Long Beach State University Athletics
Beach Women's Volleyball Concludes Big West Play This Weekend
11/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 18, 2015
QUICK HITTERS
• Friday night's match against Fullerton is the final home match in Big West play for the Beach, but there is still a pair of non-conference matches on the horizon. LBSU's Senior Night will be Friday, Nov. 27 against Pacific at Walter Pyramid.
• Freshman Peyton Grahovac has found a comfortable home on the right side and has been solid over her last six appearances. During that stretch, the Orange, Calif. native boasts a .338 hitting percentage and has reached double-digit kills in all six matches. She now has seven career matches with 10+ kills and is up to third on the team with 2.31 kills per set this season.
• Hawai'i captured an outright Big West title with a win on Tuesday, leaving Long Beach State in a tight battle for second place with Cal Poly. The Mustangs, who are tied with the 49ers at 11-3 in conference, host Hawai'i on Thursday and visit UC Davis next Tuesday.
• Senior Hayley Benson ranks 4th in the Big West in hitting percentage during conference play, hitting at a .338 clip. Peyton Grahovac is storming up the charts with her recent hot streak, the freshman sits 7th in the conference with a .302 attack percentage in Big West matches.
• LBSU's 3-0 win at Fullerton on Nov. 4 gave the Beach its 20th victory of the season. That makes 2015 the 26th 20-win season of Brian Gimmillaro's 31-year tenure.
• Nele Barber had the most productive match of her Long Beach State career in carrying the Beach to a thrilling come-from-behind win vs. Cal Poly on Oct. 24. Barber set a new career high in kills (24), digs (20), blocks (7), and attempts (74) to give the Beach one of its most exciting victories of the season.
• That performance marked the first 20/20 match of Barber's career. It's the first time an LBSU player reached 20 kills and 20 digs in a match since Delainey Aigner-Swesey's 20/20 vs. UCSB during the 2013 season.
• Senior setter Jenelle Hudson has flirted with a triple-double a few times this season against UC Santa Barbara. She was one kill away in the first meeting on Oct. 3 (9 kills, 43 assists, 10 digs) then on Oct. 23 she put up similar numbers (8 K, 36 A, 8 D) in one fewer set against the Gauchos. The last triple-double for Long Beach State came from Tara Roenicke during the 2012 season.
NEWS & NOTES FROM THE FRONT ROW
• Hayley Benson has seen an uptick in performance during Big West play. The 6-foot-4 senior earned Defensive Player of the Week honors during the first week of conference matches, and ranks third in the Big West in blocks per set (1.13) during conference play. Benson also became the first LBSU player to reach double-digit blocks with a career-best 10 against Cal Poly.
• The 49ers will be without one of their key front row players for the season with injury, as Anete Brinke was hurt prior to the beginning of the year.
NEWS & NOTES FROM THE BACK ROW
• After missing four matches due to injury, freshman Mykah Wilson returned to don the libero jersey against UC Davis and was second on the team with 16 digs. She has started the last four matches for the Beach at libero, averaging 4.43 digs per set to lead the team. In addition to her libero role, the Southlake, Tex. native has spent time at outside hitter as well, providing great versatility for the Beach.
• Long Beach State and Cal Poly re-wrote their defensive record books in a five-set marathon on Oct. 24. The teams combined for 213 total digs with LBSU setting a high mark for the Big West this season (109) and the Mustangs recording the second-most digs in a match with 104. Long Beach State has played 12 matches this season where both teams have combined for fewer than 109 digs, and it's the first time a team has had 100 digs against the Beach under the current rally scoring format, implemented in 2001. LBSU's previous match with 100+ digs came over five years ago vs. Pacific (10/9/10).
• Five Beach players reached double-digits in digs against Cal Poly, led by Jenelle Hudson's career-high 26. She is the first 49er to surpass 25 digs in a match since Delainey Aigner-Swesey dug 27 balls against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 16, 2013.
• OH Nele Barber is playing all six rotations for the 49ers, and is leading the team in overall digs with 336, averaging 3.29 per set. Barber's lowest dig total on the year is six, coming in a 3-1 win at UCSB.
TRIO OF AWARD WINNERS
• Long Beach State returns a pair of major award winners from last season; the only two returning starters for the Beach. Setter Jenelle Hudson was the Big West Player of the Year (8th winner for LBSU) while middle blocker Ashley Murray was the Big West Freshman of the Year.
• Head Coach Brian Gimmillaro also earned Big West Coach of the Year honors for the 2014 season. Recording 27 wins and leading the Beach to the NCAA Tournament for the 27th time, Gimmillaro has been named the Big West Coach of the Year nine times in his career.
• With a 3-0 win over UC Davis on Sept. 25, 31st year head coach Brian Gimmillaro became just the seventh active coach in Division I to reach 800 wins, and the 14th ever to do so in NCAA history. Gimmillaro's winning percentage is among the Top 10 ever, and he is just the fourth active coach to reach 800 wins all at one institution.
THIS AND THAT
• Long Beach State improved to 2-1 against ranked teams in 2015 after dropping No. 21 San Diego on Sept. 18. That win helped to push the Beach back into the Top 25, where the 49ers moved up as high as No. 24 in the Sep. 28 poll. Long Beach State was ranked for the 289th time in school history - No. 12 All-Time.
• With its victory over UCSB on Oct. 23, Long Beach State clinched its 29th consecutive winning season.
• Thanks to a four-set win at UC Davis on Oct. 31, the Beach improved to 11-0 in Saturday matches this season.
