49ers Resume MPSF Play on the Road
No. 13-Ranked Beach Travels to CSUN and UCSB
February 13, 2007
PDF VERSION OF THIS RELEASE THE RECORDS
•Beach 6-5 overall, 3-4 MPSF
Long Beach State improved to 6-5 overall as they defeated Cal Baptist 30-27, 30-25, 30-25 in non-conference action last Friday. This week, Long Beach State will travel to No. 9-ranked Cal State Northridge on Thursday for a 7 pm MPSF match, and will then head to No. 3-ranked UC Santa Barbara on Saturday for another 7 pm MPSF match-up. CS Northridge is 6-7 overall and 4-4 in the MPSF. In last week's non-conference action, the Matadors fell to then No. 11-ranked Loyola-Chicago in five sets, but came back to defeat Quincy in a three-game sweep in Chicago, IL. UC Santa Barbara continued its winning ways as they completed their first weekend sweep of the University of Hawai'i since 1987. The Gauchos improved to 10-3 overall and 8-2 in the MPSF. THE COACH
• Alan Knipe enters his seventh year as head coach
Alan Knipe (LBSU, 1992) is 127-70 (.645) overall and 81-53 (.604) in the MPSF in six-plus years as the head coach of Long Beach State. Knipe eclipsed the 100-victory plateau on January 6, 2006 with a win over CS Northridge. Knipe, the 2004 AVCA National Coach of the Year, has led the 49ers to six consecutive trips to the MPSF Tournament, an appearance in the 2004 NCAA Championship match, and three straight MPSF Tournament Finals appearances (2004-2006). In the last three-plus years, Knipe has a 79-32 record for an impressive .712 winning percentage. The 49ers have had at least 22 wins in each of the last three seasons. Knipe was an assistant at LBSU for five years before taking over the program in 2001. THE SERIES
•49ers lead series with CS Northridge, 32-24
•49ers trail series with UCSB, 30-41
Long Beach State leads in its series with CS Northridge by a 32-24 count despite a four-match losing streak to the Matadors. The two teams have already faced each other twice this season with Northridge coming out on top both times. On January 5, CS Northridge defeated Long Beach State 39-37, 27-30, 31-29, 28-30, 15-12 at the UCSB/E-Bar Tournament, and then again on January 24 in Long Beach with game scores of 30-17, 32-30, 30-24. The 49ers trail in their series with UC Santa Barbara by a 30-41 count. The Gauchos won the last meeting between the two teams 31-29, 30-16, 30-25 on January 26 in Long Beach. 49ERS SWEEP BY LANCERS
•Beach ends Cal Baptist winning streak
Long Beach State snapped Cal Baptist's nine-game winning streak last Friday evening as they swept the NAIA's No. 1-ranked team 30-27, 30-25, 30-25. Four 49ers posted double-figure kills, led by Norm Hutton and Daniel Fabry who had 13 kills apiece. Paul Lotman chipped in 11 kills and two aces while Dan Alexander hit an impressive .769 (11-1-13) on the evening. Michael Iandolo had 43 assists and eight digs as he led the 49er offense to a .371 hitting percentage. Shamsu Awudu led the Lancers with a match-high 20 kills as he hit for a .486 clip. Donald Baliaba chipped in 12 kills while Eric Plunkett directed Cal Baptist to a .326 hitting percentage with 40 assists.
CS NORTHRIDGE FACTS
•Matadors 6-7 overall, 4-4 in MPSF
CS Northridge is 6-7 overall and 4-4 in the MPSF. In non-conference action last week, then No. 11-ranked Loyola-Chicago topped the Matadors in five sets (25-30, 30-28, 20-30, 30-23, 17-15). Dan Rhodes led Northridge with 19 kills and James Lischer had 18 kills hitting .625. The Matadors came back the next evening to defeat Quincy 30-23, 30-20, 30-22. Mike Gaudino had 16 kills as he hit .324. On the season, Theo Edwards leads the Matadors with 3.28 kills per game, while Dan Rhodes is averaging 3.24 kills per game. Kevin McKniff is ranked fifth in the MPSF with a .488 hitting percentage and is sixth in blocking with 1.33 blocks per game.
