Four more players have been added to the Grizzly Volleyball team for the 2024-2025 campaign. They are, from left, Violeta Bachvarova, Chesnea Blakey, Isabella Calle, and Elidjah Abomo. (Photos provided)

Posted: Apr 29, 2024

Grizzly Volleyball adds 4 more players to 2024-2025 squad

Paty Figueiredo, head coach of the Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Volleyball team, has announced the signing of four more players to the 2024-2025 team. They are:

Violeta Bachvarova, a 5-foot, 10-inch outside hitter from Bulgaria
Chesnea Blakey, a 5-foot, 8-inch libero from Rogersville
Isabella Calle, a 5-foot, 6-inch libero from Colombia
Elidjah Abomo, a 5-foot, 11-inch middle blocker from France

More about Bachvarova

Figueiredo said she is excited to add Bachvarova, who helped lead her team to a third-place finish at the Bulgarian Volleyball Cup, to the Grizzlies outside hitting corps next season.

"Violeta plays smart and has a lot of speed. She also will add great ball control to our team," the coach said. "She is a complete player who will add positive things to our team on and off the court.

"She also is a fun player to be around. She is very determined and loves to compete and win," Figueiredo added. "She also is a smart student who loves to be connected with the community and to make a difference in people's lives."

More about Blakey

Blakey will bring a lot of technical quality to the Grizzlies' back row and defensive system this fall, Figueiredo said.

"Chesney is a libero who plays with a lot of courage and who is comfortable with using her platform and hands on serve receive," the coach said. "We are always searching for a libero with these qualities to allow us to anticipate our serve receive line and to keep the transition quality when our team is out of system. She does a great job reading and anticipating plays.

"She also has a great personality and is an incredibly positive player who makes her teammates around her better and more confident," Figueiredo added. "I am sure she will bring a lot of energy and voice to the team."

Blakey was the Wildcats' team leader in serve receive and was named all-conference and all-district honors. She also earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Best and Brightest Award.

More about Calle

A national champion with her club team in Columbia, Calle should bring a lot of dynamism and energy to the Grizzlies, Figueiredo said.

"Isabella is an agile libero who plays with a lot of determination," the coach said. "Her experience will be a great asset to our team on defense and as a leader. She will help us build a strong transition, even when we are out of system and relying on her to set from the back row.

"She is a fun and natural leader, and we look forward to having a strong, competitive team to help us create more opportunities to score," Figueiredo added.

More about Abomo

Abomo plays for a well-known volleyball club in France and will bring a lot of experience to MSU-WP. She has competed at a high level for the past four years and helped her team to a seventh place finish out of 260 teams competing nationally, Figueirdeo said.

"Elidjah will add athleticism and energy offensively. She is an extremely competitive player who will add courage and determination to our team on the court," the coach said. "She will be a powerful addition to our returning sophomore middle blockers.

"She reads the game well and will help our team defensively by putting up a solid block and working hard in transition to give us a quick option offensively," Figueiredo added.

For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website at MSUWPGrizzlies.com.