Long Beach State Opens Big West Conference Action at Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield

Friday, September 23

San Luis Obispo, Calif.

7:00 PM

Long Beach State University

Cal Poly

Photo by: Diego Devia @Devia.Img

Long Beach State Opens Big West Conference Action at Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield

9/22/2022 4:44:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

The Beach and the Mustangs face off on Friday, before LBSU takes on the Roadrunners on Saturday

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

LONG BEACH STATE (5-3, 0-0) at CAL POLY (3-7, 0-0)
Date: Friday, Sept. 23
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Venue: Mott Athletics Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @LBSU_WVB

LONG BEACH (5-3, 0-0) at CSU BAKERSFIELD (3-9, 0-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 24
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Bakersfield, Calif.
Venue: Icardo Center
Live Stats: GoRunners.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @LBSU_WVB

COMPLETE LBSU MATCH NOTES (PDF)

Long Beach State Opens Big West Conference Action at Cal Poly, CSU Bakersfield
After going 5-3 in the preseason, Long Beach State is set to open Big West Conference play on the road. The Beach will kick things off at Cal Poly on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif., before taking on CSU Bakersfield on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif.

Catch All The Action
Both matches this weekend will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ for $5.99 per month ($59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNPlus.com, or on the ESPN App. It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu for $13.99 per month (Hulu with ads) or $19..99 per month (Hulu without ads). Fans can also follow stats updates on BeachLiveStats.com.

Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State women's volleyball on Instagram and Twitter at @LongBeachWVB and @LBSU_WVB, respectively. Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU.

About the Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 5-3 overall record into the Big West Conference season.
• The Beach concluded the preseason with a split against Loyola Marymount last week as LBSU dropped a 3-1 contest on the road, before coming home to the Pyramid and earning a five-set win over the Lions.
• In his first year at the helm, Tyler Hildebrand has revamped the Beach bringing in a whole new coaching staff featuring assistant coaches Cursty Le Roux and Kim Hill, while also adding volunteer assistant coach Jordan Molina to the mix.
• Long Beach State is averaging 12.06 kills per set, while hitting .190 as a team on 11.33 assists per set.
• The Beach defense has been on point this season as LBSU ranks second in the league in opponent hitting percentage as the Beach has held its counterparts to a .180 attack percentage. In the backrow, LBSU averages 14.79 digs per set, while on blocking defense, the Beach averages 2.48 blocks per set.
• When playing at the Walter Pyramid this year, Long Beach State is undefeated with a 3-0 record. The Beach's three home victories came against a talented Boise State squad (3-1), a tough Notre Dame team (3-0), and a gritty LMU team (3-2).
• The Big West Conference released the 2022 Preseason Coaches Poll and Long Beach State was picked to finish fourth behind Hawaii, UC Santa Barbara, and Cal Poly.
• Additionally, the Beach had a pair of players named to the Big West Conference Preseason Team in junior Katie Kennedy and redshirt freshman Zayna Meyer.

Scouting Cal Poly
• Cal Poly is 3-7 on the year and closed out the preseason with three-straight wins.
• The Mustangs' three victories were all straight set wins as they swept Santa Clara, Northern Colorado, and Tarleton State.
• Cal Poly's conference opener is also the squad's home opener as the Mustangs did not play a preseason match inside Mott Athletics Center all year.
• CP is hitting .209 on the year, while averaging 11.95 kills per set on 11.11 assists per set.
• In the backrow, the team is averaging 13.46 digs per set, while at the net the Mustangs are averaging 2.74 blocks per set which leads the Big West Conference and ranks them 15th in the nation.
• Maia Dvoracek, the reigning Big West Player of the Week, leads the Mustangs with 3.51 kills per set on a .232 clip. She also contributes 3.05 digs per set to rank second on the squad, while her 14 aces lead the team. Lastly, she is averaging 0.73 blocks per set.
• Emme Bullis is Cal Poly's setter as she has distributed 8.97 assists per set. She also adds 2.65 digs per set and 0.81 blocks per set.
• Jolei Akima is the team's libero with a team leading 3.11 digs per set.
• On blocking defense, Meredith Phillips leads the conference with 1.46 blocks per set a mark that is good for 14th in the nation. Additionally, she also averages 1.51 kills per set on a .295 attack percentage.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Mustangs
Long Beach State and Cal Poly will face off for the 73rd time in program history in a series that dates back to 1966. In 56 seasons, the Beach lead the all-time series 46-26 over the Mustangs. When playing at Cal Poly, LBSU holds a slight lead with a record of 18-15. However, Cal Poly has won the last two meetings against Long Beach as they swept the series against the Beach last season.

