Post by bigfan on Nov 30, 2006 10:42:23 GMT -5
Crimes commits to LBSU victories
Women's volleyball: Junior diversifying her skills for 49ers.
By Frank Burlison, Staff writer
Junior Alexis Crimes has led LBSU to a 25-5 record and an NCAA berth. For the first time in five seasons, LBSU will host first and second-round action. The Big West Co-Player of the Year and her teammates take on Pepperdine Friday at the Walter Pyramid. (Kevin Chang / Press-Telegram)LONG BEACH - When Long Beach State coach Brian Gimmillaro signed Alexis Crimes to a national letter of intent in the fall of 2003, he did so with the notion that she would evolve into one of middle blockers in college basketball.
Three years later, Gimmillaro doesn't suffer from signer's remorse.
"She is as good as any middle in the country," Gimmillaro said. "And I've thought that for a long time."
The 6-foot-3 Crimes, who shared Big West Conference Player of the Year honors last week with conference champion Cal Poly's Kylie Atherstone, will help lead the 49ers into an NCAA Tournament first-round match with the Pepperdine Waves Friday night in the Walter Pyramid.
Gimmillaro's team (25-5) has won 15 of its past 16 matches (losing just once Sept. 30) and will attempt to win only its second NCAA match since the 2001 season - ironically enough, the last time the 49ers have been hosts to first- and second-round matches.
Crimes, who averages 3.79 kills and 1.17 blocks per game, believes the 49ers are playing well enough to turn those postseason fortunes around.
"I do agree that this is the most progress we've made, from August until November, since I've been here," she said.
"We were still learning to play with each other early but, as the season has progressed, we've become more of a team. It's like night and day from early in the season until now." NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament at Walter Pyramid
First round
Friday: Hawaii vs. Oregon, 5 p.m.
49ers vs. Pepperdine, 7 p.m.
Tickets: All-session passes $18 for adults and $12 for students/children. Ticket info:(562) 985-4949.
Crimes, a graduate of Etiwanda High in Rancho Cucamonga, was voted the conference's top freshman two years ago and is three-for-three on first-team, All-Big West selections.
Her explosive power around the net, as a hitter and blocker, still are trademarks. But Crimes and Gimmillaro agree that her skills have become much more diversified as a junior.
"I think she is becoming one of the most versatile middles in the country," he said of Crimes, who is second in the Big West in both kills per game and hitting percentage (.393). "She is now excelling in all phases of the game."
Crimes, a four-time winner this season of Big West Player of the Week honors (including the final two of the regular season), said her all-around game "has gotten better.
"But," she added quickly, "I know I have to step up and do even more than I have been doing. You always want to improve and do whatever you can to help the team."
Tuesday afternoon, Pepperdine coach Nina Matthies, in her 24th season, was just about ready to dive into videotape analysis of recent matches of the 49ers.
But she knows enough of Crimes, by way of reputation and from her performance during Long Beach's 3-0 victory against the Waves in Malibu a year ago, to know that "she's tremendous ... a great one."
The adrenaline rush went into overdrive early Sunday afternoon when 49ers players and coaches learned that Long Beach was going to be one of the 16 first- and second-round sites.
A couple of victories Friday and Saturday would earn the team airfare to Honolulu for regional action next week.
But Crimes knows she and her teammates have a couple of significant obstacles to overcome - namely, No. 24-ranked Pepperdine in the first round, and either No. 12 Hawaii or Oregon, a team that has already beaten the 49ers in the Walter Pyramid this season, in Round 2 - before they can board any flights.
And if they can't navigate the first obstacle, the second becomes moot as two teams not named Long Beach State hook up Saturday night on the 49ers' home court.
"We're very focused and there is no way we're going to be looking ahead," she insisted.
It was a trap at least one 49er was snagged by last year, when a first-round match with the University of San Diego was standing in the way of a second-round hookup with UCLA in Pauley Pavilion.
And USD ended the 49ers' season in Round 1.
Crimes confesses to spending more time thinking about the Bruins than she should have a year ago.
"Personally, I was looking ahead (to UCLA)," she said. "That's not going to happen now, though. We're only focused on the match at hand."