UC SANTA BARBARA FACTS
•Gauchos 10-3 overall, 8-2 in MPSF
After taking two matches from Hawai'i last week, the Gauchos are 10-3 overall and 8-2 in the MPSF. The Gauchos two conference losses have come to No. 2-ranked Pepperdine and No. 3-ranked UC Irvine. In last week's action, UC Santa Barbara came back from a two-game deficit to defeat Hawai'i 24-30, 28-30, 30-26, 30-28, 17-15. Evan Patak led the way with a match-high 32 kills to go along with 17 digs. In the second match, Patak had 18 kills and seven aces, while Bryan Berman recorded 17 kills in the Gauchos 30-26, 19-30, 30-19, 30-20 win. On the season, Patak ranks second in the conference in kills (6.23 kpg) and tops all MPSF players with 1.08 aces per game. Bart Kowalski ranks second in the MPSF with 13.68 assists per game, while Theo Brunner ranks third in hitting percentage with a .517 clip. As a team, the Gauchos lead the conference in hitting percentage (.359), kills (16.49 kpg), and aces (1.85 apg). WHERE THE 49ERS RANK...
•Watten and Lotman in top-five in MPSF
Paul Lotman currently ranks third in the MPSF in kills (5.32 kpg) and sixth in the nation with 5.17 kpg on the season. Norm Hutton ranks seventh in the MPSF with 4.30 kpg. Dustin Watten ranks second in the MPSF with 2.92 dpg, and ranks 11th in the nation with a season average of 2.43 digs per game. Conor Eaton currently ranks fifth in assists in the MPSF with 12.88 assists per game. HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
•49ers 3-3 at home this year
The 49ers are still tough to beat in the Walter Pyramid. In 2006, Long Beach State posted a 12-3 record at the Walter Pyramid. Over the last three years (2004-2006) the 49ers have a 40-7 home record for an impressive .851 winning percentage. Overall since 1995, the 49ers are 142-38 (.789) at home. YOUNG GUNS
•13 underclassmen on roster
After losing three All-Americans from last year, a young Long Beach State squad is still trying to find the right mix. The 49ers have three seniors, five juniors (two redshirts), four sophomores, six redshirt freshman, and three true freshman on their roster. 49ERS STILL STRONG ON OFFENSE
•Team averaging 14.49 kpg
The 49ers have been impressive on offense this year as they are out-hitting their opponents .289 to .266, and are averaging 14.49 kills per game to opponents 10.95 kills per game. Four attackers are hitting .300 or better, led by Dan Alexander (.400). Three players are also averaging at least 2.00 kills per game, led by Paul Lotman (5.17 kpg). DEFENSE STEPS UP
•Team out-digging opponents
The 49ers have been out-playing their opponents on defense as they are averaging 8.49 digs per game compared to a 6.24 digs per game average for their opponents. Dustin Watten leads the 49ers with 2.42 digs per game. LOTMAN LEADS THE WAY
•Has team-high 5.17 kpg
Junior Paul Lotman (Lakewood) has posted four 20+ kill matches and has hit at least .300 in eight matches. Against Cal Baptist last week, Lotman had 11 kills and two aces. He racked up 19 kills with only two errors for a .486 (19-2-35) clip in the 49ers win over Stanford (February 2). Lotman also posted a match-high 25 kills hitting .417 in the loss to Pacific (February 3). Lotman has hit double-figures in kills in all 11 matches played thus far, with a career-high 29 kills against Stanford on January 5. On the season, Lotman is averaging a team-high 5.17 kills per game, and is hitting .370 (212-53-430). He is also tied for the team lead with nine aces, and third on the team with 1.56 digs per game. BITTNER BRINGS IT ON
•Leads team with 1.16 bpg
Redshirt freshman Dean Bittner (Lakewood) has been a consistent force in the middle for the 49ers this year. On January 19, Bittner had possibly his best game of the season against Pepperdine as he pounded down a career-high 15 kills, hitting for a .538 (15-1-26) clip. On the season, Bittner is averaging 2.21 kills per game, a team leading 1.16 blocks per game, and is hitting .365 (84-23-167). LILES WATCH
