The Long Beach State women’s volleyball team faces one task this weekend: clinch at least a share of the Big West Conference title by maintaining its 30-year winning streak over rival Cal State Fullerton.
The 49ers (16-6, 10-2 Big West) sit atop the Big West standings with a three-and-a-half match lead with four matches to play and will face the Titans (11-13, 6-6 Big West) for its only contest of the week Saturday at 7 p.m.
LBSU defeated Fullerton in four sets on Oct. 8 — 25-18, 25-20, 21-25, 25-11 — for its 58th consecutive victory over the Titans.
The 49ers are also on an eight-match win streak — the longest they’ve had since the 2008 season.
‘Niners head coach Brian Gimmillaro said he does not concern himself with the streaks and just wants to team to focus on being successful Saturday night.
“Fullerton is a good team; they are well coached,” Gimmillaro said. “They are big; they are physical and they play us well. Our job is simply to execute. This match is huge for us. I’m sure they (Fullerton) will play loose and strong and comfortable. It will be truly a challenge.”
The Titans are led by junior outside hitter Kayla Neto, who is third in the Big West with 362 kills on .142 hitting. Neto averages a conference-best 4.03 kills-per-set. Senior setter Andrea Ragen ranks fourth in the conference with 945 assists on the season.
Steady net play has fueled the ‘Niners season-high win streak. Sophomore middle blocker Haleigh Hampton and freshman outside hitter Alma Serna rank first and third in the Big West in blocks, compiling 136 and 104 respectively.
The Beach boasts the best hitting percentage in the Big West at .242. Paired with its effective hitting, the defense has also provided a spark as LBSU has allowed the lowest hitting percentage in the conference. LBSU has held its opponents to a dismal .153 clip.
Hampton and senior outside hitter Caitlin Ledoux have been sitting out practice this week to preserve their bodies for match play.
“Caitlin (Ledoux) and Haleigh (Hampton) will not practice this week,” Gimmillaro said. “That allows them to play only one on Saturday and not have to play back-to-back matches.”
Gimmillaro added: “During the week it gives us a chance to really work on the other parts. That is really important for us. It is a very important week for us to get better. We can work on every aspect of the game that does not pertain to Haleigh or Caitlin, so it is very important and it does give them some rest.”
Disclaimer: The Daily 49er is not responsible for Postings made on www.daily49er.wpengine.com. Persons commenting are solely responsible for Postings made on this website. Persons commenting agree to the Terms of Use of the website. If Postings do not abide by the Rules of Conduct or Posting Regulations as listed in the Postings Policy, the Daily 49er has all rights to delete Postings as it deems necessary. The Daily 49er strongly advises individuals to not abuse their First Amendment rights, and to avoid language suggestive of hate speech. This site also encourages users to make Postings relevant to the article or other Postings.