Drama. What started out as a rather routine fall sporting season has turned up the temps–inside and out.

The most highly charged development was a few days after the sandvVolleyball ring ceremony saluting the team, coaches and a couple of sponsors. Now normally, losing a volunteer assistant coach is good news, some ingénue climbing out of poverty into low pay. That doesn’t fly this week when perhaps the most internationally recognized 49er of all time, Misty May Treanor, pocketed her NCAA bauble and reprogrammed her GPS.

It ain’t about the Benjamins. Misty’s schedule is full of endorsement meetings, clinics, and mass media. She has made more money off the sand than any other Niner of note in any sport.

Believe it or don’t, the once pig-tailed terror who made Long Beach State a champion and earned the attention of recruits from around the globe is volunteering at regional rival USC. Not the famous football school but the recruit stealers of South Central (see the recent de-commit of volleyball prospect Kelly Claes, a bunch of basketballers, etc.). So May signs up for another round of “volunteering,” the same assignment she had the past two sand seasons at the Beach.

True, the Director of Volleyball operations, one Mr. Brian Gimmillaro, is said to have just been awarded a four year extension of his contract. His two paid assistants, Erika Chidester and Matt Ulmer, run the day to day operations; Erika mostly for the inside game and Matt- mostly on the sand side and back up on the inside.

TBA is the fallout on recruiting and the cerebral hemorrhaging of 49er fans reading those web boards with the “Fight On” flaming and the possibility of Misty wearing SC colors. One feels that there are more sneakers to drop on this issue (okay more sand being kicked in the face of the home town gals) but it is not a rosy future.

Okay. Back to the D word but in this case it is the D as in Dramatic. Women’s soccer look sort of listless in losing games one and two of the season but then late-game heroics sparked the 49ers to a 3-2 win over No. 23 Texas Tech. Trailing 2-1 in the second half, Eileen Maes scored her first goal of the season, and 10th of her career, to even the playing field at the 87:17 mark. Then, just over two minutes later, and with only a few seconds left in the game, she delivered a perfect pass to freshman Mimi Rangel in the box, who connected for the game-winner.

That sets up LBSU (1-2-0) for a chance to keep Ms. Mo on their side when it hosts Cincinnati and Loyola Marymount. The 49ers open the homestand with a 7PM showdown against the Bearcats on Friday and return to the pitch on Sunday, for a 6PM tilt with the Lions. Both games will be played at George Allen Field.

Cincinnati (1-3-0) split its two games last weekend, falling to Dayton, 3-1, before picking up its first win of the season by defeating UMass Lowell, 4-1. Six different Bearcats have accounted for each of the team’s six goals. Jae Atkinson has a goal and an assist for a team-high three points, while Laura Rose has a team-best eight shot attempts. Kristina Utley and Natalie Smith have split time at goalkeeper, combining for 18 saves and 2.50 goals against average. Cincinnati is in its first year as a member of The American Athletic Conference. LBSU trails in its all-time series with Loyola Marymount (LMU is 1-3-0 and the Lions have won three in a row.)

While we are back in the number part of the Dust, the volleyballers beat Illinois, 3-0 at home then Lost vs. No. 18 Florida State, 3-2 and No. 17 Kentucky, 3-0. The hitting heroine was senior Delainey Aigner-Swesey who made 42 kills over the first three matches for Long Beach State, averaging 3.50 per set.

Next up is the San Francisco Invitational with two matches on Friday, vs Air Force at 1PM and the host USF at 6:30PM. The tour concludes facing Miami of Florida Saturday at 1PM

Last add around campus the hardwood gets a workout from both of the basketball teams. The men will have to count on bulky post man Dan Jennings (8.4 and 6.4 RPG) and ultra quick guard Mike Caffey (12.0 and 3.8 apg). The women of Jody Wynn got back to level last season (16-16) and have versatile Alex Sanchez (10.3, 4.3 RPG) and a talented newcomer Raven Benton (senior season stats of 26.6 and 12 RPG).

That empties the bucket for this week. Keep the faith.—DR. DAN