Bio

Longtime Grizzly Volleyball coach Paula Wiedemann is returning from retirement to lead the team for the upcoming 2025 season.

Paula retired in March 2023 after 26 years with the Grizzly Volleyball program, where she built a nationally respected legacy of excellence. She steps back into the head coaching role following the resignation of Toby Rens who took a NCAA DII men’s volleyball position. 

Wiedemann will serve through the Fall 2025 season. A national search for the next head coach will begin at the conclusion of the season.

In the fall of 2022 Paula Wiedemann retured for her 14th season as head coach of Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Volleyball team and 26th season overall. She continued to put together teams that prove they can compete with the best in the country. She has been a part of over 800 wins in her 26 seasons, returned the 2021 & 2022 Grizzlies to the national tournament Final Four with both teams finishing 3rd at the NJCAA National Championships, and was inducted into the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame during the 2020-2021 season.

Over the past 26 seasons, Wiedemann, a native of Jenks, Okla., has helped guide the Grizzlies to 19 Region XVI Championships, 18 District Championships and 18 NJCAA National Championship tournament appearances, with 16 of those teams finishing in the top ten, 8 in the final four, and 3 finishing as runner-up at the national tournament. In addition, she has helped develop 43 NJCAA All-Americans, 133 All-Region 16 players, 61 NJCAA Academic All-Americans and 18 NJCAA Academic Team Award winners. Wiedemann has an overall record of 835-286 with the team as an assistant and head coach.

In Wiedemann's final season, the 2022 Grizzlies went full circle from starting at #3 in the NJCAA DI Volleyball pre-season poll, to dropping out of the poll, to working their way back to where they started, finishing third for a second straight year at the NJCAA National Championships. Along the way they picked up thier 19th Region XVI Championship, a Midwest District Championship, a #5 seed at the national championships hosted in West Plains and another national tournament final-four appearance. Doga Kutlu and Ilana Assis were named to the NJCAA National Championship All-Tournament team for a second time. For a second year in a row Manuela Bibinbe was named NJCAA First Team All-American and AVCA Second Team All-American, Doga Kutlu again received NJCAA Second Team All-American honors and Ilana Assis was named a NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American. 

The 2021 season was one for the books, with the Grizzlies working their way up to #5 in the national rankings in the final regular season poll. They finished the season with a Region XVI Championship, a District Championship and a 3rd place finish at the NJCAA National Championships. Doga Kutlu and Ilana Assis were named to the NJCAA National Championship All-Tournament team. Manuela Bibinbe was named NJCAA First Team All-American and AVCA Second Team All-American, and Doga Kutlu was named NJCAA Second Team All-American. Playing two seasons in the same year, finishing 9th in the spring, and the return to the top 5 and a 3rd place finish in the fall, capped off a year to celebrate Grizzly Volleyball. The 2021 Grizzlies were as talented in the classroom as they were on the court with 11 players being named NJCAA Academic All-Americans. Ilana Assis, Sthefany Maximo, Raina Forstrom, Alana Moesch, Manoela Rosa and Leticia Barea were named First Team; Manuela Bibinbe, Doga Kutlu, Angelina Hardison and Lauren Weber were named Second Team; and Heather Montague was Third Team during the 2021-2022 academic year. The team was also recognized as a NJCAA Acdemic Team with a 3.50 team GPA. 

The 2020-2021 season was unlike any other, and filled with much uncertainty going into the year. However, the season turned into one to remember for many good reasons. For starters, the 2021 spring season resulted in a 17th NJCAA Region XVI Championship, a Midwest District B Championship which was their ticket to the NJCAA DI National Championships hosted at home, in West Plains. The Grizzlies went into the national tournament seeded 13th and fought their way through a tough tournament field to go 3-1, and finish 9th. Maju Loureiro was one of 12 players named to the NJCAA National Championship All-Tournament team and was later announced as a NJCAA First-Team All-American and AVCA Second-Team All-American. Prior to the championship game, Wiedemann was recognized and inducted into the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame to cap off a very successful and memorable 2020-2021 season.

Grizzly Volleyball has a tradition of success, and Wiedemann joined former Grizzly Volleyball Head Coach, Trish Knight as a NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame member. Knight was inducted in 2005. 

Wiedemann has enjoyed much success with the Grizzlies. During her first year as head coach, Wiedemann led the 2009 Grizzlies to a 27-9 record and a second-place finish in the 2009 NJCAA Division I Women's National Volleyball Championships, marking the third time in the past eight seasons the Grizzlies finished the tournament in the runner-up spot. Two Grizzlies, Kate Stepanova and Patricia Figueiredo, were named NJCAA and AVCA first-team All-Americans. The team also earned a 2009 Fall Academic Team Award, and two Grizzlies earned NJCAA Academic All-American awards – Danielle Parker as a Distinguished Academic All-American honoree and Abbey Roam as an Academic All-American honoree.

In 2010, a very young Grizzly team showed improvement throughout the season, but the group fell short of its goal of reaching the NJCAA national championship tournament for the 12^th consecutive year. The Grizzlies finished the season with an 18-17 record, and sophomore Lia Havili was named NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American for her efforts on the court. The team also earned a 2010 NJCAA Academic Team of the Year Award, and sophomore Janel Glidden was awarded the Superior Academic Achievement Award (formerly Distinguished Academic All-American Award).

In 2011, another young Grizzly team showed great improvement by returning to the NJCAA national poll and ending the year ranked 17^th. The team fell short of its goal of reaching the NJCAA national championship tournament but saw progress throughout the season to build upon. The Grizzlies finished the season with a 26-12 record, and Freshman Candyce Alexander was named NJCAA 2^nd Team All-American and AVCA Honorable Mention All-American for her efforts on the court. The team earned a 2011 NJCAA Academic Team of the Year Award and AVCA Team Academic Award, and sophomores Abby Hanger and Colbi Goff were awarded the Exemplary Academic Achievement Award (formerly Academic All-American Award).

