1998 National Championship Team Featured in New NCAA Volleyball Book
7/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Long Beach, Calif. - The 1998 Long Beach State women's volleyball season was one of the greatest in the sport's history. That year, the 49ers became the first NCAA women's volleyball team to complete an undefeated season, going 36-0 while claiming a third NCAA National Championship for head coach Brian Gimmillaro and the LBSU program. That team has now been featured on the cover of a new book by Michael Sondheimer, titled NCAA Volleyball History—Coaches, Players, Personalities & Teams.
The '98 team is also recognized within the book as the best team of the non-rally scoring era, based on votes from former coaches, players and members of the media. Gimmillaro is featured as well, highlighting the three national championships he's won at his alma mater. Three women's volleyball players were selected for their respective All-Decade Teams as well, with Tara Cross on the team for the 1980's and Misty May and Danielle Scott making the All-Decade Team for the 1990's.
LBSU men's volleyball alumni Alan Knipe and Brent Hilliard are included in the book as well, acknowledging their accomplishments on the men's side of the sport.
The book provides history on background on every men's and women's NCAA Championship team from 1970-2016, along with information on Division II and III champions plus the inaugural NCAA beach volleyball championship in 2016. A paperback version of the new book is currently available through Amazon Books.
