Post by Surfin D Beach on Aug 25, 2004 15:54:09 GMT -5
Two good articles on the Press Telegram...
One contains the thoughts of Coach Gimmillaro and Debbie Green on Misty...
Makes all of us at The Beach VERY VERY VERY PROUD!!!
The second has an article on the upcoming season...
So what guys - are you all fired up for the women's season? ;D
_________________________________
Gimmillaro proud of former charge
By Greg Mellen
Staff writer
Brian Gimmillaro, women's volleyball coach at Long Beach State where Misty May was a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year, was thrilled for the woman he said is the best player he's ever coached.
"We couldn't be more excited," said Gimmillaro, who is prepping his team for the upcoming season. "We were following it (on the Internet) during practice. I'm personally tremendously happy and excited for her, it couldn't happen to a better person."
Although May hails from Orange County, to Gimmillaro she will always be an honorary if not actual native of Long Beach.
The coach said plans were under way to throw a "huge celebration' for May once she comes home for Athens. Details are pending.
Gimmillaro said he had little doubt his former setter would win the gold.
"I think she's probably the best player ever on the beach," he said. 'She can do everything and her and Kerri are the perfect complement."
Debbie Green-Vargas, a two-time Olympian in indoor volleyball and May's setting coach, also was sure May would take gold.
"I didn't have a doubt," she said. "You could see the focus on her face on TV the night before."
Although Gimmillaro has led three teams to NCAA championships, May and the 36-0 1998 team hold a special place in his heart. That's due in part to a special quality May brings to her teams.
"She makes the player next to her better," Gimmillaro said.
___________________________________
LBSU Women's Volleyball Notebook
By Frank Burlison
Staff writer
The Long Beach State women's volleyball team is scheduled to play its season-opening match a week from tonight when its counterpart from Northeastern University (Boston) visits the Pyramid.
But there are more pressing issues on the minds of Brian Gimmillaro's players as they persevere throughout two-a-day workouts that won't wrap up until Friday.
Injuries stunted or all but eliminated the spring and early workout/conditioning schedules for many of the 49ers.
"They're working so hard right now just trying to catch up," Gimmillaro said Monday evening.
"In seasons past, we'd be rarin' to go against someone else because of the anxiety of wanting to know how good we were (at the time).That (feeling) could still happen by next week but right now we're just trying to figure out what we can do ourselves. It's kind of like spring training."
Even as many of his athletes continue to get their legs and arms into the kind of shape they'd be in by now if so many of them (five) had not needed surgery in the spring, Gimmillaro had praise for several 49ers.
Among those were seniors Erika Chidester (middle blocker/outside hitter) and Jillian Mazzarella (setter) two of the returning five starters and freshman Alexis Crimes (middle blocker).
Chidester, an All-Big West selection last season when she averaged 4 kills per game, has been hanging tough in workouts despite the right (hitting) shoulder that was operated upon in the spring and will no doubt cause some degree of discomfort all season.
With rehabilitation and conditioning still front-burner issues, Gimmillaro's starting lineup and substitution patterns figure to be evolving well into September.
But Crimes, one of the most heavily recruited preps in the country last year at Rancho Cucamonga High, has demonstrated enough since practice began on Aug. 11 to convince Gimmillaro and his staff that she'll be on the floor often, beginning a week from tonight.
"She was the starting middle blocker on the Junior National Team this summer," he said.
"The only question was in how quickly she could adjust to the speed of the ball movement (on the major college level). But she's a hard worker and excellent learner who wants to be good but is very humble and takes a team-like approach to everything."
Subhead
LONG BEACH STATE is playing host to the NCAA Championships for the first time this season.
The Long Beach Arena is the site, with the semifinals to be played on Dec. 16 and the title match two days later.
For ticket information, contact the 49ers' ticket office (562/985-4949).
The 49ers will play one of their matches in the Arena when they play host to Arizona State on Sept. 17.
