Long Beach State Kicks off with Mizuno
Loyola, Chicago, Dayton, Oral Roberts, and Baylor This Week August 26, 2002
0-0, 0-0 Big West (#5 AVCA, #7 VB Mag)
Home: 0-0 • Away: 0-0 • Neutral: 0-0
Quickly: The 49ers open their 2002 season hosting the Mizuno Invitational, August 30 thru 31 at The Pyramid. Baylor, Oral Roberts, Dayton, and Loyola, Chicago will all compete in the two day tournament. The 49ers face Loyola, Chicago on Aug. 30 at 2:00 p.m.
Mizuno Schedule of Events:
Friday, Aug. 30
11:00 a.m. - Oral Roberts vs. Dayton
2:00 p.m. - LBSU vs. Loyola, Chicago
5:00 p.m. - Oral Roberts vs. Baylor
7:30 p.m. - LBSU vs. Dayton
Saturday, Aug. 31
11:00 a.m. - Baylor vs. Loyola, Chicago
2:00 p.m. - LBSU vs. Oral Roberts
5:00 p.m. - Dayton vs. Loyola, Chicago
7:30 p.m. - LBSU vs. Baylor First Timers: Long Beach State will face both Loyola, Chicago and Dayton for the first time in school history when they host the Mizuno Classic this weekend. Meanwhile, LBSU holds a 3-0 all-time series edge versus Baylor and Oral Roberts. OPPONENTS (Click on School for More Info!)
LOYOLA, CHICAGO
DAYTON
ORAL ROBERTS
BAYLOR TEAM NOTES
Top 10 in the Pre-Season Polls:
Long Beach State opens its 2002 campaign ranked in the Top 10 in both the AVCA and Volleyball Magazine Pre-Season Top 25 Polls. This is the sixth consecutive season that Long Beach State has been ranked in the Top-10 in the Pre-Season AVCA Poll (2002 - No. 5, 2001 - No. 8, 2000 - No. 4, 1999 - No. 5, 1998 - No. 2, 1997 -No. 5)
The Coaches Have Spoken:
Long Beach State was selected to win the Big West Conference championship, according to the 2002 Pre-Season Coaches Poll, released by the conference office last week. The Beach (18-0 in conf. play last season), received eight first place votes out of the possible 10 votes, and were picked to win their third consecutive conference championship. Since 1998, the 49ers have won eight conference crowns, and hold the Big West record for most undefeated seasons in league play with four.
The Coach:
Long Beach State alumnus Brian Gimmillaro (1970) has compiled an overall 482-106 (.820) record since 1985. He has led the 49ers to three national championships. He is the Big West’s career leader in overall wins and is tied for most conference victories with 230. Gimmillaro has a .772 winning percentage in the NCAA Tournament. This season, Gimmillaro needs just 18 wins to reach 500 for his career.
Gimmillaro’s Career Wins:
1st Win: 9/7/85 at San Diego
100th Win: 10/24/89 vs. USIU
200th Win: 10/30/92 vs. New Mexico State
300th Win: 9/14/96 at Utah
400th Win: 9/10/99 vs. CS Northridge
500th Win: ??? ??? Calderon Named Assistant Coach:
J.P. Calderon, a former men’s volleyball player at The Beach, was named as a full time assistant coach. Calderon previously served under Gimmillaro as the team’s volunteer coach for the past four seasons. He will help improve player technique and training skills, as well as added administrative duties. Calderon was a two-year letterwinner for the 49er men’s team and helped the team to a 1998 semi-finals appearance in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Tournament. A graduate of St. Bernard’s High School in Playa del Rey, Calderon attended Long Beach State for two years, after transferring from Santa Monica College, and earned his bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications in 1999.
Boyke Added as Volunteer Asst.:
Kevin Boyke comes to the 49ers after serving two seasons with Brian Gimmillaro’s California Juniors Volleyball Club in Long Beach. Under Boyke this past season, the Cal Juniors were the Silver Champions at the 2002 SCVA Junior Olympics.
