Match 1: vs. New Orleans Privateers (4-2, 0-0 Sun Belt) Friday 2pm

Match 2: vs. Louisiana State Tigers (4-2, 0-0 SEC) Saturday, 9am

Match 3: vs. Tulane Green Wave (1-2, 0-0 Conference USA) Saturday, 6pm

Yesterday we brought you the story of Naomi Washington’s emotional homecoming to New Orleans this weekend; but she’s bringing her teammates, too, and apparently they’re planning on playing some volleyball.  In this weekend’s Sugar Bowl Volleyball Classic, they’ll face New Orleans, LSU, and Tulane.  The trip is also the longest of the year for the 49ers, who will spend the rest of the regular season in California.

Long Beach State will play in one additional tournament before commencing conference play, but won’t travel nearly as far as this week’s tournament in Louisiana, instead just going to Fullerton, where the team will play Fordham and No. 8 UCLA in two neutral-site matches. The match against UCLA will be the third game for the 49ers against a ranked opponent, and will be the best chance for the 49ers to jump back into the Top 25 until the team plays UC Irvine in October.

After falling to a pair of ranked opponents to start the season, the 49ers got back on track this weekend, picking up three consecutive sweeps as part of a joint tournament with UC Irvine. The 49ers started off the week by defeating UMBC and Indiana State, and then closed out Labor Day weekend with a 3-0 dismantling of Northeastern, 25-12, 25-12, 25-14.

Scouting New Orleans

New Orleans begins the week over .500 with a win over Houston and three straight sweeps last weekend, similar to what the 49ers were able to accomplish. Lindsey Loyd leads the team with 78 kills and gets most of the offense, with nearly 200 swings in six matches. Maria Szivos also gets involved, averaging 2.60 kills per set.

Long Beach State vs. the Privateers

This is the first meeting between Long Beach State and New Orleans.

Scouting LSU

LSU enters the week with a 4-2 record, but that mark could easily be 6-0, as the Tigers pushed both No. 5 Stanford and No. 6 Nebraska to five sets before falling. Brittnee Cooper is the top weapon for LSU, hitting .365 with 80 kills against tough competition so far. Outside of the two ranked teams, the Tigers have wins over good squads in Denver and Notre Dame, and have a 3-0 victory over tournament host Tulane.

Long Beach State vs. the Tigers

Long Beach State has all three prior meetings with the Tigers, all coming in the early `90s. The teams first met in the final four in 1991, with the 49ers prevailing to advance to the national championship game. The teams played again in 1992, and then a final time in 1993, as the 49ers were victorious 15-10, 15-3, 15-4 in Baton Rouge on the way to the program’s second NCAA championship.

Scouting Tulane

Tulane was idle through the first weekend of the season, and then participated in LSU’s home tournament last weekend. The Green Wave started the season with a 3-0 win over Louisiana-Lafayette, but then dropped two matches against No. 6 Nebraska and LSU. The roster is primarily made up of foreign players, with Dvisnja Djudjevic and Ksenjia Vlaskovic sharing the team lead with 29 kills through three matches. Djudjevic is also second on the team in digs.

Long Beach State vs. the Green Wave

Tulane and Long Beach State meet for the first time this weekend.

Long Beach State’s trio of returning All-Big West honorees continue to shine in 2009. Naomi Washington leads the team in kills and aces, while hitting .293. That attack percentage is just a shade under Brittney Herzog’s .294, which leads the team, and the senior middle blocker is second on the squad with 14 blocks. Sophomore Caitlin Ledoux is second on the team with 56 kills, and is also second on the team with 48 digs, averaging 2.67 per set.

After falling twice to ranked opponents in the first week, Long Beach State dropped out of the Top 25, but is still receiving votes, getting 55 points in last week’s poll. While the 49ers don’t play a ranked foe this weekend, The Beach will get a chance against LSU, who received 63 points this last week, and then can move in with a match next week against No. 8 UCLA. In all, the 49ers play seven teams that are either ranked or receiving votes in last week’s poll.

From LBSU reports