Playing Through Grief : Long Beach State Volleyball Star Carries On Amid Ordeal of Father’s Death

Tears come to Traci Dahl daily, except on the volleyball court.

Dahl blocks out the painful thoughts of her father’s death, albeit only momentarily, because of her responsibilities as the starting middle blocker for defending Division I national champion Long Beach State. Although she sometimes wonders if volleyball should be in her life right now, Dahl is confident her father wouldn’t want it any other way.

Gary Dahl will be paramount in his daughter’s thoughts tonight at 8 as she tries to help Long Beach continue its title defense. Long Beach (26-5) will play host to Hawaii (25-4) in a semifinal match of the NCAA tournament’s Northwest Region at the Gold Mine gymnasium on campus.

“I know my dad would be proud of me,” said Dahl, whose father died late Wednesday night after a short battle with lung cancer and pneumonia. “This is basically what he (lived) for. . . . This is what kept him going.

“I know if I let that go, I’ll be letting him down.”

Gary Dahl couldn’t have been more proud of his only daughter.

He attended as many of Traci’s matches as he could during her career at Cerritos Gahr High, Cerritos College and Long Beach State. A transportation superintendent for a grocery distribution company in Santa Fe Springs, Dahl even made volleyball fans out of his co-workers.

“Everybody here keeps up with Traci’s career,” said Wes Buller, who worked with Dahl. “He talked about her all the time, and he used to bring in all of her articles from the newspaper.

“When Gary got sick, we all started to bring in the clippings. We put them up everywhere in the office.”

Dahl was found to have lung cancer Oct. 6. He underwent radiation treatment until Nov. 1. On Nov. 16, he had to be hospitalized in Bellflower after contracting pneumonia.

“He was so weak,” Traci said. “The radiation is what gave him pneumonia.”

His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was moved to intensive care about three weeks ago. A machine was needed to assist in his breathing, and he received powerful medication in an attempt to lessen his pain, Traci said.

The end came Wednesday at 10 p.m. Gary, 53, was surrounded by his family--wife Susan, son Gary and Traci. Traci said services for her father will be held Monday at St. Barnabas church in Long Beach.

“I can’t describe this feeling,” Traci said. “I don’t think it’s hit me yet.”

Throughout the struggle, Traci was with her father as often as possible. She accompanied her mother to the hospital in the morning and evening.

“She’s been real strong about all of this,” Susan said. “She’s been super. She’s been with me as much as she can.”

Gary wanted his daughter to keep her mind on volleyball.

“I would say, ‘I’m going to go to the doctor with you guys today,’ and he’d say, ‘Did (Coach) Brian (Gimmillaro) give you a day off practice?’ ” she said.

Time at the hospital often required Traci to miss school and practice. A senior, she expects to receive grades of “incomplete” in her courses this semester. Gimmillaro has supported her.

“It’s something to watch a person grow up and mature,” he said. “Traci is a truly exceptional person. She just has such spirit.”

On Nov. 12, Dahl led Long Beach with 22 kills and 12 blocks in the Big West Conference-clinching match at Pacific. It marked the 49ers’ fourth consecutive Big West title.

“Traci took over the match,” Gimmillaro said. “She is one of the top middle blockers, if not the top one, in the country.”

Dahl has missed only one match, the 49ers’ sweep of San Francisco on Nov. 25 at home.

The 49ers’ home victory over UC Irvine on Nov. 8 will always carry special significance for her. It was the last match her father attended.

“He was still walking,” Traci said.

Despite her ordeal, Dahl’s play has not suffered. At 6 feet 1, she provides a powerful presence at the middle of the net.

She finished second in the conference with a .370 hitting percentage, was third with an average of 1.35 blocks and fourth at 4.16 kills per game. She was selected first-team all-conference after being chosen for the second team as a junior.

She stepped into the starting position last season and helped Long Beach win its second national championship.

As a sophomore, Dahl led Cerritos to the state community college title and was named state player of the year.

“It seems like when I’m out there on the court, I can kind of erase everything from my mind,” she said. “Once the adrenaline gets flowing, it’s not real hard to focus on what you have to do.”

Dahl’s perseverance has impressed her teammates.

“I respect her a lot,” senior captain Nichelle Burton said. “She’s been through a lot, and she’s handling it as well as you can.”

Said senior defensive specialist Prentice Perkins, “She’s been strong. But, of course, there’s been a lot of tears. There’s no way there couldn’t be.”

That prompts the self-questioning.

“Sometimes I think, ‘What the hell am I doing here at practice when. . . . ‘ Maybe I shouldn’t really say that,” Dahl said. “Sometimes I have a bad practice, and I just wonder what I’m doing there because my mind’s not there.”

But then she remembers her father’s support.

The goal of another national title keeps Dahl going now.

Qualifying to play in the final four in Austin, Tex., is in her thoughts when she’s not thinking of her father. First, the 49ers must get past Big West foe Hawaii.

If they do, Long Beach faces another tough opponent in the regional final, either Ohio State (27-2), the region’s top-seeded team, or fourth-seeded Pacific (23-6).

Dahl played well in Long Beach’s key victory over Hawaii on Nov. 1, with 15 kills and seven block assists.

“Dahl completely dominated in the middle of the net,” Hawaii Coach Dave Shoji said. “We hope we can slow her down because we’re in big trouble if we can’t.”

Dahl is determined.

“I’m going to do everything I can to beat this team,” Dahl said. “This whole season is for my dad. I know he’ll be there with me.”