Volleyball Takes on an International Flair for 49ers

Neil Mendel kept his fingers crossed through the lengthy negotiations.

The months of waiting will finally come to fruition for the Long Beach State middle blocker in Indonesia today when the 49ers take the court for their opening match of the Jakarta Sister Cities Men’s Volleyball tournament at Senayan Stadium.

The weeklong competition, held in conjunction with the 467th anniversary of Jakarta and Indonesian Independence Day, also includes teams from Jakarta’s sister cities of Amsterdam, Berlin, Cairo, Casablanca, Little Rock, Ark., New South Wales, Seoul and Tokyo.

“We knew for some time we might have a chance to go, but it seemed like a real long shot,” Mendel said. “It was like a dream come true when we found out we were actually going.”

David Sugita, secretary of the Los Angeles-Jakarta Sister City Assn., first extended the invitation to Long Beach State to represent the city of Los Angeles in December, but Coach Ray Ratelle was unable to accept the invitation until February.

“We were very lucky to be contacted,” Ratelle said. “It was an ongoing process whether we could do it under NCAA rules or the school would permit us to do it.”

NCAA regulations require players on the tour to satisfy student-athlete eligibility requirements. Redshirts and incoming freshmen were not allowed to make the trip, leaving the 49ers only nine players from their 12-man team this spring.

Long Beach, which played its last match in April, was allowed only 10 days of practice before its departure. Renovations in the 49ers’ gym forced the team to hold workouts at Golden West College.

“A lot of us have been playing on the beach, but it’s a completely different game as far as timing playing indoors,” said Mendel, a sophomore. “We’re a little rusty, but I think we’ll be competitive. I’m sure there will be some bad teams and others that are out of our league.”

The 49ers must also deal with a 16-hour time change and the tropical climate in Jakarta, which registered temperatures close to 100 degrees and humidity in the high 90s earlier this week.

The most unpleasant experience for the 49ers, though, might have come before their departure. The team, which is taking anti-malaria tablets, received vaccinations for tetanus, diphtheria, polio, measles and hepatitis last week.

The team also visited the Indonesian Consulate General office in downtown Los Angeles for a lesson on Indonesian etiquette. Pointing with fingers in Indonesia is considered a sign of contempt and sitting with legs crossed and the sole of the foot facing another is impolite.

“It was basically the do’s and don’ts of Indonesia,” said Travis Barr, a junior outside hitter. “It’s just like acting normal and being polite, no yelling or pointing.”

Ratelle has also issued stern warnings to the team concerning behavior, especially during the 9,000-mile flight. His players, however, say conduct could be the toughest adjustment for Ratelle, who will be bound by international rules that prohibit coaching from the bench during play.

“He’s the kind of guy that likes to walk around and shout during matches,” junior outside hitter Dennis Winners said. “It’s hard for him to sit still. We don’t know what he’s going to do.”

Long Beach (13-15), which placed fifth in the Pacific Division of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, will play Tokyo today and Cairo on Friday.

After a day’s rest, the 49ers will face Jakarta on Sunday and New South Wales on Monday. The tournament will conclude with semifinals and the championship on Tuesday and Wednesday.

If Long Beach and Little Rock advance to the final, the 49ers would be forced to forfeit because of NCAA restrictions on foreign tours that prohibit Long Beach from playing against any other teams from the United States.

“The level of play there will be so high, the experience alone will be worth a full season here,” Barr said. “We were young and inexperienced this year. Hopefully this tournament will push us to the next level.”

Garuda Indonesia Airlines, along with Unocal, Lippo Bank, Mattel Inc. and several local companies, helped foot the $12,000 transportation cost. The city of Jakarta is picking up the tab for the 49ers’ lodging and meal expenses.

The team will also present a proclamation from Los Angeles to Jakarta Gov. Surjadi Soedirdja and make a two-day stop in Bali before returning to the United States.

“We’re not going to be nearly as strict on the players as we are during the season, but we’re definitely going to keep an eye on them,” Ratelle said. “We have our rules, but we’re going to let them do some things or whatever as long as they’re ready to play and not surfing 15 minutes before game time.”