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Post by whyuwanna on Feb 2, 2007 12:16:24 GMT -5
go beach
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Post by sizzle the pitts on Feb 2, 2007 19:04:42 GMT -5
THAT'S RIGHT GO BEACH!!!!!
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Post by beachman on Feb 3, 2007 0:51:01 GMT -5
Even though this is a definite re-build year for the Beach they were good enough tonight to kick Stanford's butts! Their men are really mediocre.....not a ton of talent on that team! Eaton is clearly our best setter as of right now.....runs a good offense and has good strength in moving the ball around.....he was much better, waaaaay better than Shoji from Stanford!
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Post by beachvball on Feb 3, 2007 1:01:46 GMT -5
I agree about Eaton and he will only get better with experience. I would like this team to be a little more consistant. Lotman and Hutton have too many hitting errors. I would also like to see the whole team cut there serves errors in half. Also, what's up with Teddy, he's a Senior and he's not stepping up.
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Post by Total Eclipse of the Heart on Feb 4, 2007 11:27:35 GMT -5
A Hutton-less Long Beach State succumbed to Pacific. Not the end of the world but a bitter pill to swallow Good to know that in addition to being a formidable killer, Paul Lotman is a player with great finesse. Go Beach!
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Post by tedmoseby on Feb 10, 2007 9:36:47 GMT -5
Way to go Beach! Couldn't see it or listen to it (what's up with that? they had a channel open...we should be able to listen to all the home matches!) so I have to make my observations from the box score and article. It seems the match wasn't near as close as the scores. Four players in double figure kills shows great distribution. Five service aces means we were serving aggressively. It's nice to see that 4 members of last years "top" recruiting class started together. Iandolo finally gets a start and sets at a 14.3 per game average with the team hitting at a .371 %. Also says he had 8 digs. Fabry hit .524 with 13 kills...where's he been? Dan Alexander had 1 error on 13 swings for a .769 percentage...where's he been. Norm hit .333 with 13 kills...welcome back. And Lotman is steady eddie as usual and had 2 aces. With Gavin playing some that makes 5 from the "top" recruiting class. Unfortunately, Bittner had an off night hitting although he had 2 aces as well. Surprised Teddy didn't see much time. Any insight on that?
Was this a one time line up? Can this line up produce next week against CSUN and UCSB? I hope this is the start of a turnaround but it seems all the MPSF matches will be tough this year. Love to hear more from those who were there.
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Post by Total Eclipse of the Heart on Feb 25, 2007 12:03:48 GMT -5
<<LA JOLLA, CA -- No. 13-ranked Long Beach State was upset by UC San Diego on Saturday evening>>
I can understand losing to CSUN, but UCSD??? Yikes.
Our guys are great volleyball players and it seems to me there's a strong feeling of camaraderies amongst them. As if that wasn't enough, we have highly skilled individuals in the coaching department. So what's going on here? What's wrong? What's missing?
Go Beach... Houston we have a problem...
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Post by bigvballer on Feb 25, 2007 14:20:38 GMT -5
After having watched many of the matches this season, a few observations can be made. Their passing is their greatest weakness. They need to get Tyler Caldwell out there. When the team played CSUN the second time last week, it looked like a new beach team. Even though they lost in 5 there was more energy and everyone was hustling. Passing was better, setting was better. If their serving was on target, they would have easily won.
This young team has great camarderie but their lineup changes so much that it is hard to gel on the court. The lineup at the 2nd CSUN game with Lotman, Hutton, Fabry, Liles, Bittner, Iandolo, Watten, with subbing of Alexander, Pestolesi, and Caldwell worked the best. Big guys!
The other factor that the beach needs to work on is consistent blocking. Many times the (6'7") setter was blocking all by himself without the middle swinging over in the last few matches.
The other weakness of the team is what to do when you are ahead. In both the CSUN game and the UCSB game they were leading substantially in Games 1 and especially Game 2, and then let the lead slip away. Also, when Beach gets blocked they seem to take their head out of the game instead of having that attack mentality.
Hopefully they can pull their u know what together for the match against UCLA and UCI this week. Go to the lineup of the 2nd CSUN match, stick with it, and give the guys the confidence that if they screw up one game that they can get it the next and won't get pulled.
It is still not too late! Go Beach!
