Long Beach State University Athletics
Volleyball hosts alumni, Cal State Fullerton this weekend
10/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 19, 2009
Long Beach, Calif. -
Complete Volleyball Release in PDF Format 
THIS WEEK:
CS Fullerton (12-8, 3-4 Big West) at
Long Beach State 49ers (12-5, 5- Big West)
Date: Saturday, October 24
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Walter Pyramid
NEXT WEEK:
Long Beach State 49ers (12-5, 5-2 Big West) at
Cal Poly Mustangs (6-15, 2-6 Big West)
Date: Friday, October 30
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Long Beach State 49ers (12-5, 5-2 Big West) at
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (14-5, 4-3 Big West)
Date: Saturday, October 31
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Blast From The Past
Long Beach State begins the week by welcoming back many of its esteemed alumni for an exhibition match with this year's team. The alumni will be coached by some returning former coaches with the team and will feature players such as USA Olympian Tayyiba Haneef-Park, AVP star Brittany Hochevar and middle blocker Elisha Thomas. That match is sure to be plenty of fun and a great chance to relive some of the memories from Long Beach State's outstanding women's volleyball tradition. The match is scheduled to begin in the Walter Pyramid on Friday, October 23 at 6:30 p.m.
Home Rematch
After playing host to the alumni match on Friday night, Long Beach State resumes Big West Conference play by hosting Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, October 24. That match is the lone official match for the 49ers this week, as the 49ers play their unofficial travel partner for the 2009 volleyball season. The 49ers defeated Cal State Fullerton 3-0 earlier in the year at Titan Gym. The rematch is set to begin at 7 p.m. in the Walter Pyramid.
Looking Ahead
The 49ers face a key stretch in the season over the next two weeks. After the team's home match with Cal State Fullerton, The Beach travels north to face Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara on the road, and then hosts Pacific and UC Davis in a stretch of four games that will likely determine Long Beach State's chances for the postseason and the Big West championship. The schedule also shapes up for what could be a could be a big showdown at the end of the season between UC Irvine and Long Beach State in the final Big West game for both teams.
Looking Back
The 49ers fell in a tight match between ranked programs this last weekend, dropping a five-set match on the road against No. 21 UC Irvine. The 49ers battled to take a 29-27 set one victory, and trailed two sets to one before winning set four 25-18. However, in the final set, the Anteaters grabbed the win on their home floor, winning 15-13. In a measure of retribution, Long Beach State returned to the Walter Pyramid and disposed of Cal State Northridge in three sets, cruising 25-12 in set one before eventually winning in a sweep 25-12, 27-25, 28-26.
Scouting CS Fullerton
Cal State Fullerton enters the week still over .500 with a 12-8 record, but in sixth place in the Big West with a 3-4 mark. The Titans still boast a big win over No. 7 UCLA on their resume, but since those two wins at the Fullerton Invitational, they have gone 3-5 over their next eight matches. That includes road losses to Pacific and UC Davis, along with a loss in their last home game, a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Cal State Northridge. Erin Saddler remains second in the conference in kills, one of three players along to average over four per set at 4.52. Additionally, libero Cami Croteau leads the league in digs per set at 5.10.
Long Beach State vs. the Titans
Long Beach State extended a lead in the series to 76-4 with a road win in Titan Gym earlier in the season, beating Cal State Fullerton 25-21, 25-19, 25-21. Naomi Washington led the 49ers in that match with 15 kills while Caitlin Ledoux added 10 as the 49ers hit .220 and made 61 digs to earn the win. Laura Schuck and Ashley Lee tied for the team lead defensively with 14 digs apiece, while Lee also led the team in assists with 34. In all, the 49ers have now won 52 straight matches over Cal State Fullerton, and have only lost once at home, that coming in 1982, a season when the Titans won both meetings between the teams.
Watching Washington
Senior Naomi Washington is making a case for a second All-American selection after receiving an Honorable Mention nod last season. Washington leads the 49ers in kills with 259, averaging 4.05 per set, and is one of three players in the Big West averaging over four kills per set. She also leads the squad with 15 aces, and has 36 blocks on the season as well. Nationally, Washington ranks 41st in kills per set.
Highlight Package
All three of Long Beach State's returning All-Big West players are having another outstanding year, and The Beach has a number of additional players that are potential candidates for postseason honors. Naomi Washington and Caitlin Ledoux are each averaging more than three kills per set, and Ledoux adds solid defense with 164 digs so far on the year. Middle blocker Brittney Herzog leads the team in hitting .295, and Ashley Lee is having a nice season at setter with 59 kills to go along with 655 assists. Additionally, Jocelyn Neely is a possible all-freshman team member with 1.55 kills per set.
Climbing the Ranks
Long Beach State slipped out of the Top 25 this weekend, falling to an unofficial 28th with 58 points, just behind Dayton and Washington State in the also-rans. The 49ers five-set loss to UC Irvine did the damage, though the Anteaters received a bump from the win, improving to No. 19. Long Beach State will play one more ranked opponent in the second match with UC Irvine, coming on November 21.
This and That
In the most recent RPI released by the NCAA, Long Beach State stands at a very respectable 26th, and ranks as the highest team in the Big West ... That places the team well within the acceptable mark for a potential at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament to go along with their status in the Top 25 ... While Cal State Fullerton's Cami Croteau leads the league in individual digs, Long Beach State is the team leader, spreading out the dig totals among a number of individuals ... sophomore libero Lauren Minkel is fourth in the conference at 3.86 digs per set, while setter Ashley Lee averages 2.91 digs per set and Caitlin Ledoux totals 2.56 digs per set ... As a team, the 49ers rank 77th nationally in digs per set.
