A legend retires: How Paula Wiedemann kept MSU-West Plains a national volleyball power

WEST PLAINS − The epicenter of National Junior College Athletic Association volleyball is 175 miles from the nearest international airport.

The nearest indoor shopping mall? A 110-mile trek.

With member institutions that span from New York's Bronx to Phoenix, Arizona and almost every major metropolitan area between, West Plains, Missouri may seem like an unlikely destination for the NJCAA national tournament.

But the rural Ozarks city of 12,000 residents is widely considered a volleyball enclave, a distinction born in the 1980s when West Plains High School won four straight state championships under coach Trish Knight, the eventual founder of a Missouri State-University West Plains program that swiftly became a national powerhouse.

Knight, who made a career leap to lead Texas Tech in 2008, entrusted the Grizzlies program to longtime assistant and former Drury star Paula Wiedemann.

Wiedemann kept the tradition-rich program among junior college elites before retiring this month, weeks after helping MSU-West Plains place third at the national tournament at the Civic Center.

Wiedeman, who spent 26 years with the program, said she stepped down to spend more with her family, which includes two teenage multi-sport daughters in the West Plains School District. Her oldest daughter, former MSU-West Plains standout Kelly Wiedemann, recently wrapped up her career at NCAA Division II power Northwest Missouri State.

"The pieces of the job I absolutely loved were tied to the players and the relationships and the community," Wiedemann said. "This is a very knowledgeable volleyball community. It has become a second home for many of our players."

Wiedemann cultivates a family-like atmosphere on teams often mixed with local and international recruits, but deep national tournament runs and a steady flow of players signing with high-level four-year programs were her biggest recruiters.

She helped the Grizzlies to a combined 835-286 mark during her 26 years on the bench, a run that included 19 regional championships, five district championships, four national semifinals and 43 NJCAA All-Americans.

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Led by Baylor-bound sophomore Ruth Manuela Bibinbe, MSU-West Plains had a combined 57-14 mark the past two seasons with back-to-back third-place finishes at the NJCAA tournament.  The Civic Center has hosted the national tournament 11 of the past 21 seasons.

Wiedemann was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2021.

Bibinbe, who came to rural Missouri from The Republic of Cameroon, thanked Wiedemann for easing her transition to America and preparing her for the rigors of high-major college volleyball.

"I am both sad and happy," Bibinbe said in a social media post. "Sad, because I wish you had impacted other young athletes like me — happy, because I know you made the best decision for your family. For once, you chose your family over us and we can't be selfish! I am glad I was part of your volleyball journey."

Several college coaches took to social media to wish Wiedemann well in retirement.

"I watched from afar for numerous years then I found ways to wiggle myself into her world more and more because of the type of person she was," New Mexico Military Institute coach Shelby Forchtner said. "I wanted to learn from the best."

Wiedemann officially retires in March. Former MSU-West Plains and Florida State player Patricia Figueiredo, an assistant coach for Wiedemann, is the Grizzlies' interim head coach.

"We'll not only be missing one of the best volleyball coaches in the country when she leaves on March 1, but for all of us on the West Plains campus, we'll be missing a great friend and colleague," MSU-West Plains Chancellor Dennis Lancaster said.

Wiedemann could have likely ascended to a four-year program, but her children were deeply rooted in the West Plains area and her husband Warren Wiedemann had a 33-year career with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He retired as Troop G supervisor last year.

"We could have moved on with either of our jobs, but the grass isn't always greener somewhere else," Wiedemann said. "This job comes with stress, but it's nothing like the stress that comes with his job."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Paula Wiedemann retires after 26 years with MSU-West Plains volleyball