As anticipated, the Grizzlies improved in 2012 under Wiedemann’s tutelage, posting a 28-10 record and finishing ninth in the NJCAA national championships. The Grizzlies returned to their 12^th national championship tournament by winning their 12th Region 16 Championship and their first District N Championship. In 2013 Wiedemann led the Grizzlies to a 23-12 record, their 13^th NJCAA Region 16 Championship, their second District N Championship and a 13^th place finish at the NJCAA National Championship.

In 2014 the Grizzlies continued their streak of NJCAA Region XVI Championships by winning their third in a row, their 14th overall, and their third District N Championship. They finished with a 27-14 record and a 7th place finish at the NJCAA National Championships and Freshman Penny Liu was named to the All-Tournament team. Liu was also named a NJCAA and AVCA 1st Team All-American. The team earned NJCAA All-Academic Team honors and Brianna Zebert and Kaili Simmons received NJCAA Academic All-American honors. 

The Grizzlies finished 26-12 and returned to their 15th NJCAA National Tournament in 2015 by winning their 15th NJCAA Region XVI Championship and fourth District N Championship. The team finished 8th at the national championships and Pulotu Manoa was named to the All-Tournament team. Susannah Kelly and Zori Curry were named as NJCAA Honorable Mention All-Americans. Six players, Maja Petronijevic, Steph Phillips, Guro Froberg, Gabby Edmondson, Blanca Izquierdo and Susannah Kelley were named Academic All-Americans and the team earned NJCAA All-Academic honors. 

The 2016 Grizzlies saw much success on the court and in the classroom, however, were not eligible for the postseason. They went 28-5 and were ranked in the top five most of the season, peaking as high as #3 in the NJCAA poll. They were named a NJCAA and AVCA All-Academic Team and seven Grizzlies earned NJCAA Academic All-American honors; First-Team honors to Autumn Reese, Steph Phillips, Blanca Izquierdo and Johonna Walkup; Second-Team honors to Maja Petronijevic and Kaitlyn Raith and Third-Team honors to Greer Rodgers. The success on the court and in the classroom translated to a talented group of freshmen moving on to four-year programs and created a unique situation in 2017, a team of all freshmen. Even through a 9-21 season, there was growth to build upon. Eight players were named NJCAA Academic All-American; First-Team honors to Tatjana Trifkovic & Elliotte Bourne; Second-Team to Yileen Ng, Alyssa Matherly & Miriam Cardoner-Soler; Third-Team Kinli Simmons, Kamryn Artale & Karolina Noszczyk. 

The following year the 2018 Grizzlies found themselves back in the national rankings, reaching as high as #18. With a season record of 18-16, their improvement helped propel them to a NJCAA Region XVI runner-up finish and into the District K Championship game. The Grizzlies were close to punching their ticket back to the NJCAA National Tournament, but ended up short and fell in 5 sets to #3 Iowa Western. Kelly Wiedemann was named a NJCAA 2nd Team All-American and NJCAA Academic All-American, becoming only the fourth Grizzly to receive both athletic and academic All-American honors. She was joined as a NJCAA Academic All-American by six other Grizzlies; First-Team honors went to Tatjana Trifkovic & Ella Akkerman; Second-Team to Emily Moore & Julia Dunning and Third Team honors for Kamryn Artale & Yileen Ng. 

The 2019 Grizzlies found themselves back in the top 15 in the national poll, finished 17-19 and played arguably the toughest schedule in the nation throughout the season. They finished as NJCAA Region XVI runner-up and District K runner-up, again getting one game away from the NJCAA National Tournament. Kelly Wiedemann was again honored as a NJCAA 2nd Team All-American and NJCAA Academic All-American. She finished the season as one of only five NJCAA DI players in the nation with at least 500 kills and 400 digs. Six other Grizzlies were also named as NJCAA Academic All-Americans; First-Team honors to Julia Dunning; Second-Team to Emily Moore and Third-Team honors for Julieta Campana, Camilly Cristiny, Priscilla Crowell and Daniela Poles.

As a player Wiedemann set the standard for volleyball excellence at Drury University in Springfield. A letterman each year from 1985 to 1988, Wiedemann was the first volleyball player to receive NAIA All-American honors by being named honorable mention in 1987 and to the second team in 1988. She left Drury ranked first in career kills and career digs, the latter of which is second on the all-time list for NAIA records nationwide. The Lady Panthers were nationally ranked during her sophomore, junior and senior years, reaching as high as No. 5 during her senior season, and the team won the district championship – Drury's first ever district championship – her senior year.

After receiving her bachelor's degree in exercise and sport science in 1989, she rejoined the Lady Panthers as an assistant coach for the 1990 & 1991 seasons while earning her master's degree in education-exercise and sport science from the university. The Lady Panthers posted an overall record of 65-40 during her tenure, and in 1990, the team was a district finalist. As an assistant at Drury, Wiedemann helped develop one NAIA All-American and four all-district players.

Wiedemann's first head coaching position came in August 1992 at East Central College in Union, Mo., where she led the Lady Rebels to Region 16 championship semifinal appearances all three years. 

In addition, Wiedemann has played volleyball professionally. She was an outside hitter for the Kansas City Lightning of the National Volleyball Association (NVA). In their first season, the Lightning won the regular season title and was one match away from the NVA finals. She also was a member of Power Angle, a USAV women's team and was a two-time All-American in 1997 and 1998 at the USAV national tournaments.

Paula and her husband, Warren, have three daughters: Kelly (23), Lily (15) and Emma (13).