The No. 20 Long Beach State women’s volleyball team is set in first place with three matches ahead of its Big West Conference opponents. The 49ers will face Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara in back-to-back home games this weekend at the Walter Pyramid.
“All I know is we’re three ahead with six to go,” head coach Brian Gimmillaro said. “What that means, I don’t know. We’re ranked 20th as of today, [and] I think that’s fair because we didn’t do very well at the beginning. The only important thing right now is [Cal Poly] and Santa Barbara.”
The 49ers (20-4, 10-0 Big West) are looking to extend their best league start since that of the undefeated squad in 2001.
“We’re all really excited, really stoked,” senior libero and co-captain Tyler Jackson said. “We all knew we’re going to be really good this year, but to be 10-0 and have a three-game lead against other teams is really huge for us.”
According to Gimmillaro, his team’s health has been an important factor in its success. He said he hasn’t had a completely healthy team since 2001, when the 49ers were No.1 in the nation.
“It’s the first team that’s able to improve because they’re not hurt,” Gimmillaro said. “It’s the first team in a long time.”
Jackson credits the team’s achievements so far to the chemistry they’ve developed.
“I think we’ve just learned how to become a family,” Jackson said. “In the past years, we’ve always had chemistry, but it just felt like a team. This time, it feels like sisters and a family, so it’s just a lot different.”
After the season sweep against Hawai’i last Saturday, the 49ers moved up to No. 20 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Coaches Poll and No. 26 in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball RPI, which is their highest ranking this season.
“I think now we have a lot of pressure to keep winning and to be undefeated for the rest of the conference,” Jackson said. “We definitely have more confidence after beating Hawai’i.”
The 49ers defeated Cal Poly (9-13, 4-8 Big West) in four sets and UCSB (12-11, 7-5 Big West) in three sets in their first meetings earlier this season.
“Santa Barbara has got one player different from the conference champs last year,” Gimmillaro said. “They’re getting better now, and we have to play them. SLO always plays us tough, and they’ve made some lineup changes, which has made them better.”
Freshman outside hitter Raeann Greisen continues to lead Cal Poly with 301 kills, and the Mustangs’ freshman Caihla Petiprin leads her team with 60 total blocks.
Greisen earned her second career Big West Freshman Player of the Week award on Monday after a career-high, 24-kill performance in a win against Cal State Fullerton over the weekend. She now ranks fifth in the Big West with 3.28 kills per set.
UCSB is on a three-game win streak with two wins at home last weekend.
Junior outside hitter Ali Barbeau leads the Gauchos with 216 kills and sophomore middle blocker Allie Sullberg leads with 66 total blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Ali Spindt leads UCSB with 341 digs and is ranked second in the Big West with 4.32 digs per set.
Bre Mackie leads the 49ers with 247 kills, 102 total blocks and is tied with co-captain Chelsea Cabrajac for a team-high 19 service aces.
Alex Reid, who earned her first Big West Player of the Week honors after her team-high 16-kill performance against Hawai’i last weekend, is second in kills with 242 and digs with 232.
LBSU will play Cal Poly at 7 p.m. on Friday and UCSB at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both matches will take place in the Walter Pyramid.