49ers Face UC Irvine, No. 1 UCLA
LBSU Looking to Sweep Regular Season Series This Week
March 9, 2004 PDF VERSION of this RELEASE 15-4, 10-3 MPSF
Home: 8-2 • Away: 5-1 • Neutral: 2-1
AVCA Rank: #3 / VB Mag Rank: #1 (t) Quickly:
No. 3-ranked Long Beach State (15-4, 10-3) travels to UC Irvine on Wednesday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m., before returning home to face No. 1-ranked UCLA on Friday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. Both matches can be heard live at: www.longbeachstate.com.
Last Match:
Long Beach State outlasted Pepperdine, 3-2 in the Gold Mine on March 5. Scott Touzinsky was one of five LBSU players to record in double-figures in kills, with 21. Yassir Sliti returned from an injury to record 16 kills, while Jeff Wootton (14 kills), David Lee (13 kills), and Nate Hagstrom (10 kills, 12 digs) rounded out the top kill leaders. It was Hagstrom's second double-double of the season. Tyler Hildebrand netted a match-high 70 assists. Paul Munoz recorded 13 digs. Long Beach State rallied from a 12-9 deficit in game five with a 4-1 run to tie the score at 13-13. courtesy of a Lee and Hagstrom block. Pepperdine had match point at 14-13 after a Touzinsky attack error, but the 49ers were able to counter with a Touzinsky kill to square the game at 14-14. LBSU reached match point at 15-14 after a Wootton kill, but the Waves were able to counter with a Sean Rooney kill. LBSU reached match point yet again after a Lee kill at 16-15, but were once again matched by another Rooney kill to tie the score at 16. A Touzinsky kill followed by a Fred Winters attack error ended the marathon match, 18-16.
Hildebrand Named AVCA National Player of the Week:
Tyler Hildebrand was selected as the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week, as announced by the association on Monday. Hildebrand (Mesa, AZ) reached his 974th assist of the season and 2,500th of his career (2,567) with a match-high 70 assists in a 3-2 victory over No. 5-ranked Pepperdine on March 5. Hildebrand also poured in three kills on four attempts (no errors) for a .750 attack percentage, and added four blocks and three digs in the key MPSF victory. Hildebrand directed the 49er offense to a .355 attack percentage. Long Beach State rallied from a 12-9 game five deficit with a 4-1 run to tie the score at 13-13, before pulling out the 18-16 victory. This is the first AVCA National Player of the Week selection since David McKienzie earned the distinction back on April 9, 2001. Hildebrand was the 2003 AVCA Newcomer of the Year, last season.
Running the Offense:
Last year's AVCA Newcomer of the Year and MPSF Freshman of the Year, Tyler Hildebrand has netted 974 assists this season (14.12/gm) and 2,567 for his career. His 2,567 assists are fourth all-time at Long Beach State since 1988. He was named the AVCA National Player of the Week on March 8, after registering 70 assists, three kills, and four blocks in a 3-2 win over Pepperdine (3/5). Hildebrand netted a season and MPSF season-high 81 assists versus BYU on Jan. 30, while also chipping in a career-high four aces. Hildebrand collected a double-double (65 assists, 10 digs) versus CS Northridge on 1/10. He compiled 68 assists, four digs, and a career-high 2 block solos versus Stanford on Jan. 9. Hildebrand chipped in 36 assists, six digs, three blocks, and three kills at USC on 1/16. Hildebrand poured in three kills, 67 assists, eight digs and one ace versus Stanford on Jan. 23. Hildebrand recorded 48 assists in three games (16.00/gm) at UCLA on Feb. 11. Hildebrand netted 49 assists and three blocks vs. USC on 2/19. During the seven-match winning streak (Feb. 4-Feb. 25), Hildebrand averaged 14.81 assists, 1.29 digs, .76 blocks, and .48 kills per game. He is No. 1 in the nation in total assists (974), and No. 2 in the MPSF for per game average (14.60) as of Mar. 1. Hildebrand also set a career-best 10 digs vs. CS Northridge at the UCSB Tournament in January (1/10).
