LONG BEACH STATE NOTEBOOK / JASON REID : 49ers Ready to Show Off Pyramid Power

Preparing for a new era sure is exhausting stuff, but the excitement level at Long Beach State is more than enough to propel weary athletic officials, coaches and athletes through this historic week.

Festivities begin Wednesday when the men’s basketball team opens The Pyramid--the athletic department’s Plymouth Rock, officials hope--against Detroit Mercy at 9 p.m. The 49er men return to The Pyramid on Saturday against the College of Notre Dame at 1 p.m. and the women’s volleyball team, defending national champion, will play host to either Arkansas State or Montana in the second round of the NCAA tournament at 3 p.m. Sunday.

The 5,000-seat on-campus arena, which cost about $22 million, is still about three years and $5 million away from completion. However, don’t bother the 49ers with those details.

The 18-story pyramid-shaped building is the athletic department’s pride and joy, and Athletic Director Dave O’Brien can hardly contain his enthusiasm. OK, he’s not containing it at all.

“We’re going from facility poor to facility rich,” he said. “To be where we are today really amazes us. It’s been a dream come true.”

About 200 tickets remain for the opener, which ESPN will show live. City and school officials will be in attendance. If all goes according to O’Brien’s vision, the band will play, spectators will clap and cheerleaders will cheer just a little better than anyone did in The Gold Mine (capacity 1,900).

Men’s basketball Coach Seth Greenberg is pleased too. Greenberg’s glee, however, is a bit more tempered than O’Brien’s. After all, he’s working the opener.

“Our biggest challenge, besides the challenge of Detroit (Mercy), is going to be to keep the festivities of opening night in perspective and focus on why there is an opening night--and that’s the game.

“It is going to be an event. It’s going to be a social event. It’s a major event for the city of Long Beach. It’s a major event for our campus and our community. But the bottom line is that the event surrounds the basketball game.”

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Getting defensive: Admittedly, they’re less talented than previous editions, but they’re back again and just as determined.

Coach Brian Gimmillaro’s 49ers enter the 48-team NCAA Division I women’s volleyball tournament hoping to keep their title. It won’t be easy, but what’s new?

Long Beach, one of four Big West Conference teams selected to the tournament, overcame numerous injuries to win its fourth consecutive conference championship. The 49ers (25-5) are ranked seventh in the nation by Volleyball Monthly magazine and seeded second in the Northwest Region--arguably the tournament’s best.

“We have an incredible challenge in front of us,” Gimmillaro said. “If this team is able to win its region and go to the final four, I think hats should be off to their character and development.”

Third-ranked Ohio State (26-2) is the region’s top-seeded team, Big West runner-up Hawaii (24-4), No. 6 in the nation, is third and No. 10 Pacific (22-6) is fourth. A tough road, indeed.

“Without a doubt, it’s the toughest region,” Gimmillaro said. “The top seeds are very powerful and very different.”

Long Beach, making its eighth straight tournament appearance and ninth overall, has a first-round bye. Arkansas State (26-6) and Montana (24-5) play Wednesday for the opportunity to play in the The Pyramid’s inaugural volleyball match.

“It’s just an awesome volleyball gym,” Gimmillaro said. “I think the whole volleyball community is going to love The Pyramid.”

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Honor roll: Senior outside hitter Nichelle Burton, a two-time All-American selection, was chosen Big West player of the year, and Gimmillaro coach of the year for the third time in four seasons.

Burton (5 feet 10) is third in the conference in kills per game at 4.45, seventh in hitting percentage at .334 and fifth in digs with 336. Gimmillaro, in his 10th season at Long Beach, has a record of 268-77 and a .777 winning percentage.

The 49ers also won a national championship in 1989. Long Beach has appeared in the last three Final Fours.

Senior middle blocker Traci Dahl (6-1) and junior middle blocker Brita Schwerm (5-10) joined Burton on the first team. Outside hitter Kristin Harris (5-10) and middle blocker Nique Crump were selected to the all-freshman team.

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Let’s move along: Louisiana Tech displayed why it’s a perennial women’s basketball power Sunday when it routed the the 49ers, 88-56, at The Gold Mine.

Obviously, the 49ers had several problems in their season-opening loss against last season’s NCAA Division I runner-up. Coach Glenn McDonald, however, isn’t planning any drastic changes.

“They were just continuing from where they left off last year,” McDonald said of Louisiana Tech. “Those kids have a goal that they want to come back this year and win the whole thing. They’re just so talented.

“But the thing we have to keep in mind is the Big West. There aren’t any teams in the Big West like that, and what we’re doing now is preparing for the Big West.”

Center Melissa Gower led Long Beach with 21 points and 16 rebounds, impressing her coach in the process.

“I felt our inside game was just as good as theirs if not better,” McDonald said, “but their perimeter players are better.”

Long Beach point guard Akia Hardy had a rough game, scoring eight points with three assists and a game-high nine turnovers. Backup point guard Sarah Davis, who played at Tustin High last season, made a favorable impression, scoring four points and committing only one turnover in 13 minutes.

“I now know that Sarah Davis will be a factor for us this season,” McDonald said.

Louisiana Tech’s talented backcourt features point guard Kendra Neal (12 points, four assists) and shooting guard Debra Williams (22 points), who hurt the 49ers with her jumpshot.

“Fortunately,” McDonald said, “we’re not going to see anybody like her in the Big West.”