Sports, Women's Volleyball

LBSU women’s volleyball recruiting class named one of the best in the country

The 2014 recruiting class for Long Beach State women’s volleyball team was dubbed as one of the best in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com, ranking 10th out of over a thousand collegiate teams in the country. This would also give the program the highest ranking in the Big West Conference.

As the 49ers welcome back half of their 2013 roster, the other half is made up of new faces, with more than half consisting of incoming freshman.

The freshman class highlights Long Beach native Sherridan Atkinson, a Millikan High School product, who will be the team’s tallest player at 6 feet 6 inches. As a junior, she was one of PrepVolleyball.com’s Top-50 underclassmen, while Volleyball Magazine added her to its “30 Underclassmen To Watch” list. She ended her last year of high school with the Senior Ace recognition.

Although head coach Brian Gimmillaro aims to round up the best team possible, he expects his two international recruits Anete Brinke of Latvia and Sophie Bukovec of Canada, and Torrance native Ashley Murray to immediately make an impact for the team.

“We want to get back to the same quality players like we have in the past,” Gimmillaro said. “These are pretty serious players [entire recruiting class], and I expect to see a lot this season.”

Anete Brinke, a freshman international recruit from Latvia, competed on Latvia’s junior national team since 2010 and was one of the MVPs of the Latvian Championship this year. Gimmillaro will look to her extensive volleyball experience to help out in either the middle or right side.

Sophie Bukovec, an incoming sophomore from Canada, spent a year at McMaster University in Ontario and led her team to only its second OUA Championship. She was named the OUA Final Four MVP and helped her team advance to the CIS, which is similar to the NCAA tournament here, but lost. Gimmillaro recognizes her skills in every rotation and will expect her to help all around.

Murray finished her last year of high school with a .234 hitting percentage and 53 kills. Gimmillaro sees her versatility and athleticism as a potential to utilize her in multiple positions.

Aside from these new role players, Iowa State’s Jenelle Hudson and Minnesota’s Lindsey Lawmaster will also be expected to make an impact on the team, while the 49ers look to  return four seniors: Chelsea Cabrajac, Tyler Jackson, Bre Mackie and Chisom Okpala.

It is no secret that LBSU fosters one of the most respectable volleyball programs in the country, having five national championships and 12 Big West titles under its belt. Gimmillaro doesn’t seem to slack when it comes to recruiting, and this year he expects to have a more athletic and experienced team than the last.

“We have a very solid senior class, so that’s helpful,” Gimmillaro said. “[Our team] has experience, even though they’re very young, and we’re more athletic than we were last year.”

The 49ers finished last season with an 18-11 overall record and 11-5 in the Big West.

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