The 49ers have come a long, long way in the last several years, as Long Beach State has become a powerhouse in the Big West, and begun to make progress on the national level.  Saturday against LSU in the first round of the NCAA playoffs, they were shown how far they still have to go to become competitive in the NCAAs, as they fell 4-0 to the No. 25 Tigers, after dropping a close doubles point and being swept through singles.  The No. 50 49ers were close the year out with an 18-8 record. 

The 49ers were defeated in No. 1 doubles by No. 17 Falcon/Hedburg 8-0, but Rachel Manasase and Anais Dallara rallied from a 5-2 deficit to even doubles with an 8-6 win. Hannah Grady and Julie Luzar, competing together for the first time in doubles, went the distance with Kantor/Spencer, heading to a tiebreaker before falling 8-6.

In singles, No. 13 Megan Falcon defeated Grady in her final match, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, and LSU clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 3 and a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 6. Rachel Manasse had forced Mykala Hedberg to a third set at No. 2 singles when the match was concluded.

Long Beach State finishes the 2008-09 season with an 18-8 record, having won the team’s sixth straight Big West title and recording a perfect 11-0 record in Big West matches including the conference tournament.

Senior Hannah Grady earned her fourth Big West Player of the Year award, while six of the seven team members were honored with All-Big West honors in either doubles or singles.

DOUBLES

#17 Falcon/Hedburg, LSU def. Armstrong/Sutton, LBSU, 8-0

Dallara/Manasse, LBSU def. Robinson/Wolf, LSU, 8-6

Kantor/Spencer, LSU def. Grady/Luzar, LBSU, 9-8 [6]

SINGLES

#13 Megan Falcon, LSU def. #110 Hannah Grady, LBSU, 6-1, 6-2

Rachel Manasse LBSU vs. Mykala Hedberg, LSU, 6-2, 6-3

Whitney Wolf, LSU def. Deborah Armstrong, LBSU, 6-3, 6-3

Nicole Kantor, LSU led Anais Dallara, LBSU, 6-4, 5-2

Hannah Robinson, LSU led Julie Luzar, LBSU, 6-3, 3-1

Staten Spencer LSU def. Lisa Sutton, LBSU, 6-3, 6-1

From LBSU reports