Haneef Lifts the 49ers to New Heights

It’s no surprise that Tayyiba Haneef is an All-American. That she earned the honor as a volleyball player is the surprising part.

Haneef, a senior who leads undefeated Long Beach State against Stanford today in the Division I title match at San Diego State’s Cox Arena, might have been expected to star in basketball or track.

She won state championships in both of those sports at Laguna Hills High, one in the high jump, and the other as a 6-foot-7 center.

She was league most valuable player in volleyball, but most of the scholarship offers she received--at least the ones from Pacific 10 Conference schools--were for basketball.

But Long Beach State and its tightly knit volleyball team intrigued her.

“I came from a high school basketball team that was very close,” Haneef said.

“We all hung around together and were great friends. Long Beach had that.”

With Haneef drilling balls to the floor, Long Beach (33-0) is in position to become only the third team to complete a season without a loss. The 49ers advanced with a 30-27, 30-25, 30-20 semifinal victory Thursday against Arizona as Haneef had a match-high 21 kills.

“When she was in the front row, their team was kind of rolling right through us,” said Dana Burkholder, Arizona’s All-American setter. “She just dominates out there.”

Indeed, Haneef is far from the gangly, uncoordinated, inexperienced player she was when she came to Long Beach five years ago.

“Seven years ago, I never even imagined that I would be going to college for volleyball,” she said.

“When I first got there, one of the assistant coaches told me that I’d be an All-American. I guess it shows that I’ve come [a long way].”

Haneef constitutes a tall order for Stanford.

She had 21 kills against the Cardinal in a nonconference home victory this season.

Setter Keri Nishimoto said her teammate’s towering size and athleticism make it easy to deliver passes.

“It’s fun to pass to both [Haneef and Cheryl Weaver, another All-American],” Nishimoto said. “They give me huge targets and they can cover for my mistakes.”

While she gave up basketball to concentrate on volleyball, Haneef stayed with track and is a two-time All-American in the high jump.

She has won consecutive Big West Conference titles in the event, and also finished in a tie for fifth at the NCAA meet in June.

She already has graduated with a degree in speech communications and is working on a master’s degree.

As her collegiate volleyball career comes to an end, Haneef says she nor her teammates feel pressured by their winning streak.

“We have been in this situation before with playing ranked teams,” she said. “This is like our home court and we are comfortable in this setting. It isn’t pressure, it is just coming and doing what we know we can do.”

NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship

at Cox Arena, San Diego State

TODAY, NOON, ESPN2

Long Beach State (33-0) vs. Stanford (32-2)