Boychuk’s Basketball Team Has a Tough Act to Follow

Act I of the production went well enough for Dallas Boychuk to feel good about the gig--and herself.

The Long Beach State women’s basketball team finished better than .500 overall and in the Big West Conference, by no means a sure thing beginning last season. Several of the players Boychuk had doubts about developed into the 49ers’ best, and most reliable performers. And in her first year as a head coach, Boychuk believes she made strides in everything from X’s and O’s to handling players and directing a program.

Not a bad opening act.

But it was just that--an opening. The production is far from finished, Boychuk said. And though she doesn’t want to inspire diminished expectations, facts are facts.

“This [season] is going to be a rebuilding process,� Boychuk said. “We don’t have a lot of players with a lot of experience and we’re going to play a lot of new people. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to play hard and do our best, but we have a lot of work to do.�

With three starters gone from last season, Boychuk figures to be busy. Determining who can play is her first task.

The core is gone from last season’s team, which finished 15-13 and fifth in the Big West Conference at 10-8. Developing a new core is often time consuming.

“We’re doing a lot of teaching,� Boychuk said of the coaching staff. “We’ve got good players on the team but it’s a new group.�

Forward Kim Barfield, center Ja’net Davis and point guard Akia Hardy had breakthrough seasons that enabled the team to exceed expectations of other conference coaches, who picked the 49ers near the bottom of the pack in a preseason poll. The problem for Boychuk now is the Big Three had their best seasons in their final season of eligibility.

Guard Michelle Esparza and forward Adara Newidouski (Dana Hills High), seniors, are the returning starters. Sophomore guard Ember Brown and senior guard Aimee Periolat (Marina High), and senior center Toby Metoyer are among the key returners. Sophomore guard Sarah Davis, who showed promise two seasons ago, is back after redshirting last season.

Boychuk likes what she has seen so far, but she hasn’t seen as much as she would like. Many players have practiced little because of injuries.

“As long as my assistants and I can keep suiting up, we’ll be fine,� Boychuk joked. “We’ve actually looked pretty good.�

Davis is a candidate for the starting point guard job, but she broke her right thumb in one of the first practices. She might be out six weeks. Junior guard Amy Heaton, also expected to contribute, is struggling with nerve damage in her feet.

And an even bigger concern to Boychuk is Metoyer’s chronic knee problems. She suffers from tendinitis that limited her to 17 games last season.

“Toby has been playing really well,� Boychuk said. “Nobody can really stop Toby in the paint, but she can’t go 40 minutes. She sat out [almost] half of our games last season and that could be a problem for us.�

Boychuk realizes she might have to open the season with an understudy or two in the starting lineup, but the show must go on.

“We did have a good season last year and we feel good about that,� Boychuk said. “But it’s going to take some time for us to get to where we eventually want to be.�

*

Nice meeting you: The 49ers lost three potentially important players before practice started.

Two promising freshmen who committed to Long Beach failed to qualify academically and will attend a community college. Boychuk also received a commitment from a talented Australian player who was ruled ineligible after it was discovered she had previously signed a contract to play professionally.

“They all could have helped us, but it didn’t work out,� Boychuk said. “Next year, we’re going to have to sign five [recruits].�

*

Rewarding endeavor: Their record doesn’t reflect dominance--or even success.

They don’t win often or with flair. They are ranked among the nation’s elite, but that has more to do with the state of their sport than the level of their talent.

However, water polo Coach Ken Lindgren sees a lot to like about the 49ers. True, he’s obviously biased.

But after 22 years around the pool, Lindgren must know something about the game. He knows the 49ers are impressing him.

“I’m probably enjoying coaching more this season than any other,� he said. “We’re very young and we’re going through a lot of growing pains, but this team is so dedicated. Watching them really makes me feel good.�

The 49ers are 6-11, 0-5 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. And they’re ranked 11th . . . in the nation. That’s partly because few schools compete in water polo nationally.

No matter to Lindgren. The sport has been good to him and so has his team.

“They’re all really dedicated,� he said. “They’re a great bunch.�

*

Stepping up: When freshman outside hitter Anja Grabovac suffered a season-ending knee injury Sept. 25, Long Beach volleyball Coach Brian Gimmillaro knew someone had to pick up the slack.

Hello, Michelle Jones.

Jones, a senior outside hitter, has sparked the 49ers in Grabovac’s absence. Since Grabovac’s injury, Jones has 110 kills for an average of 2.62.

“Michelle is getting better and better all the time,� Gimmillaro said. “We need her to keep getting better because we need her help greatly.�

49er Notes

The volleyball team (23-0, 10-0 in the Big West) is ranked fourth in the USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Assn. poll). Long Beach is ranked third in the Volleyball magazine poll. . . . Nique Crump, a junior middle blocker, leads the nation with a .489 hitting percentage.

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Coming Attractions

Here’s a look at key games this week for Cal State Long Beach:

* Women’s volleyball Friday at 7 p.m. at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at UC Santa Barbara. Long Beach defeated San Luis Obispo at the Pyramid this season. Long Beach leads the all-time series with Santa Barbara, 38-24.

* Water polo Sunday at 7 p.m. vs. USC at Belmont Plaza Pool. USC defeated Long Beach earlier in the season.