Jump • Long
Beach State middle blocker Alexis Crimes
spikes the ball back to UC Santa Barbara
Gaucho blockers while 49er sophomore
setter Dyanne Lawlor looks on. Matt
Logan / Online Forty-Niner
49ers crush Tigers, Matadors, win big West
By Andrew De Lara
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
A fragile standing in the Big West Conference had the Long Beach State women’s
volleyball team faithful on their toes during the weekend, as one loss would
have handed the crown to the shunned conference arch rival UC Santa Barbara
Gauchos.
The No. 24 nationally ranked Beach squad responded in grand fashion as it secured
its eighth Big West Conference title with dominating sweeps over the Pacific
Tigers and the Cal State Northridge Matadors in The Walter Pyramid Friday and
Saturday evening. The wins ensured a tie-break with a 49er advantage in overall
records over the Gauchos, whose conference record tied LBSU.
The Beach (23-5, 12-2), who will make its 19th straight appearance in the NCAA
championship tournament, ensured it at least shared the top spot in the league
with its three-game lambasting of the Tigers, 30-23, 30-16, 30-25, and its crushing
of the Matadors, 30-13, 30-21, 30-21.
Both matches saw the
49ers dominate their hapless opponents, with junior outside hitter Robin Miramontes
tallying with 14 kills against the Tigers, and senior middle blocker Erika Chidester
blasting 12 kills versus the Matadors.
Friday night displayed the depth and balance of the squad, as Chidester and high-flying
sophomore middle blocker Alexis Crimes threw in 13 kills a piece to complement
the effort in the sweep.
Saturday night was no less pleasant for CSUN as Crimes detonated with 10 kills
on a perfect 10-for-10, 1.00 hitting percentage to complement Chidester: a new
single match record.
The convincing victories assisted sophomore setter Dyanne Lawlor with being named
the Big West Conference player of the week, who assisted The Beach with a .342-team
attack percentage during the weekend. Her 40-assist, 10-dig and seven-kill performance
against the Matadors was her first recorded double-double of the season, as she
lead the offense to a blistering .429 clip.
And little to the knowledge of a casual observer, despite their dominance over
inferior squads, the 49ers are capable of an even higher level of dominance.
“ In my opinion, if we were healthy, we would have been as good as we’ve
ever been here,” said Head Coach Brian Gimmillaro, whose program will host
the Baden Thanksgiving Tournament this week.
His injury-plagued team, although formidable on the national scene, would have
been equipped for a national title run if physical factors were brighter.
“ We had as good a recruiting class three years ago as we’ve ever
had,” said Gimmillaro, who has won three National
Titles leading the legendary 49er program. “Last year, bringing in Alexis
[Crimes] complemented the others. And I thought between our seniors, people who
should be juniors now and Alexis, we would have been good as anyone in the country—but
it doesn’t always work out that way.”
The Baden Thanksgiving Tournament will take place Nov. 25-26 in The Walter Pyramid,
and will include conference archrival UCSB, the Pittsburgh Panthers, South Dakota
State and Florida A&M, while NCAA Tournament pairings and assignments will
be announced Nov. 27.
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