What’s scarier than a horror movie, an IRS audit, and a trip to the dentist all rolled into one?  Playing in UCSB’s Thunderdome on Halloween night, a challenge Brian Gimmillaro and his Long Beach State women’s volleyball team aren’t necessarily looking forward to.

If you didn’t know, Santa Barbara is home to SoCal’s most out-of-control collegiate Halloween atmosphere, as anyone who’s ever ventured into the area on the 31st can tell you.  The drinking and partying go beyond college debauchery into a realm that can be unhealthy for athletes.  After Saturday’s match against Fullerton, Gimmillaro recalled the last time the ‘Niners had to start a match on the 31st in SB as borderline dangerous, because of the drunkenness of the fans.  It certainly surprised our staff to see that the Big West had scheduled the game in the Thunderdome for that date and time.

Naturally, the 49ers themselves are a little less wary than their coach.  After the Fullerton match, libero Lauren Minkel said, “It should be…um, interesting.”  Interesting, it’s guaranteed to be—hopefully not too interesting.

For more on the 49ers’ matches this week, check out the university’s weekly volleyball release: 

Road Trip

Long Beach State travels outside the greater Los Angeles area for the final time in the regular season for two Big West Conference matchups. The 49ers start by taking on Cal Poly, a team that The Beach edged for the 2008 Big West Championship, and then faces UC Santa Barbara in a game that will likely have championship implications. The Beach starts at Mott Gym against the Mustangs at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 30 and then heads to Santa Barbara on Halloween night with first serve set for 7 p.m. in the Thunderdome.

Looking Ahead

The Beach is officially halfway through the conference series, and is in the thick of what appears to be a four-way race for the Big West Championship. UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara join Long Beach State in receiving votes in the poll, while UC Davis continues their surprising season and is tied with UC Irvine for first place in the league at 7-2. The 49ers play both UC Davis and UC Irvine at home however in the coming weeks, along with Pacific, a tough home team that remains a spoiler and could play a role in shaping the way the rest of the Big West season shakes out.

Finishing Fullerton

The 49ers played only one match last week, and used great defense and a balanced attack to shut down Cal State Fullerton for the second time on the year in a 25-17, 28-26, 25-17 victory. Brittney Herzog led the team with 10 kills and two aces, and Lauren Minkel finished with 23 digs over a three-set match as the 49ers held the Titans to .128 hitting in the win. Caitlin Ledoux added nine kills and 12 digs, while Naomi Washington also had nine kills for The Beach.

Scouting Cal Poly

One season after taking third place in the league behind first-team All-Big West team members Kylie Atherstone and Jaclyn Houston, but the loss of those players has led to a disappointing season for the Mustangs, who currently stand eighth in the Big West with a 6-17 overall record having played a very difficult schedule. The Mustangs, despite going 1-5 over their last five matches, have pushed all six to five sets, including a loss at No. 19 UC Irvine in their last match. Freshman Megan McConnell leads the offense for the Mustangs with 3.04 kills per set, while Dominique Olowolafe is the team’s top hitting at .319.

Long Beach State vs. the Mustangs

Long Beach State leads the all-time series with Cal Poly 34-15. That series is much closer on the road, with The Beach holding a 13-8 lead in Mott Gym, but the 49ers have had the last laugh recently. After losing five straight matches to Cal Poly, Long Beach State earned a season sweep of Cal Poly in 2008, winning two exciting five-set matches over the course of the year and picked up a win earlier this season in the Walter Pyramid. All three of those matches were led by a different 49er, with the trio of Caitlin Leduox, Brittney Herzog and Naomi Washington each leading LBSU in kills in one of those three wins.

Scouting UC Santa Barbara

UC Santa Barbara has reprised a role as one of Long Beach State’s chief Big West rivals in 2009. The Gauchos currently stand in fourth place in the Big West, just behind Long Beach State at 6-3 and have a number of impressive wins, most recently at No. 19 UC Irvine. Rebecca Saraceno is the Gauchos’ top weapon, with 400 kills this season which is tops in the conference. Dana Vargas averages 11.13 assists per set for the Gauchos, second in the league and middle blocker Stacey Schmidt is second in the conference in hitting at .353.

Long Beach State vs. the Gauchos

In what has been a great rivalry over the years, Long Beach State holds a 57-33 over the Gauchos after earning a victory earlier this season in the Walter Pyramid. In all, Long Beach State has won eight straight over the Gauchos. Naomi Washington led the way for The Beach in the last meeting, putting away 23 kills to lead the 49ers to a five-set win earlier this month on October 2.

Watching Washington

Senior Naomi Washington is making a case for a second All-American selection after receiving an Honorable Mention nod last season. Washington leads the 49ers in kills with 268, averaging 4.00 per set, and is one of three players in the Big West averaging over four kills per set. She also leads the squad with 15 aces, and has 38 blocks on the season as well. Nationally, Washington ranks 44th in kills per set.

Highlight Package

All three of Long Beach State’s returning All-Big West players are having another outstanding year, and The Beach has a number of additional players that are potential candidates for postseason honors. Naomi Washington and Caitlin Ledoux are each averaging more than three kills per set, and Ledoux adds solid defense with 176 digs so far on the year. Middle blocker Brittney Herzog leads the team in hitting .295, and Ashley Lee is having a nice season at setter with 61 kills to go along with 680 assists. Additionally, Jocelyn Neely is a possible all-freshman team member with 1.52 kills per set.