Grizzly Volleyball adds 2 more players for 2020 season

The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team has added two more players for the 2020 season.

Head Coach Paula Wiedemann announced today that Imani Nicholson, Mobile, Alabama, and Izabela Dos Santos, Minas Gerais, Brazil, have signed national letters of intent to play for the Grizzlies beginning next fall.

"We are excited about Imani and Izabela being part of our Grizzly Volleyball family," Wiedemann said.

Dos Santos is a 6-foot, 2- inch middle who helped lead her team to a championship in Brazil's 2018 national school games. The team also qualified for the world school games with a fourth place finish.

"Izabela will join us in January and will be able to grow as a player in our program this spring," Wiedemann said. "We are looking forward to having her here and getting a chance to work with her.

"She has size and, from what we have seen, can develop into a big presence on the floor. To have a semester of training makes a difference going into next season, so we are excited to see what she can get done this spring," the coach added

A two-time all-state tournament team honoreee, Nicholson helped guide her McGill-Toolen High School squad to the Alabama class 7A state championships in 2017 and 2018.

The 5-foot, 9-inch outside attacker has received numerous individual awards and honors, including offensive player of the year, Mobile All-County, Kiwanis Player of the Week, American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region.

"Imani brings a lot to the table," Wiedemann said. "She comes from a winning program, has a good feel for the game, has an attitude and presence on the floor that can be a huge plus, and she has personality. She makes sure you know she's in the gym. We look forward to seeing her develop as a player and see how she can make a difference in our court presence."

For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website at https://www.msuwpgrizzlies.com/sports/wvball/index or call 417-255-7950.