May leads No. 1 team

By Jimmy Chai, Special to the On-Line Forty-Niner

Monday, August 24, 1998

Deejay Destiny has announced that the band will be playing the last song of the evening. As the party comes to a close, for Misty May, it is her opportunity to ask that special someone for that one final dance.

This special someone is the NCAA National Championship.

Last year's American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division 1 Collegiate Player of the Year and Long Beach State student has achieved most of her goals and won countless awards except for the one that stands inches away from her. And that is winning the NCAA National Championship.

"This year is our year," May said.

According to Volleyball Monthly magazine, the 1998 LBSU women's varsity volleyball squad is at the top of the volleyball food chain.

In a preseason poll, the team was ranked No.1 by Volleyball Monthly and No. 2 by USA Today (behind Penn St.)

According to Coach Brian Gimmillaro, LBSU head women's volleyball coach, this is exactly where they want to be.

"People always want to be someone else," Gimmillaro said. "If you're not No.1,No.1, you want to be No. 1. When you're No. 1, you start thinking of the pressure of being No. 1. It's crazy. The goal is to be No. 1."

But the road to glory will not be easy, he said.

The team stands to face No. 8 BYU, No. 10 UC Santa Barbara, and No.11 Pacific.

"If we have two loses by the end of September, then we are a pretty good team," Gimmillaro said.

But as it is with all good dramas, the team is faced with a pre-season subplot. Expected starter Brandy Barrett, who plays middle blocker, has an injury to her back. Her condition to play in the opener is unknown. Coaches expect to know later this week. In her place, Gimmillaro will start freshman Cheryl Weaver.

"She is very talented," Gimmillaro said. "But starting in the middle, at the style that we play and the competition we play, is very difficult."

Being No. 1 is not easy.

"Never has a team [in women's volleyball] started No.1, stayed No. 1, and ended No.1," Gimmillaro said.

As for May, there is only one thing on her mind.

"I want the ring," May said, referring to the NCAA championship ring. "I usually don't wear jewelry, but if I got the ring, I would never take it off."

Last year, the team faced Stanford in the NCAA Final Four round, but lost three sets to one.

"We were overwhelmed," she said. "The only person that had been there [before] was Stephanie Streeks. Now, we all have experience in the final four."

From last year's squad, the team loses starters Jenn Snyder and Nique Crump who were both on the 1997 All-Conference Team.

But it is reality that permits May of this one last chance.

The stage is set. As the smell of fall approaches and nature hints at its predictable pattern of change and rebirth, what lies for May is in the mist.

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