Post by bigfan on Jan 12, 2005 23:01:44 GMT -5
49ers men's volleyball has the talent
By Frank Burlison
Staff Writer
The Long Beach State men's volleyball program lost three key players, including a couple of All-Americans, from a team that came oh-so-tantalizingly close to winning a national championship before losing to Brigham Young in five games in Honolulu last May 8.
But if you're wondering if the 49ers are going to tumble from the ranks of the national elite in season No. 5 with Alan Knipe leading the program, rest assured:
It's not going to happen.
Long Beach, which opens Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play tonight with a 7 o'clock match at Cal State Northridge, was No. 5 in the first American Volleyball Coaches Association national Top 15 released Tuesday.
Knipe, the 2004 AVCA Coach of the Year after the 49ers' 28-7, national runners-up season, got a glimpse last weekend of what his team will be like without key seniors from last season in All-Americans Scott Touzinsky and David Lee, as well as outside hitter Jeff Wooton.
During a season-opening tournament in Santa Barbara, Long Beach swept UCSB (No. 13 in the national ratings) before losing in three games to No. 2 UCLA and then beating No. 8 Stanford in five games for third place.
"I thought we played pretty well against Santa Barbara," Knipe said, "but we never really got out of third gear against UCLA.
"And I was impressed by the way we responded against Stanford. We didn't block great and had to go five games (three of those extra-point affairs) and fight and scrap to win. We showed more grit than anything else. And, this early in the season, that was good to see."
But there's no getting around that the 49ers lost a lot in outside hitters Touzinsky and Wooton and middle blocker Lee.
"No doubt, we lost a lot of talent with those guys," Knipe said of a trio that combined for more than 3,500 kills in Long Beach uniforms.
There is also no doubt that the cupboard wasn't left barren with their departure.
Setter Tyler Hildebrand is coming off an All-American sophomore season during which he averaged 14.17 assists per game.
"Tyler is the kind of player who can turn a 'good' play into a 'great' play," Knipe said.
"He's a difference maker and is, arguably, the best setter in the country. And, even as talented as he is, he's one of the hardest workers we have, if not the hardest."
Knipe has other returning players who started or played extensively in libero Paul Munoz (a senior who has started for three seasons), opposite Yassir Sliti (a senior who was an all-tournament selection last weekend), middle blocker Duncan Budinger (a junior with a single-season attack percentage record of .512 last season) and outside hitters Nate Hagstrom and Robert Tarr.
Sophomore Teddy Liles has stepped in for Lee at one of the middle blocker roles.
"Nate is one of the co-captains with Tyler," Knipe said. "He was a role player for us last season but is a very mature player who is a key to our offense."
How good can the 49ers be by the time April and, maybe May, when the national championship tournament is held at UCLA rolls around?
That will be determined by what kind of blocking unit they evolve into.
"In this league (MPSF) you have to be able to play defense and block great," Knipe said. "You have to stop opponents, force errors and take away a team's favorite shots.
"Last year we developed into the best (blocking) team in the conference and that took us to the Final Four.
"If we continue to train hard, play defense and block, I think we can play with any team in the country."