Flourishing with change

Lauren Minkel takes special pride in where she comes from. Especially since Long Beach State isn’t used to it.

Minkel, a 2008 ‘Iolani graduate, is the 49ers’ first women’s volleyball player from Hawaii dating back to at least 1985, and maybe ever, according to LBSU school officials.

The three-year starter at libero is aware of that fact and relishes in the opportunity to represent the state of Hawaii.

"It’s pretty cool to go away and have this kind of experience away from Hawaii but be able to represent," Minkel said. "People ask me where I’m from all the time and when I say, ‘Hawaii,’ they think it’s cool.

"I like being that person here."

Minkel has done more than her share of "repping the 808," playing in 118 consecutive matches heading into this weekend’s rivalry game at Cal State Fullerton. She took over full-time starting duties at libero as a sophomore, and her 1,542 digs rank third on the school’s all-time list.

She will likely pass Tara Cross for second some time next week, and has an outside chance of taking over the all-time lead, currently held by Heather Laudato with 1,686.

It’s pretty impressive for a three-time, All-Interscholastic League of Honolulu selection at outside hitter; Minkel didn’t play libero until college.

"I was kind of expecting to just learn a lot my freshman year," Minkel said. "In Hawaii I was the tallest person on my team, but come here and all our outside hitters and middle blockers are 6-5, so it was just kind of natural to change positions.

"I got to learn a lot from the senior libero on the team and I still got experience playing as a defensive specialist without the full responsibility of being the starting libero, which I think really helped me."

The position change has helped Minkel physically as well. Near the end of her junior year, and a week before her recruiting trip to LBSU, Minkel tore her anterior cruciate ligament.

She was back on the court playing just four months later, but missed a crucial part of her recruitment with the injury. Only LBSU and Portland — where her sister, Madisen, played volleyball — showed interest.

"It worked out really well because I ended up here, but I wouldn’t recommend (the injury) to people," Minkel said. "Long Beach was the school most interested and that’s pretty much it."

The 49ers are third among teams ranked outside this week’s AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 poll, but are comfortably in first place at 10-2 in the Big West.

Long Beach State (16-6 overall) has won eight in a row and is in position to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the 25th straight season. But before Minkel prepares for that, her focus is on winning a conference title for the third time in her four years.

The 49ers came in second a year ago.

"It’d be nice to go out with a conference title my senior year after coming in second," she said. "We’ve played some really good teams and we’ve gotten so much better and have so many less injuries now that I think we’ll be in good shape."

Of the 49ers’ six loses, two have been in four sets and the last four have all gone to five.

The only teams to beat LBSU in less than five are No. 1 UCLA and No. 8 Hawaii at the Stan Sheriff Center in September.

"This was the first year I got to go to Hawaii, so it was pretty cool to go there for my senior year and play in front of the home crowd," she said.

"To hear my name announced in (pregame) introductions was really special."