Back in August we opened up our fall shipment of napkins, designed to record the high hopes of fall sports, primarily women’s volleyball and soccer. Fast forward to right now and, well, er, ah, we need new napkins. Notes on Our Napkin gets another fresh start with our athletic cash cows, men’s and women’s basketball (both of whom open their season this weekend.)

Friday night the ladies of Beach hoop play a national power in 9th ranked Cal on the road. The men, well conventional wisdom is that ADs go to the bakery for a cream puff when you play a “homecoming game.” Name that tasty pastry Hawaii Pacific and have the game part of the party at 3PM so it doesn’t conflict with anything. And oh yes, while LBSU calls it their season opener, H-P U says it the LBSU date is just another exhibition like their games with Eastern Nazarene and UCSB.

The Sea Warriors are in the PacWest Conference, a modest league of private schools and even an art academy. (Maybe they can judge the homecoming floats, or tents, or what ever the Beach alums put together before the real rubber hits the court at NCAA power and #5 Arizona, # 9 Michigan and Kansas State and later visits to Washington, NC State, and Nevada.)

Turning the napkin back to volleys and booters, last week was a bummer at the Beach. For the purist, the record will show that Women’s Volleyball (12-10, 5-4 Big West) came back from four points down to win the first set but ultimately fell in four sets in Hawai’i. Mean while Women’s Soccer (8-7-3, 2-3-3 Big West) had a 0-0 draw last Thursday but lost to UC Riverside, 2-1 despite a Taylor Nelson goal. That meant sadness on Senior Day for a team that just didn’t have the punch without Eileen Maes.

The bright spot on the year was mighty mite midfielder Mimi Rangel who was named the Big West Women’s Soccer Freshman of the Year (one of four 49ers to earn All-Big West honors.

The volleyball team is still mired in the middle of the BWC pack but does have two home games this week, UC Davis on Friday and No. 23 Cal State Northridge Saturday.

DAYLIGHT NIGHT DUST—Just getting in the conversation for a new job pays well. Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long would get a pay raise as a result of overtures to be the athletic director at the University of Texas. A $100,000 bonus payment to be paid later this month and an increase in his annual guaranteed pay — currently $900,000 — of $100,000 effective Nov. 1, with another $100,000 increase scheduled July 1. He qualifies for $250,000 in incentives for performance objectives on his current contract, which remain in place as he steps up to $1.1 million in guaranteed pay by July 1. Damn that SEC.

Some of the VB faithful are stressing over the fact that it is likely that the Niners will get shutout out again for the NCAAs. Since that the National championship final in 2001 LBSU hasn’t made it past the second round.

With Misty May switching over to USC sand some of the local grumpy ones are floating the idea that Niner alum Brent Hilliard (who was in the conversation for the UCSB opening) would be attractive. He is now the top assistant for the U of San Diego women.

More grad news. LB golf alum Jason Drotter (the new CSUF Coach) played for Bob Livingston at the Beach and Livy says, “He has done an amazing job re-starting the CSUF men’s program after about a 25 year break, and starting a women’s program from scratch. They had their top player bogey the last hole of the BW Championship last year to get in a playoff, but did go to Regionals.” And this year his team has a couple of championships including this week in Hawaii. The best of the 49er men is Kevin Lee who shot a career low 62 in the final round to finish in a tie for second place at the Pacific Invitational. The Beach team finished fourth.

Back to hoop ladies Jody Wynn returns seven letter winners, including four starters, from last year’s team that went 16-16 and earned a WNIT bid. It was the 49ers’ first postseason appearance since 2001. Both Alex Sanchez and Devin Hudson garnered All-Big West honorable mention recognition. Like the Niner men, Long Beach State WBB was picked to finish fourth in the 2013-14 Big West Preseason Poll.

Cal, who was tabbed as the runner-up in the Pac-12 Preseason Poll, welcomes back seven letter winners from a 2012-13 squad that went 32-4 overall and advanced to the NCAA Final Four. Leading the way for the Bears is senior All-American Gennifer Brandon, who was named to the preseason Wade Watch List. Brandon averaged 12.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game last year. Junior guard Brittany Boyd also returns after registering 12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per outing.

Long Beach State leads in its all-time series with Cal, 10-5, but has dropped the last four contests. The Bears ran away with an 82-56 victory in the most recent meeting at Haas Pavilion on Dec. 11, 2010. The 49ers are 2-4 when playing in Berkeley.

That’s all the news that fits–remember to tip your servers. –DR. DAN