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Long Beach State Beach women's volleyball

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Long Beach State Beach
UniversityCalifornia State University, Long Beach
Head coachNatalie Reagan (3rd season)
ConferenceBig West
LocationLong Beach, California, US
Home arenaWalter Pyramid (capacity: 5,000)
NicknameBeach
ColorsBlack and gold[1]
   
AIAW/NCAA tournament champion
1972, 1973, 1989, 1993, 1998
AIAW/NCAA tournament runner-up
1970, 1971, 1991, 2001
AIAW/NCAA tournament semifinal
1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
AIAW/NCAA tournament appearance
1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
Conference regular season champion
1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014

The Long Beach State Beach women's volleyball team is an NCAA Division I women's volleyball team for California State University, Long Beach. They are a member of the Big West Conference and are led by head coach Natalie Reagan.

The team has won five national championships: two AIAW titles and three NCAA Division I titles.[2] The Beach have played in the Big West Conference since the conference began sponsoring women's sports. Long Beach has the Big West regular season six times, most recently in 2014. Long Beach has not won the conference's tournament since it began in 2023.[3]

Long Beach was the very first women's volleyball program to have a perfect season. They did so in 1998, finishing with a record of 36–0, and winning the national championship over Penn State.[4]

The program has boasted a number of notable players; Olympian and 1988 & 1989 National Player of the Year Tara Cross; 1991 National Player of the Year Antoinette White; 1993 National Player of the Year Danielle Scott; and Olympian and 1997 & 1998 National Player of the Year and Misty May.[5]

Program record and history

Source:[6]

Year Head Coach Overall
record		 Conference
record		 Conference
standing		 Postseason
(Independent) (1964–1975)
1964 Dr. Frances Schaafsma 4–4 — —
1965 Dr. Frances Schaafsma 9–3 — —
1966 Dr. Frances Schaafsma 10–2 — —
1967 Dr. Frances Schaafsma 11–1 — —
1968 Dr. Frances Schaafsma 15–2 — —
1969 Dr. Frances Schaafsma 19–9 — — AIAW Nationals: 4th
1970 Dr. Frances Schaafsma 24–6 — — AIAW Runner-up
1971 Ann Heck 28–5 — — AIAW Runner-up
1972 Dixie Grimmett 33–0——AIAW Champions
1973 Dixie Grimmett 33–2——AIAW Champions
1974 Dixie Grimmett 26–7–1 — — AIAW Nationals: 5th
1975 Dixie Grimmett 27–6 — — AIAW Nationals: 4th
(WCAA) (1976–1984)
1976 Dixie Grimmett 12-8–2 4–4 5th AIAW Regionals
1977 Dixie Grimmett 17–17–1 3–5 7th AIAW Nationals: 5th
1978 Dixie Grimmett 23–14–2 2–6 7th AIAW Regionals
1979 Dixie Grimmett 19–10 8–4 4th AIAW Regionals
1980 Dixie Grimmett 10–20 2–12 8th
1981 Dixie Grimmett 12–21 1–11 7th
1982 Dixie Grimmett 8–28 0–14 8th
1983 Dixie Grimmett 12–21 2–12 7th
1984 Dixie Grimmett 18–15 3–11 7th
(PCAA/Big West) (1985–present)
1985 Brian Gimmillaro 18–138–85th NCAA First Round
1986 Brian Gimmillaro 15–17 6–12 7th
1987 Brian Gimmillaro 25–147–117th NCAA First Round
1988 Brian Gimmillaro 26–713–53rd NCAA Regional Semifinal
1989 Brian Gimmillaro 32–513–53rd NCAA National Champions
1990 Brian Gimmillaro 29–913–54th NCAA Regional Final
1991 Brian Gimmillaro 36–217–11stNCAA Runner-up
1992 Brian Gimmillaro 30–318–01stNCAA National Semifinals
1993 Brian Gimmillaro 32–217–1T–1stNCAA National Champions
1994 Brian Gimmillaro 27–616–21stNCAA Regional Final
1995 Brian Gimmillaro 22–1012–64thNCAA Second Round

