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Back in February, when the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team got word that head coach Tyler Hildebrand was leaving the program, the remaining players had a decision to make: either come together or break apart.
The team immediately went for smoothies, then met up at setter Zayna Meyer’s house to discuss their future. The result of that meeting was unity going into the 2024 season, and not a single player chose to leave the program.
That was a massive development for interim head coach Natalie Reagan, who was the top assistant and recruiting coordinator under Hildebrand, and was elevated to head coach following his departure to USC.
“It’s been really amazing having the support of our admin this year, and more than anything, having the support of the team,” said Reagan. “Having everyone stay was a really powerful message, and I think they are stronger than ever. And that inspired me as a leader. So for us, we have some unfinished business in the Big West, and having everyone all in is pivotal to that.”
Perhaps the most pivotal returner is Meyer, the reigning Big West Setter of the Year who was a consistent performer for Long Beach State last season. Her presence on the roster is a big reason why the Beach were picked third in the Big West preseason coaches poll. She said that the adversity of their coach’s departure only solidified the team’s bond.
“It was a hard decision at first, just hearing that from Tyler, especially how close we were,” Meyer admitted. “With him leaving, I didn’t know if I was gonna stay or I was gonna go. But seeing how our team came together after that adversity was such a beautiful thing, and our first instinct was just to come together … Hearing person after person say that they’re staying, that really just spoke to me about how special this team is, and how our culture is so strong.”
Senior outside hitter Natalie Glenn shared that sentiment, and she was eager to maintain that bond with her teammates for one more season.
“We bonded over the fact that our head coach just up and left, and we formed a sisterhood, like a family,” said Glenn, who joins Meyer as a 2024 Preseason All-Big West selection. “And it’s one of our ‘Why’s’ that we actually just figured out. We want to be able to have that sisterhood and leave a legacy for other teams to have that bond whenever they come in.”
The Beach had some high peaks last season, beginning with an upset of the nation’s No. 1 team and back-to-back National Champions, Texas, at Walter Pyramid. Injuries, bouts of food poisoning, and just about everything else you can think of plagued the Beach throughout the year, causing a ton of lineup disruption and inconsistent results.
But the Beach persevered, and ended up in the finals of the first ever Big West Women’s Volleyball Tournament with a chance to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Long Beach came up short against Hawaii on their home floor, and that serves as motivation for a team that returns six starters in 2024.
Meyer echoed her head coach in referencing “unfinished business” and she’s confident that the Beach will be better equipped to deal with any setbacks that await them this time around.
“There’s a level of competitiveness in our gym that wasn’t there last year, which is so cool,” Meyer said. “The freshmen from last year, watching them grow and then having new additions to our team, there’s just so much competitiveness and depth in the pins position. If those injuries happened last year, but we had the roster that we have now, I think it would’ve been a different story, just because our depth is so strong.”
The Beach also return senior outside hitters Elise Agi and Abby Karich, who combine with Glenn to form a potent Top 3 of attackers. That trio led the team in kills/set last season with each of them finishing above 2.49.
Experience is a major strength for Long Beach, with a senior core that includes libero Savana Chacon and defensive specialist Jenna Giambi. In the middle of the net, the Beach returns its best blocker in senior Kameron Bacon. She was third in the Big West last season with 1.10 blocks/set. She’ll be joined in the middle by sophomore Ella Lomigora, who could see an expanded role this year.
Glenn was also a potent weapon in the service game, leading the conference with .45 aces/set in 2023. The Texas native who made her way to Long Beach via Minnesota, says she feels at home in the black & gold and is excited to put it all together as a senior.
Comfortability is also key for Meyer, who’s tasked with running a high-tempo offense for Long Beach State. One that might be able to hit a different gear with more familiarity between her and the hitters.
“I think the more time you spend in our system, the more comfortable you get with it, especially since it is so complex,” Meyer said. “Being on year three here, it’s been great. And connecting with the girls and having like Abby from last year, and having those freshmen growing into those roles, it just definitely makes our system a lot easier to run.”
Reagan said it’s a luxury as a coach to have an experienced setter like Meyer running the offense. Not just for her talent but also her leadership out on the court.
“It’s been great to have Zayna back this year,” Reagan said. “She’s thriving and really exploring some more leadership and growth there, so we’re really excited to see her contribute this year.”
Some of the newcomers who are expected to contribute include freshman Madi Maxwell out of Hart High School, who had a team-high 14 kills in LBSU’s exhibition win over LMU, to go along with 10 digs. Redshirt freshman Sarah Vellucci led the Beach with 14 digs against the Lions after starting at libero, and redshirt freshman outside hitter Jaida Harris is also expected to challenge for playing time. It’s a tough lineup to crack with so much returning talent, but the Beach appear to be better prepared for any pitfalls that await them in the season ahead.
Long Beach State begins its season with a very tough road trip to the University of Oregon. LBSU opens the season on Saturday, Aug. 31 with a neutral site game against No. 4 Pittsburgh before taking on the No. 10-ranked Ducks the next afternoon.
“It’s important to us that we play high level teams early, so this is going to be a great test for us to see where we’re at against No. 4 and No. 10 in the nation,” Reagan said.
The team’s home opener will be Thursday, Sep. 5 against Northwestern at 7 p.m. inside Walter Pyramid.
