49ers travel to UC Irvine on Tuesday

10/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

Oct. 3, 2011

Long Beach, Calif. -

Complete Women's Volleyball Weekly Release

Starting Out
Long Beach State finishes its longest road stretch of the season, playing the third of three road matches in five days on Tuesday, when the 49ers head to Irvine to face UC Irvine at 7 p.m. After that match, Long Beach State will only have one match over the weekend, hosting Cal State Fullerton at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 8. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m., and live audio coverage will be available through www.longbeachstate.com. Gametracker will also be available on Saturday night for Long Beach State's home match.

On The Road
Snapping a recent trend, the 49ers started off last weekend on a positive note, winning on the road at Cal State Northridge after losing to the Matadors in Northridge in each of the last three seasons. Janisa Johnson and Delainey Aigner-Swesey both finished with double-digit kills while Bre Mackie added seven kills on .357 hitting from the right side as Long Beach State downed Cal State Northridge in four sets 25-21, 25-22, 16-25, 25-21. However, Long Beach State's run of momentum came to a screeching halt the next night in Riverside, as UC Riverside defeated the 49ers in five sets. It was the second season in a row that Long Beach State had gone five in Riverside, but this time, the Highlanders got the win in set five to set back a chance for the 49ers to be tied for the conference lead through four matches.

Youth Movement
Long Beach State has one of the youngest teams in the nation in 2011 despite its place in the Top 25. Senior libero Lauren Minkel is the only one of Long Beach State's current roration that has more than one full year of experience on the floor, and five freshman are currently playing in the regular rotation in middle blocker Alma Serna, outside hitter Bre Mackie, setter Erin Juley, and two DS players in Tyler Jackson and Chelsea Cabrajac. Long Beach State ranks in a tie for fourth in the nation in the number of freshman and sophomores on the team with 13 in total.

Shuffling The Deck
With senior Caitlin Ledoux missing the last three weeks due to injury, Long Beach State has been forced to make a number of adjustments on the fly. Freshman Bre Mackie has been the most visible change, ending a redshirt season and moving to the right-side, where the Redding native has now played three matches. However, the 49ers have made other changes as well, shifting Delainey Aigner-Swesey from her starting spot on the opposite side to the left, and giving junior defensive specialist Libby Fontanilla additional attack chances out of the back row.

Scouting UC Irvine
UC Irvine was picked to finish seventh prior to the season, and lost both matches in conference that the team has played so far this year. The Anteaters had last weekend off, however, and have only played on the road at Pacific and UC Davis. With a 5-8 record, the Anteaters' best win came over Utah State at home in a 3-1 victory. Aly Squires is the major source of the Anteater offense, averaging 3.57 kills per set, and has taken over 300 more swings than anyone else on the team.

Long Beach State vs. the Anteaters
Long Beach State has a 60-8 all-time edge over the Anteaters, and swept both matches last season to extend a three-match winning streak over UCI. Long Beach State's last lost came at UC Irvine however, when The Beach fell in five sets. Last season at the Bren Events Center, Haleigh Hampton had a big night with 10 kills on .348 hitting, and Lauren Minkel made 18 digs over three sets as head coach Brian Gimmillaro collected his 700th career win in a 25-19, 25-17, 25-18 victory.

Scouting CS Fullerton
The defending Big West Champions, Cal State Fullerton begins the week in a two-way tie for first place in the Big West with UC Santa Barbara. Junior Kayla Neto leads the Titans, averaging 3.93 kills per set, while Bre Moreland is second with 2.91 kills per set. Senior setter Andrea Ragan averages 10.51 assists per set, third in the Big West.

Long Beach State vs. the Titans
In an impressive streak, Long Beach State has won 57 matches in a row against Cal State Fullerton, dating back to 1982, and hold a 79-4 all-time record against an opponent that the 49ers have faced more times than any school other the UC Santa Barbara. Long Beach State won both matches last season, going four sets on the road at Titan Gym and picking up a sweep against them at home, the only two conference losses for Cal State Fullerton in 2010. Lauren Minkel made 14 digs in the home win, and setter Ashley Lee led a balanced offense in the win.

Block Party
One season after ranking eighth nationally in blocking, the 49ers are back at it in 2011. After finishing third in the nation in 2010, Haleigh Hampton ranks fourth nationally at 1.57 blocks per set, which is also the best in the Big West. Freshman Alma Serna is also joining the party, ranking third in the Big West and 31st nationally, averaging 1.25 blocks per set. The 49ers are leading the conference in all matches, averaging 2.99 blocks per set. Long Beach State also is currently sixth in the nation in blocking as a team.