LBSU VBall: Niners Say Goodbye To Senior Class (W/Photos)

Photos by Mike Guardabascio

“Yeah they’re a special group,” Long Beach State men’s volleyball coach Andy Read said of his graduating quartet of seniors. The 49ers had just capped a disappointing finish to their 2010 campaign with a 30-25, 30-25, 30-23 loss at home to USC in the Pyramid. The loss was their seventh in a row, and tenth in their last eleven matches.

Read said he wasn’t sure what derailed his team, which finished 12-17 overall and 8-14 in the powerhouse MPSF conference. “We played hard all the time,” he said, “and we had plenty of opportunities. Sometimes it comes down to serving the ball, passing…it just seemed like when we were getting going, one wheel would fall off.” Those obstacles included injuries, the difficulty of adjusting to the absence of departed-for-the-Olympics Alan Knipe, some plain bad luck (five five-set losses) and perhaps whatever malaise seems to have generally fallen over Long Beach State this year.

The loss to USC was academic, with a five-set heartbreaker to Pepperdine in their last match having already eliminated the 49ers from the postseason tournament. Senior Night seemed almost more about the seniors and their teammates enjoying one last night together in the Pyramid.

Senior Dean Bittner had 11 kills, but no other 49er finished with double-digit kills, and the team hit just .174 (while USC hit .471) in the three-set defeat. Bittner said after the game it was strange suiting up for the last time after five years. “I don’t really know how to explain it,” he said. “I had a great five years here, I got up there in some records.” Bittner says it’s definitely his goal to join Knipe in the Olympic program (he and several other 49ers were on the Pan-Am team last year, and Bittner says he’s on the Pan-Am and World League rosters for the Summer).

With the departure of Bittner, Dan Alexander, Tommy Pestolesi, and Conor Eaton, the team will have some big holes to fill—but they do have talent coming back, as well. “Obviously Antwain Aguillard, Jim Baughman will be key pieces in that,” said Read, who will have the unenviable task of replacing his setter and best two offensive weapons.

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