Sports, Women's Sports, Women's Volleyball

Long Beach State women’s volleyball team is primed for success

With the right mix of youth and veteran leadership, the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team is looking to make some noise in the Big West after finishing second to Hawai’i last season.

Although the team has seven freshmen, the 49ers will have plenty of experienced returners who will make an impact on a team that went 25-6 in 2015 while going 13-3 in the Big West Conference.

Head coach Brian Gimmillaro said that the team has a lot of youth, but he expects returners sophomore libero Mykah Wilson and redshirt sophomore outside hitter Anete Brinke to make large contributions.

Along with Wilson and Brinke, lone senior Nele Barber and junior Ashley Murray are expected to bridge the experience factor and provide a lift on the court.

“I think it just comes down to doing my part and playing my role,” Murray said. “As long as I take care of what I need to do and do what I need to do on the court, I’ll gain that respect that I need to be a leader, even if I am one of the younger people on the team.”

While Murray will lead by example, Barber will look to provide comfort to the team by being vocal on and off the court.

“[I will] motivate the freshmen by making sure I talk a lot to make them more comfortable,” Barber said. “I feel if they have someone next to them who speaks more, who encourages them to do something, I feel like that’ll make them more comfortable than someone who doesn’t.”

Bridging the gap

While the 49ers will be without Jenelle Hudson, setter and former Big West Player of the Year, redshirt sophomore Missy Owens will be called on to take over the setting for LBSU.

Even though Hudson won’t be on the court with the team, she will be close by as an undergraduate assistant coach. Hudson’s eligibility with the indoor team is up, while she has one year remaining with the beach volleyball team.

“It’s really helpful [having Hudson around] technique-wise and [with] situational stuff, she tells me what to do tempo-wise and how to fix things,” Owens said.

After two years of watching Hudson, Owens believes that she’s learned a lot that will help her same and lead to team success.

“It was nice to work hard under Jenelle and just see what she does and try to copy and do what she does in my own way,” Owens said.

Second to none

As the 49ers prepare for their upcoming season, the Big West Conference released its annual preseason poll and the 49ers are projected to finish second to rival Hawai’i.

While LBSU knows it’ll be a tough season, they’re ready to turn some heads when the season gets going.

“I think we got a little doubted,” Murray said. “But at the same time we do have a lot of rivalry and competition when it comes to Hawai’i. So I feel like it’s going to be a great game but I think we can pull through and surprise a lot of people.”

The 49ers’ season will begin on the road as they travel to Oregon for the Portland State Tournament Friday. They will face host Portland State Friday and take on Texas Tech and Colorado Saturday.

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