11:45am | If you measure athletics at your alma mater by national and international acclaim, then the patrons holding the parchment of Long Beach State must recognize that the brightest stars their sporting constellation come from the sport of volleyball.
 
Puerto Rico’s captain Hector Soto said so himself in the Friday press conference after the United States rallied from a set-0four loss and prevailed 3-2 (25-27, 25-22, 25-12, 25-27, 15-8) in an FIVB World League matches last weekend at the Walter Pyramid. U.S.A. Head Coach Alan Knipe already had his bag packed for a Fourth-of-July flight to Poland for the finals, but gushed about the crowds and chemistry that helped the home team. The big blue building never looked better with red, white and blue streamers up down and across, a section of samba-sounding PR fans waving a giant national flag at one end and the Beach v-ball royalty either on the court (Robert Tarr, Scott Touzinsky, David Lee and Paul Lotman are the current players) or sitting in the other end section.
 
It was the Beach boys on the court that frustrated Soto, who played in the ‘Mid when his Indiana-Purdue Ft. Wayne team took on the 49ers in the regular season a couple of years ago. The end line had perhaps the best setter in the building watching on, the incomparable Debbie Green Vargas, U.S. women’s team star Danielle Scott (with bouncing baby daughter), Misty May’s first coach and trainer, daddy Butch May, benefactors Mike and Arlene Walter (bounced from their Platinum Row seats by international TV) , plus a lot of tall people — men and women. The good news was not only the big crowds, about 3,000 each night, but also the news from other spots in the World League.
 
Thanks to losses by Bulgaria and Serbia, the United States needed a Saturday sweep to clinch their trip to Poland for the World League Final Round in a loaded pool, with Cuba, Brazil and Russia battling with the red, white and blue for first or second. Third or fourth in the pool, and your title hopes are drowned and any shot at the massive $1 million prize to the winning team.
 
The FIVB staff took over the Friday match details. “After falling behind 2-1, Puerto Rico came back to win the fourth set. But the U.S. took a 6-1 lead in the tiebreaker and Puerto Rico couldn’t rally. The United States’ Reid Priddy led all scorers with 21 points on 19 kills and two blocks. Clay Stanley added 17 points on 11 kills, four blocks and two aces. Juan Figueroa led Puerto Rico with 18 points on 18 kills. Jose Rivera added 12 points. The U.S. out-blocked Puerto Rico 20-3, led by Ryan Millar with six and David Lee with five. The U.S. out-attacked Puerto Rico 82-67 and had four aces to Puerto Rico’s two.”
 
After the opening night struggle, the U.S. team wasted no time in punching its ticket to Poland and the FIVB World League Final Round with a 25-13, 25-22, 25-19 sweep of Puerto Rico on Saturday at the Walter Pyramid.
 
The result left the United States with an 8-4 record after the Intercontinental Round — good enough for second place in Pool A behind Brazil (10-2), which the United States defeated twice. The four World League pool winners, along with Poland as the host country, and the three best second-place teams advance to the Final Round and a chance to win $1 million.
 
U.S. outside hitter Priddy led all scorers with 15 points on 13 kills, one block and one ace. Opposite Stanley added 12 points on six kills, four blocks and two aces.

Puerto Rico, playing without leading scorer and team captain Soto, was led by Carlos Ortiz with 12 points on eight kills and four blocks. The United States out-attacked Puerto Rico 35-30, and Puerto Rico was hurt by eight hitting errors as compared to four for the United States The United States out-blocked Puerto Rico 16-8 and had four aces while Puerto Rico had none.  Niner alumnus Scott Touzinsky served for the final U.S. point, which came when Puerto Rico hit out of bounds.

 
SCATTERED DUST—Misty May-Treanor made the round trip from Norway to California to have her knee examined; it’s not better but not worse, we hear.  She and Kerri Walsh now take on the Swedish sands, but the rest of the summer is very busy: Moscow 7/11 – 7/16; Quebec 7/19 – 7/24; Poland 7/25 – 7/30; and Austria 8/1 – 8/6. Good thing Misty really enjoys Europe.
 
Other LB passport players are in men’s hoops. Brian Freeman-played in Holland, then moved over to Austria in the second division 2. Bundesliga. Kevin Houston made it to top league in France after playing in second division last year. Jibril Hodges made top division in Hungary for Atomeromu SE Paks. Jibril shot a decent 38 percent from three, 60 percent from field. Shawn Hawkins played in Taiwan Premier for KKL and led the team in points and rebounds at 27 points, 12 boards a game. Louis Darby led his team in scoring in Romania for Energia Rovinari Targu. Kejuan Johnson played in Germany for Webmoebel in Germany’s second division.
 
Last add money and sport. The disappointing state budget relapse will hurt the Long Beach athletic program just when the hopes of the new Excellence Fee was going help repair the erosion of budgets and facilities. Ironically the eight ladies set to compete on the new beach volleyball team would allow for Title IX adds to the male head count, but no money more or less kills that opportunity.  It’s very unpopular with the fans of a hoped-for men’s soccer side.—DR. DAN