The math is simple for Long Beach State’s women’s volleyball team: A win Friday plus a win Saturday equals the school’s 10th Big West Conference championship.
Two wins will give the 49ers’ back-to-back Big West titles and the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, which would be the program’s 23rd consecutive appearance.
“You always control your own destiny,” head coach Brian Gimmillaro said after practice Monday.
However, the task isn’t as easy as it sounds and could get more complicated if a loss enters the equation.
LBSU (17-7, 10-4 Big West) will face last-place UC Riverside and co-leaders UC Irvine (21-6, 10-4 Big West) on Friday and Saturday, respectively, at the Walter Pyramid. First serve for both matches is scheduled at 7 p.m. The ‘Niners defeated the Highlanders in four sets last week in Riverside, but lost in five sets to the Anteaters in mid-October.
Should The Beach and UCI — which hosts Cal State Fullerton — both win Friday, then Saturday night’s clash between the teams will be for sole possession of the Big West championship. The ‘Niners haven’t dropped a home match since Aug. 29 against No. 2-ranked Texas in five sets.
“We can’t go into the weekend expecting Riverside to give [the match] to us,” fifth-year senior Naomi Washington said. “We can’t think we have the title; we don’t have anything.”
But if one or both teams lose its first contest of the week, then a three-way tie with the potential of a four-way jam could decide the conference champion via tiebreaker.
“The Big West is kind of weird this year,” Washington said, alluding to LBSU’s “upsetting” five-set loss to seventh-place Cal State Northridge last Saturday.
Still alive in the hunt are UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis, which both sport 10-5 conference records and have just one Big West match remaining. The Gauchos will host the Matadors, while the Aggies — who need UCI and LBSU to lose Friday, coupled with a 49er loss Saturday — will travel to Stockton and play the University of Pacific. Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. starts on Saturday.