New head coach moves on to familiar playing field

It will not be easy to replace long time Long Beach State men's volleyball Head Coach Ray Ratelle, but former player and assistant Alan Knipe looks forward to the challenge as new head coach.

"I am excited about it," Knipe said. "We have a good group of returns and a real solid recruiting class, the future should be real good around here."

Knipe played for three years (1990-92) at LBSU where he won a national championship in 1991. He received many honors including first team All-American in 1992.

With all this experience as a player, Knipe said that it makes him a good coach. "I have played at every possible level you can play at," Knipe said. "It gives me a broader base of knowledge."

His coaching career started in 1994 when he was Coach at Golden West College in Huntington Beach. In 1995, his final year, Knipe coached the Rustlers to the California state junior college championshipand was named state coach of the year.

When Ratelle announced that he would coach LBSU for one more season, Knipe said he knew that he had a good chance of becoming head coach.

"Knowing Long Beach State a little bit, if and when possible, they like to hire their own," Knipe said. "I played hereÖand coached here for five years and I thought that I had done everything necessary and felt pretty good about getting the job."
 

ROUNDUP

Senior Long Beach State cross country and track and field athlete Johann Appell was selected as a first team GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American on the Men's Spring At-Large Team on Tuesday.

Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America voted Appell, who had a 4.0 GPA in Kinesiology/Physical Education, on the team. Appell was also named to second team Academic All-American team in the Men's Fall/Winter At-Large team.

Appell won many events during the track season including the Big West Challenge Cup for the 1,500-meter run in April with a time of 3:55.82.