Daily 49er October 20, 2010

Murderer of CSULB student to face sentencing Wednesday

By Athena Mekis Assistant City Editor

It’s not surprising that Kate Su Yi’s favorite TV show was “House” or that she chose to dress up as a nurse for Halloween in 2008.

The Cal State Long Beach junior had just entered her first semester in the nursing program. She was also about to move on with her life and start fresh by dumping her boyfriend of one year.

“My one description [of her] would be goofball,” said Auria Zahed, a close friend and former roommate of Yi. “I remember that she laughed a lot, even when something wasn’t funny. It was so cute.”

Yi’s hope of becoming a nurse changed on March 31, 2009.

Her roommate and mother found her dead in a closet at her Bellflower Boulevard apartment near the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital April 2, 2010. Yi had a belt wrapped around her neck, underwear bunched into her mouth, Advil pills stuffed inside her nose and fabric softener laid underneath her.

Long Beach Police arrested her then-boyfriend, 20-year-old Jonathan Huynh, on suspicion of murder the next day. He pleaded not guilty on Sept. 13, 2010, two days before a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.

Huynh’s sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday.

The defendant’s motivation

Huynh was an obsessive boyfriend, according to Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Lesley Klein, who prosecuted the case. Those who testified established that obsessive behavior.

“The victim’s friends said that he was ‘creepy and weird to the point of obsession,’ ” Klein said. “For example, he would sit at Yi’s work all day and wait for her.”

Yi attempted to break up with Huynh on the night of her murder, but “he wasn’t going to allow her to [do that],” Klein said. Once they started arguing, he strangled her to death, stabbed her in the back of her head and neck, and placed her body in her apartment closet.

According to Klein, coroners say within 30 to 60 seconds of strangulation, a victim loses consciousness, but it takes six to eight minutes to die.

When Huynh left Yi’s apartment, he failed to report Yi’s death to police. Instead, he took her car, bought clothes at Hollister with her credit card, withdrew $140 from her bank account and went to his parents’ house in Mission Viejo, Klein said.

Huynh also used Yi’s cell phone to call her roommate, claiming that he was at Yi’s apartment, but could not find her. Later, the Long Beach Police Department discovered that Huynh had made that phone call near Mission Viejo, where his parents live.

LBPD began its investigation as soon as her death was reported, which immediately led to their only suspect: Huynh. Officers found and arrested him on April 3, 2009 in the City of Orange.

Huynh gave three different alibis for the murder.

First, he denied everything, claiming that they had broken up and that Yi had left upset.

Second, he said Yi liked to engage in rough sex, such as having a belt around her neck, but when she began hitting him, he punched her and accidently killed her. Huynh said that when Yi hit the floor, she made a gurgling noise and he tried to resuscitate her.

Third, he said that he accidentally strangled Yi to death by wrapping a belt around her neck during consensual sex. He said the belt accidently suffocated her and, again, he said he tried to revive her.

Prosecution of the case

The prosecution’s main pieces of murder evidence included: the hiding of Yi’s body; the use of fabric softener, Glade plug-ins and opening of windows to conceal the smell.

Analyzing the evidence, Klein said that the only question the jury had to answer was whether or not Yi’s death was an accident. The jury concluded, within one hour and 45 minutes, that it was not. Even though the trial had seven motions, including a change of judge — the only motion accepted — a change of venue and a change of public defender, the 10-month long case maintained a “decent pace,” according to Klein. She added that she’d never encountered a change of venue request before.

“It’s not surprising,” said Klein, referring to Huynh pleading not guilty. She later said that most defendants like Huynh start off doing so.

Huynh’s Long Beach Deputy Public Defender Alan Nakasone declined to comment.

According to Klein, possible reasons why Huynh may have pleaded not guilty include thinking he wasn’t guilty, thinking he had a strong defense or that he wasn’t ready to come to terms with what he had done.

Pleading guilty does not guarantee a shorter sentence, Klein said.

