Friday, February 25
Florence, Ala.
4:00 P.M.
Missouri State University
vs
Huntingdon
Beach Bears Open 2022 Slate at Shoals Beach Bash
February 24, 2022 | Beach Volleyball
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State starts its fifth season of beach volleyball this weekend by competing in the Shoals Beach Bash hosted by North Alabama.
"The Beach Bears are laying the groundwork to build up Missouri State as a beach powerhouse of the Midwest," head coach Gretchen Hand said. "We are proud of the improvements made so far and look forward to opening the season this weekend."
Missouri State will open the season with Huntingdon at 4 p.m. on Friday before facing North Alabama (11 a.m.) and Hendrix (1Â p.m.) on Saturday.
Year 4 Recap
Missouri State went 7-8 last year by scoring four wins over Ottawa (4-1, 4-1, 5-0, 5-0) and wins over Houston Baptist (3-2), New Orleans (4-1), and Colorado Mesa (4-1).
Scouting the Bears
Grace Cook and Chloe Tome headline the returnees for the Bears after the duo set a new single-season win mark by going 12-3 in the No. 2 spot last season. Other returnees from 2021 include Parker McAllen, Brooke Plessner, Chloe Filipski, Grace Cook and Kylee Davis.
MSU has five tournaments scheduled this season (Shoals Beach Bash, Battle of the Bay, UCA Tournament, UT-Martin Tournament, TCU Tournament). The schedule also features nine individual matches with the Bears competing at home on the weekends of March 18-19 and April 8-9.
The Opponents
Huntingdon has already competed in three matches this season as they are coming off a pair of wins over St. Andrews (5-0, 3-2) and a loss to Mobile (3-2). Last season the Hawks went 2-11 with wins over Hendrix and Mobile.
The Shoals Beach Bash will be the first action for North Alabama in 2022. The Lions are coming off a 12-10 campaign in 2021. Key returnees include the No. 2 pair of Paul Klemperer and Natalie Kordt, who led North Alabama with a 13-8 mark and Catie Ladner and Mackenzie Martin, who went 12-8 last season, primarily competing in the No. 4 position.
Hendrix will be opening its season this weekend as well. The Warriors posted a 3-11 record last season with wins over Mobile (4-1), Huntingdon (4-1) and Park (Mo.) (3-2). Faith Hill and Grace Turner are two returnees to watch as the No. 2 duo went 3-1 last season.
Hand at the Helm
Gretchen Hand was named the third head coach in Missouri State Beach Volleyball on July 2, 2021, by Athletic Director Kyle Moats. Hand comes to Missouri State after spending the last two-and-a-half years as director of volleyball at Webber International University in Babson Park, Fla. During her tenure with the Warriors, she worked with the men's and women's indoor programs in addition to the beach team and contributed to the beach team's conference title and NAIA national fourth-place finish in 2019. As a player, Hand competed professionally from 2001-2015. She had main-draw finishes in the AVP (American Volleyball Professionals), the NVL (National Volleyball League), Corona Wide Open, the EVP (Extreme Volleyball Professionals) and the FIVB, competing across the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Ireland and Thailand.
On Jan. 2, 2022, Hand announced the addition of assistant coach Carol Welcher, who comes to Missouri State with nearly 20 years of coaching and playing experience at the national, collegiate, club, and high school levels. She was the assistant coach for UCSD's women's volleyball team for the 2016-2017 season. Before UCSD, Welcher was also the head coach and director of the girl's varsity volleyball program at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista and coached for La Jolla Volleyball Club and Beach Dig, both located in San Diego. Welcher competed in four years of professional indoor volleyball as a player in Finland, France, Germany, and Switzerland. She also spent seven years on the AVP's beach tour.
Bears in the CCSA
Missouri State officially joined the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association on Dec. 13, 2019. The Bears will vie for a title in the six-team league at the CCSA Tournament on April 28 and 30.
