WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Officials with the Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) Grizzly Volleyball team have inked their first recruits for the 2021-2022 season.
Brazilians Alana Moesch, Leticia Curtolo Barea and Manoela Rosa each recently signed letters of intent to play for the Grizzlies beginning with the 2021 fall semester. The Grizzlies have had eight Brazilians play for the team since its inception in 1993.
“We couldn’t be more excited about having Alana, Leticia and Manoela become a part of our Grizzly Volleyball family,” said head coach Paula Wiedemann. “By adding them to our returning group of players from this year, our overall talent level will be high across the board in every position.”
Moesch, a 6-foot, 2- inch middle blocker/right side attacker from Lajeado, won three state championships at her high school in Lajeado.
She then moved to Sao Paulo and played on the ADC Bradesco club team, which went undefeated and won a state championship in 2018. In 2019, the team went 17-2 and placed third in the state.
This past year, she played for the Tijuca Tenis Club in Rio de Janeiro, which placed third in a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moesch also was a member of the state teams that competed in the national tournament from 2015-2019.
“Alana is a big, competitive player who will come in ready to play at a high level,” Wiedemann said. “Her ability to play various positions along the net will create more opportunities for her and for us. We look forward to seeing her growth.”
Barea, a 6-foot, 1-inch right side attacker/middle blocker from Sao Paulo, played for the Sesi Bauru club team in 2019 that won the Paulista Championship, and the Sao Jose dos Campos club team that placed third in the state championship in 2020.
“Leticia is a kid we connected with immediately,” Wiedemann said. “Throughout our FaceTime calls, her reactions and responses to what we were saying showed that she was paying attention and was ready. She’s an all-around player with a big personality, and her versatility at the net makes her very valuable.”
Rosa, a 5-foot, 6-inch libero/defensive specialist from Curitiba, played for the Duque de Caxias club team, which placed third in the 2017 and 2018 regional championships, third in the Cir5culo Militar Club International Club Tournament and second in the Grandprix.
She was named best libero of the 2019 regional championship.
Although fairly new to the sport of volleyball (she began playing at age 14), she practiced and competed in jiu-jitsu tournaments until age 15, winning the Brazilian jiu-jitsu championship along the way.
“Manoela is a steady player who will be a huge defensive asset for us,” Wiedemann said. “Her history with jiu-jitsu highlights her toughness and drive, and we are confident she will be very successful here.”
For more information about the Grizzly Volleyball team, visit its website at msuwpgrizzlies.com/sports/wvball/index or call 417-255-7950.
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