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Post by vbreject on Feb 25, 2007 18:43:56 GMT -5
Looking at the box score from last night, Long Beach needs to work on their blocking desperately as they allowed UCSDs outsides and opposite to all hit over .350. That isn't going to get it done, especially since UCSDs outsides are so short.
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Post by tedmoseby on Feb 25, 2007 22:51:01 GMT -5
I've watched the Beach in a few of the matches this year, as well as followed on gametracker when I could. I was able to watch a number of matches last year as well. Their predicament is a bit maddening, but not surprising and here's why.
1. Last year they had three All-Americans but struggled to find a groove. Passing was a problem last year and caused a few of the losses. Having Tyler setting made up for a lot of iffy passes, and Tarr and Budinger could put away all sorts of sets. But remember they tinkered with the line-up all year. The big move was switching Budinger to Opp before Hutton came on strong at the end of the season. So even with the big 3 last year was somewhat of a disappointment. Now the big three are gone.
2. This year the team is young and trying to find an identity. The line-up has gone from tinkering to whole sale re-engineering and the effect has been negative. But the big problem is the key losses. A lot of teams graduate key players, but it isn't often that a team loses its AA setter (4 yr starter), its AA OH1 and its AA MH. If Tyler was still around he could make up for the loss of the power hitters with his pinpoint setting as he helped the newbies learn the ropes. Conversley, having Tarr and Budinger around would make the inexperienced setters look like budding AA's. Unfortunately, the Beach has neither option so they have inexperienced setters trying to set bad passes to inexperienced hitters with no real go to power guy. Remember, Tyler started as a freshman on a veteran team with Lee, Touzinski, Wooten et al.
3. The passing is worse than last year, but the only passer who left was Tarr. So what gives? Passing is technique which needs to be practiced but also attitude - the kind of confident attitude that says "c'mon Patak, serve me an I'll pass it like its a beach ball". Against UCSB, in game one with the Beach up 13-12, Patak stepped up to serve and didn't stop until it was 22-13. It was ugly. But passing is the easiest thing to fix. Concentration, platform, confidence!
4. Last year the Beach was not a great blocking team but was passable. This year the blocking is non-existent. UCSD hit at will with a 6'3" and a 6'1" outside tandem who I believe were both freshman. Against UCSB the team only had 2 blocks and one was a solo by the setter! C'mon, Beach, blocking is desire. You gotta want it!
So what is the solution? Stop panicking and realize that this is a major rebuilding and reloading year. There is plenty of young talent. Take this year to gain the experience and confidence. That doesn't happen when players are yanked constantly after mistakes and the line-up is changed every match. Some key players didn't even travel to UCSD. Look at the UCI model...they rode through a pretty rough season in 2005 as a young, inexperienced but talented team only to take the MPSF by storm last year with the same cast of characters. LB supposedly had the top recruiting class two years ago and most of the guys are red-shirt freshman. They can do the same thing UCI did if given a chance. Finally sit the key upperclassmen down and figure out how to get them to be leaders and stay up when things are down. They are great kids and they have it in them.
Go Beach! Hang in there..it WILL turn around. (Sorry for the novel, but I get worked up over the Beach...oh and Robin too!)
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Post by allymcbeal on Feb 26, 2007 14:27:57 GMT -5
<<Go Beach! Hang in there..it WILL turn around.>> Thanks for the vote of confidence, tedmoseby. However, one can't help but wonder if it is too little too late. Looking ahead, if things don't improve quickly and drastically... if status quo is to be kept... the only teams Long Beach may conquer are Stanford (for sure), Pacific (50-50), and USC (50-50). Given our current MPSF standing (3-7) we all know this means sayonara 2007...
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Post by Total Eclipse of the Heart on Mar 1, 2007 2:49:10 GMT -5
The Beach downed UCLA 3-2. A very close match - could’ve gone either way but I am glad it went my way.
Amazing, Beach. Hats off. Well done. What a way to rain on UCLA’s parade. It just goes to show how much potency the Beach truly has.
Alexander, Bittner, Eaton, Liles, Caldwell, and Lotman played to their strengths. Very impressive! Paul Lotman (MVP! MVP! MVP!) gave Klosterman a taste of his own medicine. (BTW, what is UCLA without Klosterman?)
Tedmoseby, bigvballer, anyone, what went right tonight?
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