Scouting CSU Bakersfield
• CSU Bakersfield is 3-9 including dropping the final three matches of the preseason to Pacific (3-2), Sacramento State (3-2), and Fresno State (3-1).
• The Roadrunners are currently 0-3 when playing in the Icardo Center.
• Bakersfield is hitting .197 on the year, while averaging 11.84 kills per set on 10.73 assists per set.
• Defensively, the team is averaging 11.60 digs per set and 1.80 blocks per set.
• Hayley McCluskey is the team's leading scorer as she averages 3.26 kills per set on a .229 attack percentage. She also adds 1.51 digs per set and 0.33 blocks per set.
• At setter, Laura De Pra leads the way with 8.84 assists per set to go along with 1.62 digs per set, 0.51 kills per set, and 0.27 blocks per set.
• Paige Clavin is the squads libero as she leads the backrow with 3.60 digs per set.
• At the net, Sophia Bertotti Metoyer has posted 38 total blocks on the year to average 0.88 per set. She also adds 1.35 kills per set on offense.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Runners
Long Beach State and CSU Bakersfield will meet for the sixth time in program history and LBSU holds a 3-2 edge in the all-time series. When playing at the Icardo Center, the Beach lead the Runners 1-0. However, Bakersfield swept the series with the Beach last year.

Beach Player Notes
• Redshirt freshman Zayna Meyer has been on fire since making her collegiate debut. In eight matches, she has posted a dozen double-doubles and is averaging 9.36 assists per set and 3.21 digs per set. Meyer has also been efficient at the net, leading the Beach in blocks four times and averaging 0.97 blocks per set.
• Morgan Chacon, a redshirt junior outside hitter, is leading the Beach and The Big West in kills per set with 3.94. So far this season, she has racked up a total of 130 kills, while also contributing 2.24 digs per set, 0.52 blocks per set, and 4.30 points per set. She has led LBSU in kills six times this season and has logged two 20-kill showings, and seven double-figure kill performances this season.
• Redshirt freshman Jaylen Jordan came off the bench against Portland State and recorded a career-high 10 kills and nine digs, while posting four total blocks. Since then, she has seen action in the match against Oregon and LMU. She is averaging 2.56 kills per set and 0.78 blocks per set this season.
• Sophomore middle blocker Kameron Bacon has seen action in 16 sets this season and is currently averaging 1.06 blocks per set. She also adds 1.44 kills per set, while posting a .281 attack percentage.
• Tia Chavira came off the bench in the match against Notre Dame and made an immediate impact as she served up an ace to help the Beach to a 3-0 sweep of the Fighting Irish.
• Savana Chacon, a sophomore defensive specialist, has been an asset to the Beach coming off the bench in each set this season. She earned the start against No. 2 Nebraska in Lincoln. On the year, she is averaging 2.09 digs per set, while leading Long Beach in aces (14) and aces per set (0.32), which ranks her sixth in the league.
• Kailia Lopez has made an impact coming off the bench and helping the team as a serving specialist. This season, she is averaging 0.23 digs per set and has logged four aces and three assists.
• Katie Kennedy has shown her versatility this season as the 6-foot-1 junior has seen action at both middle blocker and opposite. She is averaging 1.97 kills per set and 1.21 blocks per set which ranks her ffith in the conference.
• Senior libero Dylan Dela Cruz kicked off her final year in Black and Gold with a career-high 24 digs against Oregon State. Since then, she has paced the Beach backrow averaging 4.15 digs per set and has logged six double-digit dig performances including three 20-plus dig showings. She is also averaging 1.03 assists per set.
• Victoria O'Sullivan has played in 21 sets for the Beach this season and has started in six matches. She had a solid outing at No. 2 Nebraska as she led the Beach hitting .308 with six kills. Her 2.05 kills per set are good for third on the squad, while she is hitting .209 on the year. Additionally, she has posted 0.33 digs per set and 0.29 blocks per set.
• Sophomore defensive specialist Jenna Giambi has returned to the Beach and has done a solid job coming off the bench in six sets this season. She is averaging 0.67 digs per set thus far.
• Senior middle blocker Callie Schwarzenbach has been a force at the net this season. Her 1.09 blocks per set rank her sixth in The Big West, meanwhile she also contributes with 1.12 kills per set on a .275 hitting percentage.
• Natalie Glenn is a sophomore outside hitter and is currently the Beach's second leading scorer with 2.46 kills per set. She contributes on both sides of the ball adding 2.08 digs per set and 0.38 blocks per set.