Wootton Closing in on #1000:
Senior Jeff Wootton recorded his 900th career kill at Pepperdine on February 4, after posting 20. Wootton slammed home 15 kills (.571 attack percentage) at USC on Jan. 16 in the MPSF opener. Wootton recorded a season and match-high 21 kills in a 3-1 victory over Stanford on Jan. 23. He recorded a team-high 18 kills versus BYU on Jan. 28, and recorded his first double-double of the season with 17 kills and career-high 13 digs versus BYU on Jan. 30. Wootton paved the way with a team-high 15 kills to defeat No. 1-ranked UCLA, 3-0 on Feb. 11. Wootton recorded 12 kills and seven digs versus USC on 2/19. He posted 14 kills in a 3-2 win over Pepperdine on March 5. Wootton (975 career kills), who has recorded double-digit kills in eight times this season, needs just 25 more kills to become the 13th player in Long Beach State history to reach the 1,000 kill mark.
Lee Maintains .400 Hitting Percentage:
Entering the 2004 season David Lee compiled a career attack percentage of .415, 4th highest all-time at Long Beach State. This season Lee has 168 kills (32 errors) on 300 total attempts for a .453 attack percentage. Currently Lee's career hitting percentage stands at .422 (4th highest in program history). Lee connected for his 700th career kill in the season opener vs. La Verne (1/6), and slammed career kill No. 800 at UCLA on Feb. 11. This season Lee registered double-digits in kills nine times, and posted back-to-back double digit kill performances versus Pacific (10) and Stanford (11), and versus BYU on Jan. 28 with a season-high 18 and Jan. 30 with 13. In fact Lee tallied a .645 attack percentage in two victories over Pacific an Stanford (Jan. 22-23) (21-1-31). Lee went error-free in back-to-back matches against UCLA and UC Irvine, recording 16 kills on 29 swings for a .552 attack percentage. He registered 13 kills and seven blocks in a 3-2 win over Pepperdine on March 5. Lee also leads the team at 1.42 blocks per game (8 BS, 83 BA), which places him in the top-10 in the country (as of 3/1).
In the Zone:
Over his last nine matches, Lee has accumulated 75 kills on 130 attempts, with just 10 errors for a .500 hitting percentage, and a 2.78 kills per game average. Lee has also added five aces and 45 blocks for a 1.67 blocks per game average in that span.
Touzinsky: Nearing 1,400:
Last season, Scott Touzinsky became just the 12th player in school history to record 1,000 career kills. Now Touzinsky stands No. 6 all-time at the Beach with 1,394 career kills. Touzinsky collected 71 kills at the UCSB E-Bar Tournament (Jan. 9-10), including 29 versus Stanford (1/9) and a then season-high, 30 versus CS Northridge (1/10). Touzinsky has passed Matt Prosser (1,147 kills), Geoff Cryst (1,167 kills), Zack Small (1,169 kills), Tom Hoff (1,230) and recently Gaby Amar (1,308 kills) for No. 6 all-time on the 49er career kill chart with 1,394. This season Touzinsky has recorded 20 or more kills seven times, including a new career-high and 2004 MPSF season-high, 40 kills established versus BYU on Jan. 30. In fact Touzinsky posted his first double-double of the season in that 40 kill match, adding a season-high 15 digs versus the Cougars (1/31). He was named as the MPSF Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 10. when he notched 25 kills in a 3-1 road win a Pepperdine on Feb. 4. The win helped snap LBSU's six-match losing streak to the Waves. Touzinsky connected for his second double-double of the season with 12 kills and 11 digs at UCLA on Feb. 11. He posted a team-best 18 kills, with six digs and five blocks in a 3-0 win a CS Northridge on Feb. 25. He turned in a team-high 21 kills in a 3-2 win over Pepperdine on Mar. 5. Touzinsky has recorded a team-best 304 kills this season for a 4.54 per game average (top-10 in the nation). Touzinsky ranks in the top half of the conference in kills per game at 4.60.