Â
Up Next
The Bears head to St. Petersburg, Fla., March 4-5 for the Battle of the Bay tournament, hosted by Eckerd College.
Â
"The Beach Bears are laying the groundwork to build up Missouri State as a beach powerhouse of the Midwest," head coach Gretchen Hand said. "We are proud of the improvements made so far and look forward to opening the season this weekend."
Missouri State will open the season with Huntingdon at 4 p.m. on Friday before facing North Alabama (11 a.m.) and Hendrix (1Â p.m.) on Saturday.
Year 4 Recap
Missouri State went 7-8 last year by scoring four wins over Ottawa (4-1, 4-1, 5-0, 5-0) and wins over Houston Baptist (3-2), New Orleans (4-1), and Colorado Mesa (4-1).
Scouting the Bears
Grace Cook and Chloe Tome headline the returnees for the Bears after the duo set a new single-season win mark by going 12-3 in the No. 2 spot last season. Other returnees from 2021 include Parker McAllen, Brooke Plessner, Chloe Filipski, Grace Cook and Kylee Davis.
MSU has five tournaments scheduled this season (Shoals Beach Bash, Battle of the Bay, UCA Tournament, UT-Martin Tournament, TCU Tournament). The schedule also features nine individual matches with the Bears competing at home on the weekends of March 18-19 and April 8-9.
The Opponents
Huntingdon has already competed in three matches this season as they are coming off a pair of wins over St. Andrews (5-0, 3-2) and a loss to Mobile (3-2). Last season the Hawks went 2-11 with wins over Hendrix and Mobile.
The Shoals Beach Bash will be the first action for North Alabama in 2022. The Lions are coming off a 12-10 campaign in 2021. Key returnees include the No. 2 pair of Paul Klemperer and Natalie Kordt, who led North Alabama with a 13-8 mark and Catie Ladner and Mackenzie Martin, who went 12-8 last season, primarily competing in the No. 4 position.
Hendrix will be opening its season this weekend as well. The Warriors posted a 3-11 record last season with wins over Mobile (4-1), Huntingdon (4-1) and Park (Mo.) (3-2). Faith Hill and Grace Turner are two returnees to watch as the No. 2 duo went 3-1 last season.
Hand at the Helm
Gretchen Hand was named the third head coach in Missouri State Beach Volleyball on July 2, 2021, by Athletic Director Kyle Moats. Hand comes to Missouri State after spending the last two-and-a-half years as director of volleyball at Webber International University in Babson Park, Fla. During her tenure with the Warriors, she worked with the men's and women's indoor programs in addition to the beach team and contributed to the beach team's conference title and NAIA national fourth-place finish in 2019. As a player, Hand competed professionally from 2001-2015. She had main-draw finishes in the AVP (American Volleyball Professionals), the NVL (National Volleyball League), Corona Wide Open, the EVP (Extreme Volleyball Professionals) and the FIVB, competing across the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Ireland and Thailand.
On Jan. 2, 2022, Hand announced the addition of assistant coach Carol Welcher, who comes to Missouri State with nearly 20 years of coaching and playing experience at the national, collegiate, club, and high school levels. She was the assistant coach for UCSD's women's volleyball team for the 2016-2017 season. Before UCSD, Welcher was also the head coach and director of the girl's varsity volleyball program at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista and coached for La Jolla Volleyball Club and Beach Dig, both located in San Diego. Welcher competed in four years of professional indoor volleyball as a player in Finland, France, Germany, and Switzerland. She also spent seven years on the AVP's beach tour.
Bears in the CCSA
Missouri State officially joined the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association on Dec. 13, 2019. The Bears will vie for a title in the six-team league at the CCSA Tournament on April 28 and 30.
Â
Up Next
The Bears head to St. Petersburg, Fla., March 4-5 for the Battle of the Bay tournament, hosted by Eckerd College.
Â
#BearsUnite
Players Mentioned
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
Monday, June 15
Monday, June 08
Saturday, May 30
Saturday, May 30
