VOLLEYBALL WIVA CHAMPIONSHIPS : CSULB Again Asserts Itself Against Aztecs

The San Diego State men’s volleyball team, which this season breathed life back into a stumbling program, took its last breath of the year Thursday, losing to Cal State Long Beach, 15-8, 15-11, 15-11, in the semifinals of the WIVA Tournament.

Disappointing? Sure.

Yet for the Aztecs, who hadn’t qualified for this tournament since 1980, the appearance itself might have been more important than the result. If nothing else, it indicated that SDSU is back in the same zip code with the big boys. Remember, the program was cut from the athletic department’s payroll entirely in 1984.

“I think this hopefully will set the standard for a new tradition of winning here at San Diego State,” said senior Mike Schlegel, who led the Aztecs with 20 kills. “I think our players certainly have nothing to be ashamed of. We didn’t go as far as we wanted to go, but we started a good thing.”

Which isn’t to say that it’s finished. Long Beach was clearly the better team, and it has been all season. The 49ers beat the Aztecs four times this season, three times in three games.

As SDSU Coach Jack Henn points out, there is work to be done.

“I think the jury is still out,” said Henn, who coached the Aztecs to the only Division I national championship in school history in 1973. “Yeah, we met the goals that we set this year. But we’re still struggling to get to that upper echelon. You can’t do that in one year.”

Or one match.

Second-ranked Long Beach, which advanced to Saturday’s final against UCLA, proved that. The 49ers (28-4) came from behind in all three games, continually frustrating the fifth-ranked Aztecs, whose top middle blocker, Mike Mattarocci, played with a sprained ankle.

In Game 1, the Aztecs (22-7) jumped to a 2-0 lead, then soon found themselves behind, 11-3. In Game 2, the 49ers took the early lead before San Diego State grabbed a 4-3 advantage on a block by Sean Clark, a 6-foot-6 junior middle blocker.

Soon after, Long Beach took control and went on an 11-3 run. Senior Eric Etebari won four service points to help the Aztecs close the gap to 14-11. But Long Beach soon won the game to take a 2-0 advantage.

Game 3 demonstrated the difference between a top team and a not-quite-there-yet team. The Aztecs took a 10-6 lead and then watched Long Beach climb back to tie at 11 and eventually win on a serve by setter Jason Stimpfig.

“I thought we were going to win that game,” Schlegel said. “We had a great start. But when it came down to the end, we had a couple of calls against us and we let that effect our game. And that’s something the top teams don’t do.”

Creating a replay of this season may be difficult next season for SDSU, which is losing four senior starters.

On the list of needs for the Aztecs is one or two consistent passers. The size is there, the finesse is still missing.

Still, optimism for the future was high, even minutes after Thursday’s trouncing.

“I feel really good,” Clark said. “Our team is going to be as good next year as we are now.”