Remembrance of Kate

Yi’s body now rests at Forest Lawn cemetery in Cypress. Her memorial service was held on April 11, 2009 at a funeral home in Downey, according to nursing department progress coordinator Melissa Dyo.

“Kate was in her first semester of the nursing program, but it was clear by the remorse of her classmates that she had made an impact on their lives,” Dyo said.

Zahed, who lived with Yi for three years, said that she placed a high emphasis on school, using her time to either study or nap “like a cat.” Yi moved out of Zahed’s apartment two months before her murder.

“She did very well in school because she wanted to get into the nursing program really badly,” Zahed said.

Dyo said an estimated 150 to 200 people attended the memorial service.

Nursing faculty members and many of Yi’s classmates from the nursing program were there, particularly students from her clinical group. Dyo said they came to the service dressed in their white CSULB nursing uniforms.

They also passed out orange and red ribbon pins as a way to remember Kate. Orange was her favorite color, Zahed explained. “All her friends knew about her orange obsession,” she said.

According to Dyo, different people spoke at Yi’s service. A former youth pastor of Yi spoke about how vibrant and full of life she was.

“The general sense from being there was that Kate was an outgoing, encouraging and well-liked individual, whose life was ended much too soon,” Dyo said. “It was heartbreaking to see the expressions of grief by her parents and siblings.”

Out-of-county students still have chance to vote By Noah Kelly

Staff Writer

Time is running out for students who want to participate in Election Day Nov. 2, but the clock has not run out yet for those who are registered and are far from home. Oct. 18 was the last day to register to vote. In an effort to raise awareness on the voting process, Associated Students, Inc. representatives scoured Long Beach's campus to register as many voters as they could. CSULB's voter registration drive totaled 1,226, according to ASI Secretary of City Affairs Deborah Rowe. CSU Fullerton managed around 1,400, said Gregory Washington, Chief Governmental Officer.

Voting at a different polling place Students can still vote at any same-county polling location if they are already registered but have moved from their permanent residence. Students can go to a polling location in the same county that was not assigned to them by virtue of their residence. There, they are given a provisional ballot where they indicate their old address and their new address. The provisional ballot goes through their respective voting county to be verified before the vote is counted. For students who do not know the closest polling location, check with the county election office to find that information. In Long Beach, check lavote.net for the closest polling location. Voters cannot vote in-person a county they have not registered in. If a voter is registered in Orange County, they cannot vote in Los Angeles County. Voters must vote in the county they are registered in, or the vote will not count, according to the Secretary of State Elections Office. There are no exceptions to allow voters to vote out of county in person.

Voting by mail Another option is registering to vote by mail by Oct. 26. Students who know their application will not be received by Oct. 26 will have to go in person to their respective county elections office to apply. Instructions and applications to vote by mail can be found at sos.ca.gov/ elections/elections_m.htm. Students can also apply to become permanent vote-by-mail voters at the Secretary of State website. Students who are confused about their own voter registration status can call their county elections office to verify their status. Each county's office number can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_d.htm.

Man reportedly fondles himself in women’s stall By Jack Chavdarian

Staff Writer

Cal State Long Beach had a second report of a man fondling himself in just two days. A man was reportedly seen on Oct. 10 fondling himself in a women's restroom stall in the Vivian Engineering Center, University Police Capt. Fernando Solorzano said. This report comes shortly after a man was reportedly seen exposing and touching his genitalia around the Language Arts 5 building on Oct. 8. In both cases, the man reportedly fled the scene before police arrived and was unable to be located. Solorzano said that the two indecent exposure reports can't be linked even though they occurred within two days. Solorzano said that there isn't enough evidence to connect the two cases together and say it was the same guy who did it. Both cases are being treated as isolated events, Solorzano said.

Counselors help student get medical attention Staff members at Counseling and Psychological Services contacted University Police Oct. 11 when they observed a student who they felt was on the verge of committing suicide, Solorzano said. Cal State Long Beach counselors analyzed the student and then, determined he was a danger to himself and needed additional medical attention. The student was transported to a hospital for further evaluation.