Block Party
This season Long Beach State has been solid at the net as the Beach are averaging 2.48 blocks per set to rank third in The Big West Conference. Leading the way, for LBSU junior middle blocker/opposite Katie Kennedy who is averaging 1.21 blocks per set to rank fifth in the league. Kennedy has posted a career-high eight blocks twice this season and has done a solid job helping the Beach out-block their opponents in 6-of-8 matches this season. Also ranking in the top 10 in blocking defense in the conference are senior middle blocker Callie Swarzenbach and redshirt freshman setter Zayna Meyer. Schwarzenbach's 1.09 blocks per set are good for sixth in the league, while Meyer's 0.97 put her in the Top 10.

Sister, Sister
For the first time in their collegiate careers, sisters Morgan and Savana Chacon are teammates as they don the Black and Gold together. Prior to joining each other at Long Beach State, Morgan, a junior outside hitter, played at Florida State, while Savana, a sophomore defensive specialist, played at Purdue. The Crown Point, Ind., natives have both been an integral part of Long Beach State's squad. Morgan is a starting outside who leads the team in kills per set (4.08), while Savana has come off the bench in every set this season and is leading the team in aces (9), while adding 2.29 digs per set.

No Relation
Despite sharing the same last name, junior defensive specialist Nicole Hoff and freshman outside hitter Tatum Hoff are not related. Nicole has been a fixture at the Beach for the last three years playing defensive specialist and libero. Meanwhile, Tatum is in her first year at LBSU after prepping at Dana Hills High School.

Family Connection
Redshirt freshman outside hitter Jaylen Jordan, freshman outside hitter Tatum Hoff, sophomore defensive specialist Jenna Giambi, and sophomore outside hitter Kailia Lopez have some strong family connections.

Jordan is the daughter of Kevin Jordan who played football at UCLA, while her mother, Jenny Johnson Jordan played volleyball. Her mother went on to play on the 2000 Beach Volleyball Olympic Team, while her father played in the NFL with both the Cardinals and the Bengals. If that weren't enough, her grandfather was 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist and UCLA track & field and basketball star, Rafer Johnson.

Hoff is the daughter of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball alum, U.S. A. Olympic Gold Medalist, and professional volleyball player Tom Hoff. The senior Hoff played two years at LBSU, then went on to enjoy a successful professional career playing overseas. A three-time Olympian (2000, 2004, 2008), Hoff was a member of the U.S. Men's National Team from 1996-2009, and helped bring home the Gold in 2008.

Giambi, meanwhile, comes from a strong pedigree of athletes as well. Her mother, Julie Giambi, played softball at Cal State Fullerton, and her uncles, Jason and Jeremy, are former Major League Baseball players. Her Uncle Jason played for the Dirtbags from 1990-92.

