Long Beach State University Athletics
Lotman Goes from Walk-On to Headliner
9/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
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Lotman Goes from Walk-On to Headliner LONG BEACH - When fall semester classes begin at Long Beach State this morning and culture shock smacks a lot of freshmen and community college transfers upside the head, Paul Lotman will have plenty of empathy. "I know how they (will) feel," the standout for the 49ers' volleyball program said, smiling in a Walter Pyramid sports information office a few days before the proverbial storm was going to hit the campus. "It seems like only yesterday that I was in the same position that they are going to be." It was four years ago, as a June of 2003 graduate of Los Alamitos High, that Lotman was staggering around the campus, trying to locate classrooms and - with even more difficulty - a vacant parking place. "It can definitely be overwhelming," the sociology major said. "But I'll be glad to help them out. I know the position they're going to find themselves in." As a fifth-year senior (he was a red-shirt in Alan Knipe's program during the 2004 season) with the 49ers, Lotman is a lot clearer about where he is going these days - around campus and within the world of volleyball. He was a starting outside hitter for the U.S. team - coached by Knipe
- that captured a bronze medal with its And he is expected to ride that performance into a senior season at LBSU in which he'll be a viable All-America candidate on a team with some lofty collective ambitions. "Paul was a walk-on (non-scholarship recruit) when he came to campus," Knipe said. "Nothing has come easily for him here. "But now he's our captain and has proven he can compete on the national and international levels." Lotman earned a spot on the team during trials competition (tryouts) at LBSU in June, as did former 49er All-American Robert Tarr. Ten of the 12 members of the team were from Mountain Pacific Sports Federation programs, so there was a history of on-court battles between the players and their respective teams during the NCAA season. "It was like an all-star team because all of the guys were used to being the best players or at least starters on their (college) teams," Lotman said. "The first few days (of trials) was spent with guys trying to feel each other out and get to know each other a little better. "But once practice began (at USA Volleyball headquarters at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs), we began becoming a `family.' " The team, upon arriving in Bangkok, played five "friendly" (scrimmages) matches with other WUG entrants before pool competition began. Those five days also gave the U.S. team members the opportunity to do a little sight-seeing. "We got to ride elephants and visit a (Buddhist) temple, and go through their (open-air) markets and do some shopping, so that was nice," the 6-foot-7 Lotman said. "I didn't know a lot about the city or country beforehand, but I really enjoyed the experience." He was glad he didn't have to venture into the highways and byways, though. "The traffic was crazy, though," he said. "I don't know how they do it (maneuver through traffic)." And he (and most of his teammates) avoided any cuisine that couldn't be loaded onto a dormitory cafeteria tray or transported in paper sacks from familiar fast-food stops. "We must have seen at least five or six McDonalds, and we (the players) ate there or at a Burger King every chance we had," he said. "The food we got (at the WUG cafeteria) was good - a lot of rice and seafood - but it got old fast." The team's only loss (in eight matches, not counting the five scrimmages it won) was to eventual gold medalist Turkey in a semifinal. "Considering those teams had been together for at least two or three months apiece, and we only had two or three weeks together (of practice), I thought we were very, very competitive," Lotman said. Lotman (who started as a sophomore) was one of the few players with extensive NCAA experience last season for a Long Beach team that finished 11-17 and missed out on the MPSF playoffs. With the bulk of the team returning, the 49ers should find themselves in the thick of MPSF contention - and more, Lotman believes. "Our goal (for 2008) is a national championship," the honorable mention, all-MPSF selection said. "We had a lot of tough, five-game matches (last season, including one with eventual national champ UC Irvine) that didn't go our way. "We lost a lot of great players (from the previous season) and sometimes we had four or five freshmen on the court. That's a lot of experience that we gained and I know that it will make a difference this time." As for new students dealing with the first few weeks at LBSU, Lotman's combination smile and grimace is a pretty clue as to why it's an experience into itself. |