|-

1996 Brian Gimmillaro 33–315–11stNCAA Regional Semifinals
1997 Brian Gimmillaro 33–216–01stNCAA National Semifinals
1998 Brian Gimmillaro 36–016–01stNCAA National Champions
1999 Brian Gimmillaro 31–414–22ndNCAA National Semifinals
2000 Brian Gimmillaro 24–811–53rdNCAA Regional Semifinals
2001 Brian Gimmillaro 33–118–01stNCAA Runner-up
2002 Brian Gimmillaro 28–4 15–3 2nd NCAA First Round
2003 Brian Gimmillaro 19–11 12–6 T–2nd NCAA First Round
2004 Brian Gimmillaro 24–713–5T–2ndNCAA Second Round
2005 Brian Gimmillaro 25–712–2T–1stNCAA First Round
2006 Brian Gimmillaro 26–6 12–2 2nd NCAA Second Round
2007 Brian Gimmillaro 26–7 14–2 2nd NCAA Second Round
2008 Brian Gimmillaro 26–613–31stNCAA Second Round
2009 Brian Gimmillaro 22–912–41stNCAA First Round
2010 Brian Gimmillaro 25–812–4T–2ndNCAA First Round
2011 Brian Gimmillaro 23–714–21stNCAA First Round
2012 Brian Gimmillaro 18–1113–52nd
2013 Brian Gimmillaro 18–1113–3T–1st
2014 Brian Gimmillaro 27–516–01stNCAA Second Round
2015 Brian Gimmillaro 25–613–32nd
2016 Brian Gimmillaro 21–1013–32nd
2017 Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer 10–197–9T–5th
2018 Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer 16–138–8T–5th
2019 Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer 12–179–7T–4th
2020 Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer COVIDCOVID——
2021 Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer (9–11)
Sabrina Hernandez (7–4) 		16–1510–10T–5th
2022 Tyler Hildebrand 19–914–6T–3rd
2023 Tyler Hildebrand 21–1013–54thBig West Finals
2024 Natalie Reagan 19–1112–64thBig West Semifinals
2025 Natalie Reagan 22–914–4T–2ndBig West Semifinals
Total:1318–516–6 (.718)539–245 (.688)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Team facts

Head coach

  • 1964–1970: Dr. Frances Schaafsma
  • 1971: Ann Heck
  • 1972–1984: Dixie Grimmett
  • 1985–2016: Brian Gimmillaro[7]
  • 2017–2021: Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer[8]
  • 2021: Sabrina Hernandez
  • 2022–2023: Tyler Hildebrand[9]
  • 2024–present: Natalie Reagan[10]

Brian Gimmillaro led Long Beach to all three of their NCAA recognized championships, and has received the National Coach of the Year award twice during his career: once in 1989, and the other in 1998. Upon his retirement, Long Beach has not found a coach with his sustained longevity, currently on their third coach since 2017. Their current coach, Reagan, played at Oregon State during her college career.

League

National championships

  • 1972: AIAW by defeating BYU
  • 1973: AIAW by defeating Texas Women's
  • 1989: NCAA by defeating Nebraska, 15–12, 15–0, 15–6[11]
  • 1993: NCAA by defeating Penn State, 15–13, 12–15, 15–11, 16–14[12]
  • 1998: NCAA by defeating Penn State, 15–3, 15–10, 13–15, 14–16, 15–12[13]

See also

References

  1. "Long Beach Athletics Style Guide" (PDF). June 21, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  2. "Championship Caliber Teams". Long Beach State University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  3. "2023 Outrigger Big West Women's Volleyball Championship - The Big West". bigwest.org. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  4. "Every undefeated national champion in women's college volleyball history". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  5. "2025 AVCA Division I Player of the Year | AVCA Awards". American Volleyball Coaches Association. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  6. "2025 Women's Volleyball Record Book" (PDF). Long Beach State University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  7. "Brian Gimmillaro (2024) - Hall of Fame". Long Beach State University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  8. Guardabascio, Mike (October 25, 2021). "Long Beach State Fires Women's Volleyball Coach Midseason". The562.org. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  9. Guardabascio, Mike (February 13, 2024). "Long Beach State Women's Volleyball Coach Tyler Hildebrand Leaves For USC". The562.org. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  10. Hendrickson, Tyler (November 13, 2025). "FEATURE: Natalie Reagan A Natural Leader for Long Beach State Women's Volleyball". The562.org. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  11. "1989 Women's Volleyball (2011) - Hall of Fame". Long Beach State University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  12. "LONG BEACH WINS VOLLEYBALL TITLE". pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
  13. Press, The Associated (December 20, 1998). "PLUS: N.C.A.A. VOLLEYBALL -- WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP; Long Beach State Edges Penn State". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 10, 2026.