Mid-day public intoxication Public intoxication was reported Oct. 11 around noon near the Engineering department, Solorzano said. However, when police arrived on the scene, the intoxicated suspect had already left the area and was unable to be located by police.

Student needs to phone home University Police received a call Oct. 11 from a concerned father worried about the welfare of his son who is a student living on campus, Solorzano said. The father hadn't heard from his son for two weeks. He tried to reach him several times, but notified the police when he did not receive a response back from him. When police finally contacted the student, he was instructed to call his father, Solorzano said.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to CSULB By Lizeth Beltran

Staff Writer

The Health Resource Center is co-sponsoring a presentation with the Beautiful Day foundation today at the Multicultural Center in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The center will be sharing information about the prevention of breast cancer and awareness among women of all ages. The Beautiful Day Foundation, which came to campus last year, brings professionals together to discuss prevention, detection and everything else that comes with breast cancer. Lindsey Tucker, receptionist at the Health Resource Center, said the presentation will be a breast cancer prevention workshop. According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, named after Komen, who died of breast cancer at age 36, there will be around 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer among women in the United States in 2010. While breast cancer is not very common among younger women, it does happen. Komen.org said 5 percent of all breast cancer is among women under 40 years old. The website said it's important to become familiar with the shape and feel of the breast to track any change that may be a sign of breast cancer. Although many men may believe this event does not apply to them, think again. While extremely rare, men can also get breast cancer. The website states that 1,970 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, and around 390 men will die from it. The one-hour event, which will include food and prizes, starts at noon. The series will continue next week on Oct. 24 with a speaker's panel featuring breast cancer survivors and caregivers.

University Police prepare for earthquake drill By Jack Chavdarian

Staff Writer

University Police will conduct a campus-wide earthquake drill tomorrow at 10:21 a.m., Capt. Fernando Solorzano said. University Police will patrol campus and make sure that the drill is in effect, Solorzano said. Police will coordinate with building marshals and evacuation volunteers. Cal State Long Beach rests among several significant fault zones that can be shaken by a powerful earthquake without any warning, according to the csulb.edu. Solorzano highlighted University Police's role should a major earthquake occur, saying that it's up to them to keep order and reach individuals in need of medical help until assistance arrives. According to csulb.edu, there are important steps students and faculty should take for their own safety during an actual earthquake. • Drop to your knees with your back to the windows, but attempt to keep their knees together while doing so. • Clasp both hands behind your head, covering your necks and burying your face between their arms and legs. • Close your eyes tightly. • Stay in place until the shaking stops. • Remain calm. Finally, if the area you're in appears to be safe, don't evacuate the environment until told to by a building marshal, according to csulb.edu.

Speaker shares insight on stopping domestic violence By Alexandra Baird

Assistant City Editor

"I have this theory that most of us could live with a serial killer for about a year and not even notice," said Alyce LaViolette, an expert in domestic violence counseling. "The energy of new love is greater than the energy of fear." This was one statement by LaViolette during "The Snow White-Wicked Witch Convergence Theory" Tuesday afternoon. Rain pounded the campus while students in the psychology building listened intently as LaViolette asked questions that challenged assumptions of gender, violence and empowerment. The Women's Resource Center and Project Safe sponsored the program in recognition of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Speaker LaViolette, who has a private counseling practice, is known for taking a different angle in the fight against domestic violence: In 1979 she created "Alternatives to Violence" in Long Beach, one of the first therapy programs in the country to work with the perpetrators rather than the victims of domestic violence. LaViolette asked students to consider their own experiences and told compelling stories about people she has worked with, from a New Jersey mafia boss to a woman who was abused by her husband until she thought homicide or suicide were her only options. Assistant director of the Women's Resource Center Lynn Coenen said LaViolette is a groundbreaker in the field. She has written books like "It Could Happen to Anyone: Why Battered Women Stay." "Alyce is known as a breaker of all the rules," Coenen said. "She was building a program for men when people were thinking men were the enemy." Students discussed the ideas of gender they learned from fairy tales. In her work with domestic violence survivors, LaViolette said she asks women to go from "Snow White to the Wicked Witch," or to stop being timid and start speaking up for themselves. "I look at Snow White and she was a very passive character, but she was also nice," she said. "She was almost nice enough to make you sick. Her whole life was about cleaning and singing." LaViolette also offered practical solutions for dealing with friends in difficult situations and different anger styles in relationships. After working with perpetrators and victims of violence for more than 30 years, she said abusers "are not one-dimensional people." Organizers said the issue of domestic and relationship violence is local and critical. "A year ago we had a [student] murdered by her boyfriend," Coenen said. "We have faced this twice with people we've directly known [on campus]. It's really very tricky." Students who attended the event said they found it interesting and practical. "It was very helpful because I've known people in abusive relationships," said junior art major Nicole Casare. "It's good to know the difference between not letting them stay in the controlling relationship, but not attacking them either."