Frank Burlison can be reached at frank.burlison@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1320.
Women's volleyball: Junior diversifying her skills for 49ers.
By Frank Burlison, Staff writer
Junior Alexis Crimes has led LBSU to a 25-5 record and an NCAA berth. For the first time in five seasons, LBSU will host first and second-round action. The Big West Co-Player of the Year and her teammates take on Pepperdine Friday at the Walter Pyramid. (Kevin Chang / Press-Telegram)LONG BEACH - When Long Beach State coach Brian Gimmillaro signed Alexis Crimes to a national letter of intent in the fall of 2003, he did so with the notion that she would evolve into one of middle blockers in college basketball.
Three years later, Gimmillaro doesn't suffer from signer's remorse.
"She is as good as any middle in the country," Gimmillaro said. "And I've thought that for a long time."
The 6-foot-3 Crimes, who shared Big West Conference Player of the Year honors last week with conference champion Cal Poly's Kylie Atherstone, will help lead the 49ers into an NCAA Tournament first-round match with the Pepperdine Waves Friday night in the Walter Pyramid.
Gimmillaro's team (25-5) has won 15 of its past 16 matches (losing just once Sept. 30) and will attempt to win only its second NCAA match since the 2001 season - ironically enough, the last time the 49ers have been hosts to first- and second-round matches.
Crimes, who averages 3.79 kills and 1.17 blocks per game, believes the 49ers are playing well enough to turn those postseason fortunes around.
"I do agree that this is the most progress we've made, from August until November, since I've been here," she said.
"We were still learning to play with each other early but, as the season has progressed, we've become more of a team. It's like night and day from early in the season until now." NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournament at Walter Pyramid
First round
Friday: Hawaii vs. Oregon, 5 p.m.
49ers vs. Pepperdine, 7 p.m.
Tickets: All-session passes $18 for adults and $12 for students/children. Ticket info:(562) 985-4949.
Crimes, a graduate of Etiwanda High in Rancho Cucamonga, was voted the conference's top freshman two years ago and is three-for-three on first-team, All-Big West selections.
Her explosive power around the net, as a hitter and blocker, still are trademarks. But Crimes and Gimmillaro agree that her skills have become much more diversified as a junior.
"I think she is becoming one of the most versatile middles in the country," he said of Crimes, who is second in the Big West in both kills per game and hitting percentage (.393). "She is now excelling in all phases of the game."
Crimes, a four-time winner this season of Big West Player of the Week honors (including the final two of the regular season), said her all-around game "has gotten better.
"But," she added quickly, "I know I have to step up and do even more than I have been doing. You always want to improve and do whatever you can to help the team."
Tuesday afternoon, Pepperdine coach Nina Matthies, in her 24th season, was just about ready to dive into videotape analysis of recent matches of the 49ers.
But she knows enough of Crimes, by way of reputation and from her performance during Long Beach's 3-0 victory against the Waves in Malibu a year ago, to know that "she's tremendous ... a great one."
The adrenaline rush went into overdrive early Sunday afternoon when 49ers players and coaches learned that Long Beach was going to be one of the 16 first- and second-round sites.
A couple of victories Friday and Saturday would earn the team airfare to Honolulu for regional action next week.
But Crimes knows she and her teammates have a couple of significant obstacles to overcome - namely, No. 24-ranked Pepperdine in the first round, and either No. 12 Hawaii or Oregon, a team that has already beaten the 49ers in the Walter Pyramid this season, in Round 2 - before they can board any flights.
And if they can't navigate the first obstacle, the second becomes moot as two teams not named Long Beach State hook up Saturday night on the 49ers' home court.
"We're very focused and there is no way we're going to be looking ahead," she insisted.
It was a trap at least one 49er was snagged by last year, when a first-round match with the University of San Diego was standing in the way of a second-round hookup with UCLA in Pauley Pavilion.
And USD ended the 49ers' season in Round 1.
Crimes confesses to spending more time thinking about the Bruins than she should have a year ago.
"Personally, I was looking ahead (to UCLA)," she said. "That's not going to happen now, though. We're only focused on the match at hand."
Frank Burlison can be reached at frank.burlison@presstelegram.com or (562) 499-1320.