Lopez is also the descendant of a Dirtbag as she is the daughter of Derek Lopez who played for the Dirtbags in 1989. Additionally, her mother, Krystal Attwood, was a standout at Hawaii who went on to have a successful beach volleyball career.

Brian Gimmillaro Locker Room Dedication
On Saturday, Oct. 1, the Long Beach State Women's Volleyball program will dedicate their locker room to former head coach Brian Gimmillaro who coached at the Beach from 1985-2016.

The winningest coach in Long Beach State Women's Volleyball history concluded his Beach career with a total of 835 wins and a .791 winning percentage. During his time at the helm of the women's volleyball program, Gimmillaro led the Beach to three NCAA National Championships (1989, 1993, 1998), eight Final Four appearances, 13 NCAA Regional showings, and 27 NCAA Tournament appearances. He concluded his collegiate coaching career at LBSU with 27 20-win seasons and nine 30-win seasons.

A three-time National Coach of the Year, Gimmillaro was named 1999 U.S. Olympic Committee's Coach of the Year, the only non-Olympic coach to receive such an honor. In 2003, he was given the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award and was presented the Excellence in Leadership Award by Leadership Long Beach. Additionally, Gimmillaro is a four-time Regional Coach of the Year and a nine-time Big West Coach of the Year.

Throughout his three-decade career, Gimmillaro coached some of the greats in women's volleyball such as Misty May-Treanor, Tara Cross-Battle, and Danielle Scott-Arruda. All three were Olympians in Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004, all three were National Players of the Year, and all three led the Beach to a National Title.

Gimmillaro has coached four AVCA National Players of the Year. Cross-Battle and May-Treanor have each won the award twice, while Scott-Arruda and Antoinette White each earned the honor once. Cross-Battle is a former player and coach for the National team, a four-time Olympian, and a two-time World Player of the Year. Scott-Arruda was named to a record fifth Olympic squad in 2012, the only player to have that honor in USA women's indoor volleyball history, passing Cross-Battle who represented Team USA four times. May-Treanor is regarded as the top beach volleyball player in the world as she capped an unprecedented run in Beach Volleyball with her partner Kerri Walsh, capturing a third-straight Gold Medal after winning in 2008 in Beijing and 2004 in Athens.

Scott-Arruda and Tayyiba Haneef-Park repeated as medalists after winning the Silver in Beijing and another Silver Medal for the USA in London. Those finishes followed the 2004 squad, where the Beach had the most players from any college in Cross-Battle, Scott-Arruda, and Haneef-Park, as Cross-Battle was making her fourth Olympic appearance, setting a mark that was only passed in London by Scott-Arruda. In all, Gimmillaro's players have represented the United States in volleyball in six-consecutive Olympiads.

Gimmillaro's finest season at the helm of Long Beach State came in 1998, when the Beach became the first NCAA Division-I volleyball team ever to finish the season undefeated. The Beach captured their third National title in Madison, Wisc., finishing 36-0.

Prior to Long Beach State, Gimmillaro coached at perennial volleyball powerhouse Gahr High School in Cerritos, Calif. (1978-1985). During his tenure, he led his team to four CIF-Southern Section Championships (1978, 1979, 1983 and 1984) and Division-I State Championships in 1983 and 1984. In 1984 and 1985, Gahr won the CIF Southern Section 5-A Division Championship and was a Division-I state finalist. In eight years, Gimmillaro compiled a stellar 142-15 (.905) record. All told, Gimmillaro sent eight consecutive teams to the CIF Playoffs. A national No. 1 ranking in 1984 was a testament to his success at Gahr.

During the same period, Gimmillaro served as the business manager for the United States Women's Volleyball Olympic Team (1982-84). His duties included organization and development of publicity, budget, fundraising and promotion. He has also been the president and owner of the California Juniors Volleyball Club since 1978.

A 2008 AVCA Hall of Famer, Gimmillaro graduated from Long Beach State in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.

Next Up
Long Beach State will have a quick turnaround next week as the Beach play Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at Titan Gym.