Our View- Disagreement should occur without harassment By Staff

As long as the same-sex marriage debate continues in this country, tragedy among the gay community will continue to take its toll. In a three-week time frame, there have been five suicides across the nation as a result of bullying and harassment from fellow students concerning sexual orientation. The victim's ages ranged from 13 to 18. Whether or not you are in support of same sex marriage, you must remember that as adults we set an example for future generations. This isn't to say we must keep our opinions to ourselves, but we must remember that even if our attitudes toward same sex marriage aren't the most positive ones, stressing the importance of respecting all differences is crucial. Thirteen-year-olds are largely influenced by the adults surrounding them. If it weren't for what was presumably taught to them — or not taught — the lives of five teenagers might never have been lost. The Human Rights Campaign — a prominent American gay civil rights organizations— sent a petition bearing 150,000 signatures to The Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' headquarters pleading with leader Boyd K. Packer to take back a statement made in a sermon in early October stating that same sex relationships "are unnatural and can be overcome." The LBGT advocacy group believes that such statements serve as reasonable explanation for the harassment of the gay community. One hour after the petition was sent, a spokesman for the Church Michael Otterson delivered a speech stating that no individual distinctions are worthy of any sort of act of violence. "Such actions have no place in society," he continued. However, as Otterson continued the official church statement, the Human Rights Campaign began to recognize that this was not a statement of retraction at all. Otterson went forth to reiterate that — according to the church — marriage is a ceremony establishing the union between a man and a woman only. Human Rights Campaign Vice President of Communications Fred Sainz expressed his disappointment in the church for continuing to acknowledge same sex marriage as "unnatural." Sainz made a comment to the Associated Press, stating, "Every human being deserves the God-given right to love and be loved." The principal crisis concerning same-sex marriage is the belief of many religious groups that marriage is strictly between a man and a woman. Their beliefs must be considered just as much as they should consider opposing views. Of course, debate must take place in order to reach a resolution; however, any unnecessary arguments that may that seek to defeat the opposing view ad hominem should be avoided. Americans can continue to argue for separation the church and the state but for religious groups should uphold the humanistic moral principals presented to them in the Bible. Besides, where in Leviticus does it order Christians to harass homosexuals? A dispute over an issue that — in the end — would cause no direct physical harm to its bystanders should not be made out to cause such harm. Rather than increasing the gravity of the issue and leading it — as we have already — to calamity, cooler heads must prevail. In a nation where 13-year-old gay teenagers are choosing to end their lives much too early as a result of severe harassment, we must force ourselves to set aside our differences and acknowledge the bigger picture. Wherever you stand in regards to same sex marriage, you must advocate for tolerating human differences. We set the standards for and influence the actions of the youth today.