The Next Big Wave:
The 2002 roster features seven new faces-- Kessie Doering (Munich, Germany), Melanie Fleig (Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany), Raimi Mitchell (Golden West JC), freshman walk-on Heather Laudato (Buena Park, CA), freshman Robin Miramontes, Northern Illinois transfer Jen Bowman, and North Alabama transfer Eva Tcholakova for the 2002 season. Doering is a 6-2 sophomore middle blocker and outside hitter, while Fleig is a 6-2 freshman outside hitter. Mitchell comes to The Beach from State Champion Golden West Junior College as a 5-11 junior outside hitter. Laudato is a freshman defensive specialist who prepped at St. Joseph's, the same school as senior Libero Tracy Bulquerin. Bowman, a junior setter from Maple Grove, MN, was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year for the Huskies in 2001, leading the MAC in assists for the past two seasons. Bowman ranked third in the nation in assists in 2002. Miramontes is a freshman outside hitter from Upland.
2001 Season Recap:
Beach Fall in NCAA Championship:
Stanford (33-2) upset Long Beach State (33-1) in the NCAA Championships 31-29, 30-28 and 30-25. Tayyiba Haneef led LBSU with 18 kills, seven digs and a .432 percentage, while Cheryl Weaver added seven kills and Keri Nishimoto set up her final 34 assists. The 49ers three All-Americans (Weaver, Haneef, Nishimoto) finished their careers amongst the top-10 all-time lists at Long Beach State. Brittany Hochevar added eight kills and seven digs for LBSU.
One of the Best Seasons Ever:
The 2001 campaign at Long Beach State was one of the greatest seasons in NCAA and school history, as The Beach compiled an impressive 33-1 record, which culminated in their 10th Final Four and fifth NCAA Championship match since 1989. Of the 33 victories, 28 were by sweeps. The Beach garnered two first team All-Americans in Cheryl Weaver, and Tayyiba Haneef a second teamer in Keri Nishimoto and an honorable mention honoree in Brittany Hochevar. Nishimoto was also named a first team Academic All-American. The Beach shattered the school-record for hitting percentage, firing off a .359 percentage, 19 points better than their previous mark, in the first year of rally scoring.
Rank and File: The 49ers were ranked No. 1 in both polls for 10 straight weeks. The last time The Beach were ranked No. 1 by both polls was during the final 10 weeks of 1998 National Championship season. LBSU finished the 2001 campaign No. 2 in both polls.
All-America Honors: The AVCA named Cheryl Weaver a first team All-American for the third time, while Tayyiba Haneef earned first team accolades for the first time. Keri Nishimoto a second team pick. LBSU was one of three teams with two first teamers and one of only two with three or more honorees. Volleyball Magazine tabbed Weaver as a first teamer, Haneef as a second teamer and Nishimoto and Brittany Hochevar honorable mention All-Americans.
Representing their Nation: Former LBSU members Cheryl Weaver and Tayyiba Haneef are training with the U.S. National Team after their seasons ended in December. They join former 49ers, Danielle Scott and Tara Cross-Battle on the team. POLLS:
BIG WEST COACHES 1. LONG BEACH STATE 2. Pacific 3. UC Santa Barbara 4. Cal Poly 5. Utah State 6. CS Northridge 7. Idaho 8. UC Irvine 9. CS Fullerton 10. UC Riverside AVCA/USA TODAY (Pre-Season)
1. Stanford
2. Nebraska
3. Southern California
4. Hawaii
5. LONG BEACH STATE
6. Arizona
7. Florida
8. Pepperdine
9. Ohio State
10. Wisconsin
11. UCLA
12. Pacific
13. Utah
14. Northern Iowa
15. Michigan State
16. Penn State
17. Texas A&M
18. Colorado State
19. Illinois
20. UC Santa Barbara
21. Colorado
22. Kansas State
23. BYU
24. Santa Clara
25. Notre Dame VBALL MAGAZINE (Pre-Season)
1. Stanford
2. Hawaii
3. USC
4. Nebraska
5. Florida
6. Pepperdine
7. LONG BEACH STATE
8. Arizona
9. Pacific
10. Ohio State
11. Utah
12. Wisconsin
13. UCLA
14. Northern Iowa
15. UC Santa Barbara
16. Michigan State
17. Penn State
18. Illinois
19. Notre Dame
20. Colorado |
