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49ers
face hard-hitting road to NCAA finals
Pumped
• Junior Duncan Budinger is a key
contributor to No. 5-ranked 49ers. The team
begins the season at 5-2. Matt Brown/Sports
Information
By
Andrew De Lara
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
The
epitome of success in collegiate athletics
is ultimately measured in the form of an
NCAA Championship, and during the spring
no team at Long Beach State has a better
shot at making this ideal reality.
Everyone
knows LBSU is a volleyball school. The volleyball
office inside The Pyramid is home to a combined
six NCAA title trophies for men and women.
The men's program has one national title,
six Final Four appearances, 52 All-Americans
and 15 USA National Team members.
Last
season was one of prodigious proportions,
as the 49ers blasted their way to the national
title game held in Honolulu, Hawaii. The
men fell short by a mere two points from
their second national title against BYU
in a suspenseful, five-game battle.
The
49ers began this season during the winter
break, and although three of the four All-Americans
from last season graduated, The Beach demonstrated
that this season's expectations are far
from diminished, starting the season with
a No. 5 national ranking.
Head
Coach Alan Knipe, who was named AVCA 2004
National Coach of the Year for his efforts
last season, leads a talented group of returning
players this season.
"Nate
(Hagstrom) and Tyler (Hildenbrand) have
emerged as our team leaders – they
set the tone for the team," said Knipe,
referring to two key contributers returning
from last season's run.
Last
season's starting setter, Hildenbrand garnered
numerous accolades, including first team
AVCA All-American, first team all-Mountain
Pacific Sports Federation, NCAA all-tournament
team, AVCA National Player of the Week and
MPSF Player of the Week.
The
Beach began with an exhibition match against
the University of Calgary. The 49ers overpowered
the Dinos to a 3-0 victory (30-26, 30-18,
30-21) in the seldom-used Goldmine. 49ers'
senior outside hitter Nate Hagstrom defined
his leadership role on the team, pacing
The Beach with 15 kills.
To
start off the regular season, the team took
part in the Elephant Bar Tournament hosted
by UC Santa Barbara.
In
the initial game of the tournament, the
49er squad made a statement by pummeling
the host UCSB Gauchos in three games, (30-25,
30-22, 30-26). Junior outside hitter Robert
Tarr led The Beach with 16 kills.
The
second match of the tournament did not see
such brilliance, as The Beach fell to the
top-seeded UCLA Bruins, (30-23, 30-24, 30-26).
Junior middle blocker Duncan Budinger paced
The Beach with 13 kills.
In
a match for third place, LBSU took on Stanford,
defeating the Cardinal in a five-game roller
coaster (25-30, 31-29, 33-31, 23-30, 19-17).
Senior opposite/middle blocker Yassir Sliti
blasted 26 kills to lead The Beach.
The
49ers then continued their trek to Cal State
Northridge for the Mountain Pacific Sports
Federation season opener, where they toppled
the Matadors, 3-2, following the dissipation
of a two-game Northridge lead. Nate Hagstrom
led the way with 20 kills, as the 49ers
won the last three games to bring home the
match.
In
an odd road trip fashion, The Beach returned
to Santa Barbara to continue the early conference
season, taking on UCSB for a rematch. The
arch-rival Gauchos turned the tables in
contrast to the season's opener, as the
Gauchos upset the 49ers in four games, (27-30,
27-30, 30-19, 32-34). Yassir Sliti led the
Beach with 20 kills.
Looking
to rebound and demonstrate necessary progression
through the season, The Beach returned home
to The Pyramid to face a vengeful Stanford
Cardinal team, which provided more than
adequate competition at the Elephant Bar
Tournament. And to the joy of the 49er faithful
in attendance, the Beach throttled the Cardinal
in three games, (30-27, 30-23, 34-32). Yassir
Sliti detonated a match-high 18 kills to
lead The Beach.
The
red hot 49ers then hosted their conference
foe the University of Pacific, utterly dominating
the Tigers in three games (30-20, 30-19,
30-17). Yassir Sliti and Robert Tarr shared
their role in the Tigers' demise; both tallied
11 kills on the night.
The
effort against Pacific displayed the potential
of the 49ers, whose starting lineup is practically
new coming off last season's Final Four
run.
"We
are really improving and progressing as
a team," Head Coach Alan Knipe said.
"We have a lot of new faces and people
in new positions from the finals last year."
Knipe
knows well of the upcoming challenges facing
the 49ers. The 49ers are in a tough conference,
playing the likes of UCLA, USC, Hawaii and
BYU.
"In
the MPSF, the only match that matters is
the next match," Knipe said, following
his team‘s win over Pacific. "We'll
celebrate a little tonight then get ready
for Pepperdine on Thursday."
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