GOP’s Fiorina, Beck recoil in face of budget deficit, tax issues By Jessica Wood

Republican Senate candidates Carly Fiorina in California and Ken Beck in Colorado failed to give a straight answer regarding how the government will be able afford further tax cuts on this past Sunday's public affair shows, according to a Huffington Post blog. Fiorina went as far as calling out "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace for asking her this "political question." Sure, Republicans and politicians alike are asked similar questions pertaining to the national deficit without fail; however, something must be said about how Republicans are unable to give one concrete example as to how they expect to decrease the deficit with more tax cuts. Roundabout, incompetent answers to these questions such as "we must put every possible solution on the table" and "engage the American people in a discussion about entitlement spending reform," simply do not cut it. No pun intended. It has been evident since the government began cutting taxes in the early 2000s that these cuts have not been effective in boosting our economy and producing jobs. These cuts have, in fact, caused our economy to fall into what seems like an infinite regress of economic recession, with job creation at its lowest since the Hoover administration. It is ridiculous and shameful to continue to uphold a current tax policy that only benefits the top 2 percent of America, but royally screws the other 98 percent of us. This system clearly isn't working. The problem is delusional teabaggers and Republicans want to continue to decrease taxes on our income, but they cannot come up with another way to pull America out of its multi-trillion dollar deficit. They want to increase jobs, yet send the few jobs we do have available to us overseas. And this is a good thing? Americans should want for this to happen? Alas, every election cycle these manipulative politicians manage to scramble up enough followers to pull through and make sure the things on their selfish agenda get done, while completely disregarding the needs of the rest of the people in this country. When will Americans realize that Reaganomics does not work? The "trickle- down" aspect of the Trickle-Down Theory never happens; the rich just get richer, while the rest of us are forced to work in menial positions — if at all — when some are overqualified to do so. Don't believe me? See: Everyone graduating college today. It seems as if politicians such as Fiorina, Beck and the like are fine with however the deficit is eliminated, so long as not one dollar comes out of their own pockets in the process. There they are, sitting on their thrones of cash, wiping their asses with the money that some of us actually need and put to good use. Fiorina, among others, danced around this relatively straightforward question because if the average American actually knew her answers, he would be rudely awakened — hopefully — by the illogical response. What, you say, is the GOP master-plan to restore fiscal responsibility? Modify, or completely cut, the programs that are making our country socialist, according to the Republicans. To be sure that the wealthy stay wealthy and the rest of the people struggle, Republicans will raise the age for social security and Medicare, eliminate minimum wage, eliminate financial and environmental regulatory programs, outsource more jobs overseas, break unions and repeal national health care reform. Does this sound like the America you want to be a part of? Whether you realize it or not, this potential decisions affect you and us. I urge you to vote in this upcoming election for what is in the best interest of the people as a whole. Because, let's face it, most of us will not become a part of the 2 percent financial elite. Jessica Wood is a senior biology major and a columnist for the Daily 49er.

Students present 'electric' art exhibit By Vineet Gupta

Staff Writer

"Electric" is a general fitting description for this week's art gallery openings presented by the Department of Art. The featured installations are large, ambitious projects by artists who clearly put their hearts into creating them. Erin Fagan's BFA metals and jewelry work impresses at first sight. Her mix of sculptural, wearable and functional art and table pieces are encased in museum-style glass domes with stained wooden bases. The pieces are a combination of necklaces, pendants, brooches and larger table pieces based on organic design patterns, such as leaves, tree roots and more. She said that she is inspired by the complexity and beauty of nature. "As far as why I chose nature, I think that it's something that I've made the decision to represent hoping that other people will see it for how special it is," Fagan said. "I hope people take away from it just the uniqueness, the beauty of it and also the idea that these things deserve to be preserved." Another installation on view is Robert Pokorny's MFA painting in the Gatov Gallery. Analyzing Pokorny's exhibit, "Saturation," is difficult due to its layers of aesthetics and meanings. Although simple on the surface, closer examinations of his works seem to reveal more and more nuance. His paintings are composed of bright blocks of animation color that drip and twist to convey a sense of movement. His paintings seem to center around a protagonist who is overloaded with messages and information that cause him a great deal of anxiety and self-doubt as he strives to move forward in his life. Pokorny's written statement next to his work offers perhaps the best way to understand his art. He said, "This body of work deals with the overwhelming feeling of anxiety brought on from the current state of the world, as well as the onslaught of information we sort out and the process to understand it." His paintings seem to be loosely biographical, but Pokorny prefers to leave it up for interpretation. Lastly, the Dr. Maxine Merlino Gallery features the work of Kevin O'Grady's MFA paintings and drawings. His gallery is lined with watercolor paintings of various faces from O'Grady's art history textbooks. The paintings are placed linearly along the floor and wrap around the three display walls of the room. "I consider these to be more generic than portraits," O'Grady said. "They're more like masks where they typify something that is not as specific as a likeness — hopefully something of the human spirit." Somewhere in that wrap of paintings, the viewer gets a sense of the complexity and variety of the human experience in a context that is far enough removed to create a compelling sense of detachment. His paintings present a mosaic of human faces and emotions and experiences. The three-dimensional wrap draws the viewer into the work while the overload of moments objectifies the subject matter. Placing the paintings on the floor somehow draws out the gallery itself and possibly creates a more relaxed space by breaking formal notions of proper placement, remarkably without losing content. In fact, through that more relaxed space, the viewer is arguably further detached from the emotions of the subject matter. O'Grady says his installation is just a "stepping stone" to his final thesis and is, therefore, still a work in progress. The student art galleries run Monday through Thursday from noon until 5 p.m.