Exclusive Company:
Scott Touzinsky became the third player in NCAA men's volleyball history, since rally scoring was introduced in 2001, to record 40 or more kills in a single match. In fact Touzinsky tied former LBSU great Dave McKienzie who had 40 kills against UCLA on January 26, 2001. The record for most kills (in rally scoring) is 43 by Jeff Ptak of IPFW on March 21, 2003. Touzinsky's 40 kills have been the most since Ptak set the record. Furthermore, Touzinsky became the eighth player in Long Beach State history to record 40 or more kills in a single match. Brent Hilliard registered 40 or more kills 13 times in his career.
Nice Ace:
Touzinsky, as mentioned earlier, broke the school record for career aces with his 133rd versus Stanford (1/23). Touzinsky broke the 11 year mark held by Brent Hilliard who had 132 career aces from 1990-93. Currently Touzinsky holds the school record with 138.
Patrolling the Backrow:
Junior Paul Munoz has recorded a team-best 158 digs (2.36 per game average), including back-to-back 12 dig performances versus Stanford (1/9) and CS Northridge on 1/10. Munoz connected for a season-high 18 digs in a 3-1 victory over Pepperdine on Feb. 4. He reached 12 digs for the third time this season vs. UCI on Feb. 13. He notched 13 digs in a win over Pepperdine on Mar. 5. Munoz has seven double-digit dig performances this season. Munoz ranks in the top-half in the MPSF in digs per game this season.
Depth Not an Issue at The Beach:
One of the luxuries head coach Alan Knipe has this season is his bench. Knipe has inserted in the rotations this season, Robert Tarr (2.20 kills/gm), Clint Coe (.98 kills/gm), Nate Hagstrom (1.40 kills/gm, 1.33 digs/gm, 16 aces), and Duncan Budinger (2.89 kills per game and a team-best .529 attack percentage/top-5 in the MPSF). Tarr celebrated his birthday earlier this season with 17 kills versus Stanford at the UCSB Tournament (1/9), and recorded a career-high four aces versus Pacific on Jan. 22. Tarr also reached double-digits in kills for the fourth time this season with a team-high 15 at UCSB on Feb. 27. During the seven-match win streak (Feb. 4-Feb. 25), Hagstrom averaged 1.48 kills and 1.43 digs per game, including a team-high 13 service aces. Hagstrom established a career-high 12 kills vs. USC on Feb. 19, and a career-high 11 digs at Pepperdine on Feb. 4. He recorded his second double-double of the season with 10 kills and career-high 12 digs vs. Pepperdine (3/5). Hagstrom netted his first career solo block versus Stanford on Jan. 23. Other reserves saw playing time versus UC Santa Cruz on Feb. 6, including Teddy Liles (10 kills), Kevin Cape (4 kills), and Robert Kijewski (16 assists). Redshirt freshman transfer Thiago Barbosa made his 49er debut at Pepperdine on Feb. 4. Barbosa got more playing time versus UC Santa Cruz on Feb. 6, recording seven kills on nine swings. He recorded his first service ace ar UC San Diego on Feb. 21.
LBSU Nets High Percentage:
Long Beach State has hit for a .356 attack percentage this season, while limiting its opponents to just a .260 clip. The 49ers have compiled 1138 kills for a 16.26 per game average. In fact LBSU owns the MPSF high for kills in a match with 86 versus BYU on Jan. 30. Moreover, Long Beach State ranks in the top-3 in the MPSF in kills per game (16.81) and attack percentage (.350) as of Mar. 4. Long Beach State has hit over .350 nine times this season including a .553 attack percentage versus UC Santa Cruz on Feb. 6 (60-8-94), a .454 clip (75-16-130) vs. Stanford on Jan. 9 and a .395 clip at USC on Jan. 16 (50-16-86). The all-time best hitting percentage in program history was set by the 1992 squad (.377).
Tie At No. 1:
Long Beach State (15-4, 10-3) remained at the top spot in the latest Volleyball Magazine poll released Mar. 1. LBSU shares the No. 1 slot with BYU, who defeated UC Santa Barbara twice last week. LBSU moved up one spot to No. 3 in the latest AVCA Poll released on Tuesday (3/9). LBSU has not been below No. 6 all season in the AVCA poll, and achieved its highest ranking in the AVCA poll at No. 2 for two weeks (Jan. 20-Feb. 3). |
