizzou in 2009 with two bachelor's degrees and currently works in her hometown, Warsaw, as a manager for Citi Bank.

Thinking about her time at Missouri State-West Plains always brings back good memories, Jarocka said. "My fondest memories are those of the people who created my home away from home, Pat and Linda Keefe, the coaches and everyone who contributed to the program. Thanks to them, I will always think of West Plains as home, too," she explained.

Luiza's Missouri State-West Plains’ Career Stats

• 2005-2007
• Total Games Played 300
• Kills 375 * 1.25/game
• Attack Attempts 826
• Attacking Percentage .339
• Assists 2,205 * 7.35/game
• Blocks 189 * .63/game
• Aces 74
• Digs 791 * 2.64/game
• Points Earned 638

Luiza's University of Missouri Career Stats 

• 2007
• Total Games Played 70
• Kills 4 * .06/game
• Atack Attempts 16
• Attacking Percentage .125
• Assists 271 * 3.87/game
• Digs 96 * 1.37/game
• Points Earned 4.5