The 49ers remain optimistic for their 2012 season despite suffering a major setback prior to their opening match.
Junior middle blocker Haleigh Hampton will be a spectator during the 2012 Long Beach State women’s volleyball season thanks to an offseason shoulder surgery. She was the leader on a 2011 team that ranked second in the country in blocking.
The ‘Niners, however, have a deep roster, and will now look to senior outside hitter Janisa Johnson, junior outside hitter Delainey Aigner-Swesey and sophomore middle blocker Alma Serna to carry the load as team leaders.
Serna wasn’t far behind Hampton as a freshman in 2011. She finished second in the Big West Conference in blocks, averaging 1.32 per set en route to 149 on the season. She was also eighth in the conference with a .299 hitting percentage.
Entering his 27th year as head coach and seeking a 26th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, Brian Gimmillaro said he expects the team adjust and grow as the season gets underway.
“We hope to get better as the year goes on,” he said. “We just think about improving. We have to be quicker with the change in the lineup.”
This LBSU squad, however, is no stranger to injuries. Gimmillaro said the early experience gained last year by young players during the absence of key starters will be invaluable.
“I think it helps,” he said. “It’s fast and we have a youthful team but I think it’s getting better. The benefit of playing last year helps.”
One of the biggest changes during the offseason was the addition of the eighth-ranked University of Hawaii to the Big West. The Rainbow Wahine (2-0) are the tenth team to join the conference and will immediately increase the level of competition. They are expected to challenge the defending-champion 49ers for the title this season.
“Hawaii-Long Beach matches are the best matches in the history of college volleyball,” Gimmillaro said. “I hope that we can get back to that point where we both play extremely well. “
The teams square off Sept. 29 at Hawaii and Oct. 26 at Walter Pyramid.
LBSU (1-2) opened its season on Friday afternoon with a victory over Lipscomb University in the opening round of the Kentucky Classic in Lexington. The 49ers defeated Bisons in straight sets, 25-20, 25-19 and 25-19.
Aigner-Swesey led the charge with 16 kills on .467 hitting. Johnson earned her 30th-career double-double, finishing the game with 11 kills and 11 digs.
On Saturday, the ‘Niners returned to the court for a pair of matches to close out the tournament. The first was a five-set loss to the University of North Carolina. Johnson broke-out with a career-high 29-kill performance but the team fell just short, ultimately losing 23-25, 22-22, 25-14, 22-25 and 15-12. Johnson added 19 kills on .338 hitting.
In the finale, LBSU fell to the host squad, No. 13 Kentucky, in four sets. Johnson compiled 20 kills and six digs while Aigner-Swesey added a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs.
LBSU will return to action Thursday night when it hosts James Madison in the first match of the Long Beach State Mizuno Invitational.
One of the highlights of the ‘Niners non-conference schedule will come during the Mizuno Invitational, when the 49ers host the University of San Diego. The Friday night match will be a rematch of the first round of the 2011 NCAA tournament. San Diego has knocked LBSU out during the tournament’s first round two years in a row.
Big West play begins Sept. 21 when the ‘Niners host Cal Poly at the Walter Pyramid.