The word “replacement” has been common for Long Beach State women’s volleyball head coach Brian Gimmillaro entering his 25th season.
Gimmillaro no longer has assistant coaches Debbie Green (retired) and Melissa Ohta (personal reasons); graduates Quincy Verdin, Iris Murray and Nicole Vargas; middle blocker Ya Chen Wang (personal reasons); or his waiting-in-the-wings setter Cat Highmark (transferred to Arizona State).
Junior Ashley Lee will move from outside hitter, which she played in her first two seasons at The Beach, to the setter position.
“I played it a little bit [in high school],” she said. “But I’ve never been the only setter … so it’s going to be a lot different. I won’t be hitting as much.”
Lee’s sophomore season was cut short after partially tearing her posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in her right knee last November. The 5-foot-8, La Habra Heights native has been practicing with a brace but hopes to have it removed by her next doctor’s visit.
Replacing Murray, a standout libero for LBSU last season, will be sophomore Lauren Minkel, who appeared in every match and set en route to 232 digs.
On his bench, Gimmillaro hired former 49er standout Erika Chidester and promoted Matt Ulmer from volunteer to assistant coach. Former LBSU men’s volleyball player Gavin Christensen was named a volunteer assistant.
Green, a longtime assistant of Gimmillaro’s for 23 seasons, may not have been at the first practice of the season Monday but her words continue to reside with the returning players.
“I had Debbie for four years,” senior middle blocker Naomi Washington said. “If I mess up or do something, I can [still] hear Debbie. ‘Naomi, come on, get this ball. You know what you’re supposed to do.’ I hear her all the time. OK, Debbie, you’re still there.”
The Big West Conference champions will look to Washington — the team’s emotional leader — for senior leadership along with middle blocker Brittney Herzog. Washington, an honorable mention All-American last season, and Herzog were among five ‘Niners who received all-conference first team honors.
Reigning Freshman of the Year Caitlin Ledoux, an outside hitter who led the team with 389 kills, will try to lead the Big West preseason favorites once again.
Among the newcomers to the squad, Gimmillaro expects freshmen outside hitters Sarah Clause, Janisa Johnson and Libby Fontanilla to progress as the season goes along. There are six true freshmen on the roster, as well as redshirt freshmen Jocelyn Neely and Alexa Manuel.
The 49ers posted a 26-6 record last season and were ousted in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by Stanford. They finished at No. 23 in the final Top 25 Coaches Poll.
LBSU will face four nonconference opponents that finished last season in the final Top 25 poll. The 49ers will start the season at home in the Baden Classic against San Diego (No. 19) and Texas (No. 4) on Aug. 28 and 29, respectively. They also will face UCLA (No. 8) in the Cal State Fullerton Tournament on Sept. 19 and wrap up the regular season at the Walter Pyramid against Utah (No. 16) in the Mizuno Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 28.
“The nonconference schedule is better than those four,” Gimmillaro said. “There are regionally ranked teams all over that are very, very important to us to be able to position ourselves for the playoffs. It will be an incredibly challenging schedule.”
Other notable nonconference action includes a two-day, three-match trip to Washington’s hometown of New Orleans, La. LBSU will meet New Orleans (Sept. 11), Louisiana State and Tulane (both on Sept. 12) in the Tulane Sugarbowl Classic.
“Brian always asks us if we’re from out of state so … he asks us if we want to play back at home during the years that we’re here,” Washington said. “Right after [the season] last year, I went to Brian and I’m like, ‘We’re going to New Orleans, right?’ … The next week — I don’t know how it happened — he scheduled a tournament.
“So, I’m pretty stoked to see my family. I’ve never played in front of my family before, collegiately.”
Big West action opens at Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 26. UC Irvine, which finished second in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll, will host the ‘Niners on Oct. 16.