•Ranks 13th on career charts in blocks
Senior Teddy Liles (Tucson, AZ) is currently second on the team in blocking with 38 total blocks and 1.03 blocks per game. Liles has also amassed 71 kills, is averaging 1.03 kills per game, and is hitting .352 (71-28-122) on the year. Liles has hit .500 on four separate occasions this season, last against UC Santa Barbara on January 26. Earlier this year he posted a season-high 12 kills against CS Northridge (January 5). Liles is currently No. 9 on the career charts with a .411 hitting percentage. He also ranks 13th in career blocks with 317. Liles was a 2006 All-MPSF Honorable Mention selection. HUTTON CONTRIBUTES
•Averaging 3.97 kpg
Junior Norm Hutton (Huntington Beach) posted 13 kills, hitting for a .333 clip against Cal Baptist last week. On January 19, Hutton recorded his first double-double of the season as he led the 49ers to a win over Pepperdine. He has had three 20+ kill matches and has hit .300 or better on five occassions. On the season, Hutton has 135 kills, is averaging 3.97 kills per game, and is hitting .241 (135-68-278). He is also tied for the team lead with nine aces. WATTEN LEADS IN DIGS
•Leads team with 2.42 dpg
Sophomore Dustin Watten (Long Beach) currently ranks second in the MPSF with 2.92 digs per game in conference matches. Earlier this year, Watten recorded a career-high 16 digs against Stanford on January 5. On the season, he currently leads the 49ers with 97 total digs and 2.42 digs per game. THREE SEE ACTION AT SETTER
•Trio directs 49er offense to .289 hitting percentage
Freshman Conor Eaton (Dana Point), who has seen significant playing time, is averaging 12.58 assists per game and 1.22 digs per game. On January 19, Eaton dished out a career-high 77 assists as he directed the 49er offense to a .359 hitting percentage in the 49ers victory over Pepperdine. Redshirt freshman Michael Iandolo (Orlando, FL) saw action against Cal Baptist last week as he posted 43 assists and eight digs. In four games played, Iandolo is averaging 11.00 assists per game. Junior Adam Schlesinger (Newport Beach) has also seen action in three matches and is averaging 7.78 assists per game. FABRY STEPS UP
•Hit .524 vs. Cal Baptist
Sophomore Daniel Fabry (Parkridge, IL) had an impressive match last week as he posted 13 kills, hitting .524 against Cal Baptist. On the season, Fabry is averaging 1.43 kills per game and is hitting .303. LAST SEASON
•49ers finish 2006 campaign at 23-10
The 49ers had a strong run in the MPSF Tournament last season as they made it to the finals, only to lose to eventual NCAA Champion UCLA. The 49ers defeated BYU in the quarterfinals 30-21, 30-23, 25-30, 30-25. Then, in the semifinals, Long Beach defeated No. 1-ranked UC Irvine in three sets 30-26, 30-20, 30-23. In the MPSF finals, the 49ers lost to UCLA in four games (24-30, 30-28,30-23, 30-24). Long Beach finished the season at 23-10 overall and 14-8 in the MPSF, good enough for a fourth place finish. The 49ers finished the season ranked third by the AVCA. 2006 HONORS
•Beach loses three All-Americans
Long Beach State saw three players earn All-America honors in 2006. Tyler Hildebrand and Robert Tarr were both selected to the first team. Hildebrand was a three-time first team All-American while Tarr was a two-time first team selection. Duncan Budinger was named second team All-America in 2006 as well. On the All-MPSF team, Hildebrand earned first team honors for the third consecutive season. Tarr was also named first team all-conference and Budinger was second team all-conference. Teddy Liles earned honorable mention honors, his first time earning such an award.
2007 Roster
2007 Schedule/Results
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