Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers head north to play UC Davis, Pacific
10/5/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 5, 2009
Long Beach, Calif. -
Complete Volleyball Release in PDF Format 
THIS WEEK:
No. 20 Long Beach State 49ers (10-3, 3-0 Big West) at
UC Davis Aggies (12-6, 3-1 Big West)
Date: Friday, October 9
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Davis, Calif.
No. 20 Long Beach State 49ers (10-3, 3-0 Big West) at
Pacific Tigers (12-3, 2-2 Big West)
Date: Friday, October 9
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Davis, Calif.
NEXT WEEK:
No. 20 Long Beach State 49ers (10-3, 3-0 Big West) at
No. 23 UC Irvine Anteaters (13-3, 3-1 Big West)
Date: Friday, October 16
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Irvine, Calif.
Up North
After a quick return home, the 49ers again hit the road for two league contests this weekend. The 49ers start off by hitting UC Davis on Friday, October 9 for a 7 p.m. date with the Aggies, and then take on Pacific on Saturday, October 10 at 7 p.m. Radio broadcasts for both games can be found at www.longbeachstate.com.
Looking Ahead
After what looks to be two tough road matches, Long Beach State has another doozy to look forward to on October 16, as the 49ers face their third ranked opponent of the season in what should be a great matchup in the Black and Blue Rivalry against UC Irvine. That match will be held at 7 p.m. on the campus of UC Irvine.
Climbing the Ranks
The 49ers hit a two-year high with a No. 20 ranking this week in the AVCA poll, the highest since The Beach hit No. 19 in 2007. Long Beach State was bolstered by two big wins over a respected UC Santa Barbara team that was receiving votes as well as a Cal Poly team that opened the year getting votes as well. The Beach now has wins over four teams that have been in the polls this season.
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 204, averaging 4.16 per set. She also leads the squad with 12 aces, and has 28 blocks on the season as well. Her kill totals place her third in the Big West, and she ranks 30th nationally in kills per set.
Welcome Walter Pyramid
Long Beach State won two big matches last weekend at the Walter Pyramid, improving the team's record to 3-0 in Big West play and 10-3 overall. The 49ers started by holding off UC Santa Barbara 25-19, 25-22, 20-25, 18-25, 15-11 in five sets behind 23 kills from Naomi Washington. Then in the Saturday match, the 49ers swept Cal Poly 25-21, 25-19, 25-15 as Caitlin Ledoux and Washington each had 12 kills, while Ashley Lee added 16 digs and 26 assists.
Scouting UC Davis
UC Davis continues to surprise, taking a 12-6 record and a 3-1 league record into a season where the Aggies were picked to finish eighth in the conference. The Aggies picked up two big home wins over Pacific and Cal State Northridge two weeks ago to start league play. A big block is a key to the Aggies success, as the team leads the lead averaging 2.42 blocks per set and has two of the Big West's best blockers in Betsy Sedlak and Katie Denny. Offensively, Allison Whitson leads the team at 3.48 kills per set, and Avreeta Singh has 247 digs on the year.
Long Beach State vs. the Aggies
Long Beach State has never lost to UC Davis, posting a 9-0 record since the series began in 2004. The teams have been to five sets twice, both coming in Davis including last years matchup, there Long Beach State lost the first two sets before rallying to with 27-29, 22-25, 25-15, 25-14, 15-13 in an exciting match. Naomi Washington led the 49ers with a big match, hitting .542 with 16 kills. In the last match, Long Beach State swept the Aggies 25-15, 25-17, 25-15, hitting .382 as a team.
Scouting Pacific
Pacific comes into the week with a sparkling 12-3 record, but has lost two games in conference on the road after having just a single loss against No. 5 Florida. The Tigers are an excellent serving team with three players averaging over 0.40 aces per set, and those same three players, Mallori Gibson, Svenja Engelhardt and Rebekah Torres, all average over three kills per set to lead the Tigers.
Long Beach State vs. the Tigers
The series with Pacific is one of the tightest on the books for the 49ers, with Long Beach State holding a 32-25 edge. The 49ers won the last meeting between the teams, a 25-22, 25-19, 25-22 win behind 12 Quincy Verdin kills, but the teams split 2008's season series as the Tigers took the Big West season opener between the teams 25-22, 25-17, 25-23 behind 17 kills by Alexa Anderson.
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 129 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 49 kills to go along with 500 assists. Additionally, Jocelyn Neely is a likely all-freshman member with 1.51 kills per set.
This and That The 49ers improved their record to 10-0 when getting more digs than their opponents ... Libero leads the 49ers with 3.86 digs per set, fourth in the Big West, but six players average over a dig per set, contributing to Long Beach State's league-leading 15.82 digs per set ... that mark ranks 51st in the nation.
