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sports
Knipe picks up
where Ratelle left off
By Gabriel Lefrancois
On-line Forty-Niner
Last season the
No. 1 seeded Long Beach State men's volleyball team experienced
an astonishing first-round NCAA defeat to Loyola Marymount
University, crushing the team's aspirations for any shot at
the Final Four tournament.
During the last
game of the regular season, Jim Polster, a starting 6-foot-7
outside hitter for the 49ers, sprained his ankle during a
match against USC, putting hopes of a playoff berth on the
back burner.
Then the fate of
the 49er men's volleyball organization took another blow.
Announcing his
retirement after the 1999 season, Head Coach Ray Ratelle decided
to end his impressive 19-year run at LBSU during the 2000
season.
So the process
began and the search for a new head coach was on, although
there was one individual that already fit the spot perfectly.
Coming up through
the ranks at LBSU, Assistant Coach Alan Knipe, 31, was named
head coach on Aug. 8 by Bill Shumard, director of athletics.
"I was considered
next in line for a couple of years," Knipe said. "I
love the school and have put a lot of work into the program
over the years."
The list of his
impressive credentials reads like a movie script.
Involved with the
49er men's volleyball program for seven years, as a player
for three years and an assistant coach of four years, Knipe
received outstanding player honors at LBSU.
During the 1991
season as a player, Knipe lead The Beach to a national championship
and was named All-NCAA Tournament. In addition, Knipe was
named state Coach of the Year at Golden West College when
the team won the California State Junior College title after
only his second season as a coach, according to the LBSU Media
Relations office.
Now, as the new
head coach, Knipe is ready to fulfill the high expectations
and success former head coach Ray Ratelle left behind.
"I want to
win the national championship this year," Knipe said.
"This has always been the goal of the organization. I
truly believe we can do it as long as we stay away from injuries
that hurt us last year."
The Beach has four
returning starters this season and top recruits like freshman
outside hitter Scott Touzinsky, and Jeff Wootton, who brings
even more energy to an already impressive lineup.
"We have put
a lot of effort into recruiting the best players in the country,"
Knipe said. "It's a difficult task, but we are not going
to change anything. I want to bring the best possible players
to Long Beach State."
The recruits come
from all over the nation: incoming freshmen as well as junior
college players are the first to be looked over, according
to Knipe.
The recruiting
efforts by Knipe over the past two years have given the men's
volleyball program a significant uplift, said Assistant Coach
Derrick Lucero.
"Alan has
brought in some of the best players in the nation to play
at Long Beach State," Lucero said. "He is a major
reason why The Beach has done so well year after year."
Lucero, 30, is
also a new addition to the men's volleyball coaching staff.
Previously coaching women's volleyball at Vanguard University,
Lucero is intent on bringing his insight and inspiration to
a strong 49er team.
"I know the
expectations this team has had in the past," Lucero said.
"The last couple of years Long Beach has been picked
to win the title. I want to be a part of a group that has
the drive to win it all."
Knipe picked Lucero
to be the assistant coach because of his aggressively strong
work ethic and approach to the game, explained Knipe. He believes
Lucero will fill the assistant spot nicely.
"Derrick puts
in 110 percent every time, something this program definitely
needs in order to fulfil the high expectations the organization
demands," Knipe said.
The 49er team has
already began its quest for a title this season having been
ranked No. 1 during the second week of the semester.
Senior Dave McKienzie
said that he and the other players get along with Knipe well.
"Knipe is
a fair coach," McKienzie said. "He has good philosophies
and has been with this group of guys for a while. He worked
with us a lot last year and knows what we are capable of."
As a player, Knipe
could physically take control of a game. As a head coach,
he can only send out what needs to be done and watch, in what
he describes as a "chess match."
"Our main
goal is to improve as much as possible in the early stages,"
Knipe said. "This goal will eventually take care of the
rest as we head toward a national championship. This group
has the potential to be very, very good and we're excited
about that."
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