TONIGHT @ 8pm Long Beach State vs. UCLA, NCAA Round One
At Legends on 2nd, the Long Beach State women’s volleyball program and its supporters gathered to await news of where they’d be placed in the NCAA bracket—the announcement was momentarily pre-empted by news about Tiger Woods, but after that the 49ers learned they’ll start at UCLA, this Friday at 8pm. The two teams met earlier this year, with the 49ers coming away with a pretty convincing sweep victory for Long Beach.
Of course, anyone who’s been coaching for even a few years knows that doesn’t mean anything, and Brian Gimmillaro has been coaching for longer than that, as he’s taken his program to the NCAA tourney 23 straight years now. “The early match has nothing to do with now,” he said after the announcement. “They’re a different team, with incredible motivation to beat you now.”
One of his two captains, junior setter Ashley Lee, pointed out that both teams have changed. “They’ve gained experience since then, but so have we,” she said. “We still have to get ready for them.”
The bracket draw is essentially what Gimmillaro had predicted prior to the announcement, and he took a moment to explain bracket construction. “There aren’t enough teams in the West to get us to travel—they couldn’t put another Pac-10 team at UCLA because it’s against the rules, so it was us or Santa Barbara.” The Gauchos actually may have gotten a more friendly draw, despite LBSU entering the bracket as the conference’s champion, as they’ll face St. Mary in the first round, while the 49ers travel to face the no. 8-seeded Bruins.
If Long Beach wins, they’ll face the winner of Georgia Tech and Baylor; that match will be held at UCLA on Saturday, at 7pm. Should they advance from the first two rounds, they’d travel to the Regional Round in Gainsville Florida.
Aside from Long Beach’s excellent play against UCLA, there was another favorable omen—as the bracket was announced, and as the players and coaches talked about it after, a Legends tv was showing Long Beach State’s men’s basketball team soundly drubbing UCLA. Fans will find out on Friday if Long Beach can go 3-0 against the Bruins on the hardcourt this season.
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