Long Beach, Calif. -
QUICK HITTERS
• Friday night's match against Fullerton is the final home match in Big West play for the Beach, but there is still a pair of non-conference matches on the horizon. LBSU's Senior Night will be Friday, Nov. 27 against Pacific at Walter Pyramid.
• Freshman Peyton Grahovac has found a comfortable home on the right side and has been solid over her last six appearances. During that stretch, the Orange, Calif. native boasts a .338 hitting percentage and has reached double-digit kills in all six matches. She now has seven career matches with 10+ kills and is up to third on the team with 2.31 kills per set this season.
• Hawai'i captured an outright Big West title with a win on Tuesday, leaving Long Beach State in a tight battle for second place with Cal Poly. The Mustangs, who are tied with the 49ers at 11-3 in conference, host Hawai'i on Thursday and visit UC Davis next Tuesday.
• Senior Hayley Benson ranks 4th in the Big West in hitting percentage during conference play, hitting at a .338 clip. Peyton Grahovac is storming up the charts with her recent hot streak, the freshman sits 7th in the conference with a .302 attack percentage in Big West matches.
• LBSU's 3-0 win at Fullerton on Nov. 4 gave the Beach its 20th victory of the season. That makes 2015 the 26th 20-win season of Brian Gimmillaro's 31-year tenure.
• Nele Barber had the most productive match of her Long Beach State career in carrying the Beach to a thrilling come-from-behind win vs. Cal Poly on Oct. 24. Barber set a new career high in kills (24), digs (20), blocks (7), and attempts (74) to give the Beach one of its most exciting victories of the season.
• That performance marked the first 20/20 match of Barber's career. It's the first time an LBSU player reached 20 kills and 20 digs in a match since Delainey Aigner-Swesey's 20/20 vs. UCSB during the 2013 season.
• Senior setter Jenelle Hudson has flirted with a triple-double a few times this season against UC Santa Barbara. She was one kill away in the first meeting on Oct. 3 (9 kills, 43 assists, 10 digs) then on Oct. 23 she put up similar numbers (8 K, 36 A, 8 D) in one fewer set against the Gauchos. The last triple-double for Long Beach State came from Tara Roenicke during the 2012 season.
NEWS & NOTES FROM THE FRONT ROW
• Hayley Benson has seen an uptick in performance during Big West play. The 6-foot-4 senior earned Defensive Player of the Week honors during the first week of conference matches, and ranks third in the Big West in blocks per set (1.13) during conference play. Benson also became the first LBSU player to reach double-digit blocks with a career-best 10 against Cal Poly.
• The 49ers will be without one of their key front row players for the season with injury, as Anete Brinke was hurt prior to the beginning of the year.
NEWS & NOTES FROM THE BACK ROW
• After missing four matches due to injury, freshman Mykah Wilson returned to don the libero jersey against UC Davis and was second on the team with 16 digs. She has started the last four matches for the Beach at libero, averaging 4.43 digs per set to lead the team. In addition to her libero role, the Southlake, Tex. native has spent time at outside hitter as well, providing great versatility for the Beach.
• Long Beach State and Cal Poly re-wrote their defensive record books in a five-set marathon on Oct. 24. The teams combined for 213 total digs with LBSU setting a high mark for the Big West this season (109) and the Mustangs recording the second-most digs in a match with 104. Long Beach State has played 12 matches this season where both teams have combined for fewer than 109 digs, and it's the first time a team has had 100 digs against the Beach under the current rally scoring format, implemented in 2001. LBSU's previous match with 100+ digs came over five years ago vs. Pacific (10/9/10).
• Five Beach players reached double-digits in digs against Cal Poly, led by Jenelle Hudson's career-high 26. She is the first 49er to surpass 25 digs in a match since Delainey Aigner-Swesey dug 27 balls against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 16, 2013.
• OH Nele Barber is playing all six rotations for the 49ers, and is leading the team in overall digs with 336, averaging 3.29 per set. Barber's lowest dig total on the year is six, coming in a 3-1 win at UCSB.
TRIO OF AWARD WINNERS
• Long Beach State returns a pair of major award winners from last season; the only two returning starters for the Beach. Setter Jenelle Hudson was the Big West Player of the Year (8th winner for LBSU) while middle blocker Ashley Murray was the Big West Freshman of the Year.
• Head Coach Brian Gimmillaro also earned Big West Coach of the Year honors for the 2014 season. Recording 27 wins and leading the Beach to the NCAA Tournament for the 27th time, Gimmillaro has been named the Big West Coach of the Year nine times in his career.
• With a 3-0 win over UC Davis on Sept. 25, 31st year head coach Brian Gimmillaro became just the seventh active coach in Division I to reach 800 wins, and the 14th ever to do so in NCAA history. Gimmillaro's winning percentage is among the Top 10 ever, and he is just the fourth active coach to reach 800 wins all at one institution.
THIS AND THAT
• Long Beach State improved to 2-1 against ranked teams in 2015 after dropping No. 21 San Diego on Sept. 18. That win helped to push the Beach back into the Top 25, where the 49ers moved up as high as No. 24 in the Sep. 28 poll. Long Beach State was ranked for the 289th time in school history - No. 12 All-Time.
• With its victory over UCSB on Oct. 23, Long Beach State clinched its 29th consecutive winning season.
• Thanks to a four-set win at UC Davis on Oct. 31, the Beach improved to 11-0 in Saturday matches this season.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP/MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
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