Long Beach State Downs Penn State to Win 1998 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship

For the first time in NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship history, two undefeated teams faced off in the Championship Final match — #1-Ranked Long Beach State (35-0), led by back-to-back National Player of the Year, Misty May, vs. #2-Ranked Penn State (34-0), led by All-American middle blocker Lauren Cacciamani.  The match was played in Madison Wisconsin.

Long Beach dominated the first two sets 15-3 and 15-10. However, Penn State took the next two — both deuce sets — 15-13 and 16-14, to force a decisive fifth set.

Penn State jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the fifth set, but Long Beach State tied it up at 8, and then again at 12.  Following two consecutive kills by Long Beach State’s Jessica Alvardo, The Beach’s Veronica Walls (who led the NCAA with a .426 hitting percentage in 1998) registered her 19th kill of the match to seal the 15-12 win. Misty May and Lauren Cacciamani were named co-MVPs of the Championship.

Long Beach State’s Alvarado had 17 kills and Benishe Dillard and Anja Grabovac 16 each.

Lauren Cacciamani led Penn State with 33 kills, Christy Cochran added 13 kills, and Carrie Schonveld chipped in with 12 kills and 10 digs.  All-American setter Bonnie Bremner tallied 58 assists and 4 kills for the Nittany Lions, while Lindsay Anderson led the Nittany Lions with 16 digs and Leilani Schlottfeldt recorded 4 aces and 3 digs.

 

 

Long Beach State (36-0) became the first team in NCAA Women’s Volleyball history to finish the NCAA Tournament undefeated.  Penn State added back-to-back undefeated Championship seasons of its own in 2008 (38-0, 114 sets won, 2 sets lost) and 2009 (38-0, 114 sets won, 8 sets lost).  USC (2003, 35-0, 105 sets won, 8 sets lost) and Nebraska (2000, 102 sets won, 13 sets lost) have also registered undefeated National Championship seasons.