_____________________________________
GO BEACH!!!
One contains the thoughts of Coach Gimmillaro and Debbie Green on Misty...
Makes all of us at The Beach VERY VERY VERY PROUD!!!
The second has an article on the upcoming season...
So what guys - are you all fired up for the women's season? ;D
_________________________________
Gimmillaro proud of former charge
By Greg Mellen
Staff writer
Brian Gimmillaro, women's volleyball coach at Long Beach State where Misty May was a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year, was thrilled for the woman he said is the best player he's ever coached.
"We couldn't be more excited," said Gimmillaro, who is prepping his team for the upcoming season. "We were following it (on the Internet) during practice. I'm personally tremendously happy and excited for her, it couldn't happen to a better person."
Although May hails from Orange County, to Gimmillaro she will always be an honorary if not actual native of Long Beach.
The coach said plans were under way to throw a "huge celebration' for May once she comes home for Athens. Details are pending.
Gimmillaro said he had little doubt his former setter would win the gold.
"I think she's probably the best player ever on the beach," he said. 'She can do everything and her and Kerri are the perfect complement."
Debbie Green-Vargas, a two-time Olympian in indoor volleyball and May's setting coach, also was sure May would take gold.
"I didn't have a doubt," she said. "You could see the focus on her face on TV the night before."
Although Gimmillaro has led three teams to NCAA championships, May and the 36-0 1998 team hold a special place in his heart. That's due in part to a special quality May brings to her teams.
"She makes the player next to her better," Gimmillaro said.
___________________________________
LBSU Women's Volleyball Notebook
By Frank Burlison
Staff writer
The Long Beach State women's volleyball team is scheduled to play its season-opening match a week from tonight when its counterpart from Northeastern University (Boston) visits the Pyramid.
But there are more pressing issues on the minds of Brian Gimmillaro's players as they persevere throughout two-a-day workouts that won't wrap up until Friday.
Injuries stunted or all but eliminated the spring and early workout/conditioning schedules for many of the 49ers.
"They're working so hard right now just trying to catch up," Gimmillaro said Monday evening.
"In seasons past, we'd be rarin' to go against someone else because of the anxiety of wanting to know how good we were (at the time).That (feeling) could still happen by next week but right now we're just trying to figure out what we can do ourselves. It's kind of like spring training."
Even as many of his athletes continue to get their legs and arms into the kind of shape they'd be in by now if so many of them (five) had not needed surgery in the spring, Gimmillaro had praise for several 49ers.
Among those were seniors Erika Chidester (middle blocker/outside hitter) and Jillian Mazzarella (setter) two of the returning five starters and freshman Alexis Crimes (middle blocker).
Chidester, an All-Big West selection last season when she averaged 4 kills per game, has been hanging tough in workouts despite the right (hitting) shoulder that was operated upon in the spring and will no doubt cause some degree of discomfort all season.
With rehabilitation and conditioning still front-burner issues, Gimmillaro's starting lineup and substitution patterns figure to be evolving well into September.
But Crimes, one of the most heavily recruited preps in the country last year at Rancho Cucamonga High, has demonstrated enough since practice began on Aug. 11 to convince Gimmillaro and his staff that she'll be on the floor often, beginning a week from tonight.
"She was the starting middle blocker on the Junior National Team this summer," he said.
"The only question was in how quickly she could adjust to the speed of the ball movement (on the major college level). But she's a hard worker and excellent learner who wants to be good but is very humble and takes a team-like approach to everything."
Subhead
LONG BEACH STATE is playing host to the NCAA Championships for the first time this season.
The Long Beach Arena is the site, with the semifinals to be played on Dec. 16 and the title match two days later.
For ticket information, contact the 49ers' ticket office (562/985-4949).
The 49ers will play one of their matches in the Arena when they play host to Arizona State on Sept. 17.
_____________________________________
GO BEACH!!!
The excuses are starting! 
