Less Is More : Despite Statistical Decline, Hoff Still Leading Long Beach State

Tom Hoff is doing less, and everyone involved with the Long Beach State men’s volleyball team knows it.

No longer is he counted on for every key play, or relied on to win every big match. Hoff has ceased being the only focus of the 49er offense, and the sole object of their opponents’ frustration.

Hoff can’t hide his statistics, which clearly show a drop-off from last season. And Hoff doesn’t deny he’s capable of much more than he’s giving.

But Hoff doesn’t want to. He embraces the cutbacks, but not for the reason you might think.

The senior middle blocker is a warrior, 49er coaches and players say, and he’s finally surrounded by a group up to his above-the-net standards. Long Beach doesn’t need as much from Hoff--but it still needs Hoff.

Long Beach (21-5), ranked second nationally, hosts Cal State Northridge (15-11) in the opening round of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoffs at 7:30 tonight at the Pyramid. The winner of the playoffs earns the MPSF’s automatic berth into the Final Four.

With Hoff in the lead, the 49ers like their chances. After all, Hoff knows that sometimes less is more.

“It really helps to have the other guys on the court playing at such a high level,” Hoff said. “We have a much more balanced attack, and all the other guys are doing more.”

So much so that the 49ers believe they have a group capable of raising another NCAA championship banner to accompany the one Coach Ray Ratelle’s 1991 squad won. Ratelle entered this season with a talented bunch and high expectations, encouraged by the return of last season’s nucleus and the team’s dedication to improve.

They haven’t disappointed so far. Hoff, as before, is a big reason.

“Oh, he’s been great,” Ratelle said. “I think he’s playing better than last year. You look at the numbers and you might not think he’s improved, but he has. Besides, I really don’t pay that much attention to the numbers.”

Hoff, 22, leads the 49ers in several categories. He averages 5.66 kills, 1.75 digs and 1.6 blocks per game.

Long Beach finished second to Hawaii, the nation’s top-ranked team, in the Pacific Division of the MPSF, going 15-4. Hoff recently was named first-team All-MPSF for the second consecutive season.

Obviously, Hoff’s statistics aren’t exactly shabby--by anyone else’s standards. But that’s the price of being Tom Hoff.

“My numbers aren’t as good as last year, and if you just look at the numbers you might not think I was having a good year,” Hoff said. “But I also look at it as a good sign to show that I don’t have to do everything.”

Hoff set the mark as a junior. He was a redshirt after transferring from Ohio State, then took his place among the nation’s elite.

He set an NCAA record, making 20 or more kills in 25 matches. Hoff tied an NCAA record by blocking 10 or more shots in nine matches. He had 751 kills, the sixth-highest total in NCAA history.

The Long Beach record book had to be updated with Hoff’s name throughout. He led the MPSF in kills with 563 and was, not surprisingly, selected a consensus first-team All-American. A repeat appearance on that team is likely when it’s announced in May.

“Even though I don’t have to do as much, I still feel like I’m contributing to the team a lot, especially from a mental standpoint,” Hoff said. “I feel like I can raise the team up when we’re at a low point.

“A lot of nights last year, I had to carry the hitting load. Now, I’m sometimes a decoy. It’s great because it puts a lot of pressure on the other team and it adds a new dimension to our team. I have no problem with that.”

But Hoff doesn’t get lost in the mix, and not only because he’s 6 feet 7. His ability is simply too much to overlook, especially in clutch time.

“I still want the ball [in close matches],” Hoff said. “I’m always ready for that.”

Hoff’s teammates recognize his passion. They also admire his approach.

“Playing with Tom is great,” said Martin Wagner, a senior hitter. “He really is a team player, and he’s a guy [whom] you have all the trust in the world in out there.

“He’s intense. You can look at him and tell exactly what he’s thinking, and it’s always about winning.”

For everything Hoff has accomplished, he said that last season was a bust. The 49ers finished 18-9, losing to UC Santa Barbara in the first round of the MPSF playoffs.

Hoff is determined to avoid a repeat performance, and he believes he has all the help he needs. Winning the second national title in 49er history is the only statistic Hoff really cares about.

“We ended a little premature last year, and all the guys on the team, including myself, were a little stunned and hurt,” Hoff said. “We remembered that when we started our conditioning this season, and we’ve been working toward one goal since.”