To say that the tone in practice Monday afternoon was business-like from Long Beach State women’s volleyball head coach Brian Gimmillaro would be an understatement.
In the final 30 minutes of the three-hour practice at the Gold Mine, Ashley Lee made a dump attempt that forced Gimmillaro to stop practice to lecture his senior setter.
The 26th-year head coach’s message was to only attack when the opposition shows an opening — a reminder he appeared irritated to have to “tell a senior less than a week before the playoffs.”
The 49ers (25-7) will face No. 18-ranked San Diego (23-5), the West Coast Conference champions, in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m.
“[The tone in practice] is to get our work done, be ready and prepared for the weekend,” Lee said.
Less than a minute later, Gimmillaro stopped practice again — this time for freshman Haleigh Hampton, who briefly left the court to get ice for a right knee injury that forced her to miss two of the last four matches. Hampton rushed to the sidelines with the rest of her teammates but Gimmillaro insisted that the 6-6 middle blocker finish wrapping her knee.
Again, the team watched and waited.
Gimmillaro made it a point to command the attention of a 49ers squad four days away from a rematch with the Toreros, who won in four sets at the Walter Pyramid in early September.
For Gimmillaro, it’s not about game planning against USD. Instead, he’s taking a John Wooden-like approach — practice what you can control, not for the other team.
“We never do,” Gimmillaro said. “We know they give us match-up problems, we know the match-up problems, but it’s about what we do.
Amid all the late tension at Monday’s practice, Gimmillaro was quick to deliver positive reinforcement to his setter he publicly reprimanded.
“Great set, Ashley, great set.”
It’s that quick switch numerous past players remember Gimmillaro flipping, and the idea that his practices can be tougher than the actual matches.
First dance
While Gimmillaro will lead his 24th consecutive 49ers team into the tournament, Hampton is expected to suit up for her first career appearance. She said there was a brief scare before the final pairings were revealed on television Sunday, and the team had yet to be announced.
“The pressure in that room was insane,” Hampton said about Sunday’s private viewing party at Gimmillaro’s home. “Sitting there and we didn’t see our name pop up, and then the very last bracket came up and we were so relieved.”
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