“” stunts still work By Aaron Cordova

Staff Writer

Standing around a tetherball pole with a beehive suspended by a cord, two nervous underwear-clad guys listen as a beekeeper explains, "It takes about 100 [bee stings] to kill a man." to which one of the "jackasses" insists nervously, "There's 50,000 in the hive!" Four years after "," "" hit theaters this weekend to eager crowds who awaited the return of the destructively creative crew made famous in the original show over ten years ago. and Butthead open the film. Butthead says, "You'll see the jackasses like no human beings have ever seen them before … in 3D!" before he demonstrates the reality of 3D by slapping Beavis in a manner reminiscent of their TV show. The film takes off on a high note with a slow-motion montage of each "jackass" being maimed, battered or otherwise stricken by something to knock them off their feet, be it an enormous dead fish, a bowling ball or a faux hand the size of a windshield. The stunts run the gamut of idiocy, ranging from simple and stupid, to elaborate and still stupid. One of the more shocking gags comes in the middle of the film, and involves a Lamborghini, a string and a crooked tooth. Ehren McGhehey sits in a desk chair as his cohorts tie a string around a tooth in the front of his mouth while explaining that the vehicle will extract the tooth so that they can implant it straight later. They brace the shaking victim as the car peels out and zooms away. The group watches the long string unwind before the tooth is ripped into oblivion with a horrifying click followed by the roar of mixed reactions, displaying both disgust and excitement. After letting McGhehey catch his breath and stop clenching his mouth, the crew laughs and confesses that they don't know how to replace the tooth. Creative use of the stunt men is key in this film and gives comedic effect not achievable with a normal group of guys. This is apparent in one stunt involving , who waddles into a convenience store after asking a stranger to watch his dog. Moments later, Wee-man, the famed little-person of the crew, walks in wearing the same outfit that Lacy wore to claim the dog and walks away as if nothing peculiar had happened. The flabbergasted pedestrian stands frozen with his empty hand still extended as his open- mouthed expression shows that the prank worked. The use of sound, however, is also carefully thought-out and well-executed. In addition to the high-definition sounds of electric shock, fist-to-body contact, various crashes and nauseating sloshing sounds, music also enhances the movie experience. Several stunts were named after famous songs relevant to what risky behavior was being performed. "Electric Avenue," for example, involved fifteen stun guns hanging from strings and spanning the length of a hallway. Black and white jumpsuit-clad characters were challenged to run through the series of weapons while trying to avoid contact with the guns. Naturally, their attempts were in vain, and the zapping sounds and screams complimented the Eddy Grant song in a gut-busting manner. The 3D effect adds an interesting element to an already established niche of cringe-worthy stunt-gags, but is not entirely necessary, especially considering the (minimum) $4 up-charge to standard movie tickets. More impressive is the consistent use of high-quality slow-motion shots that allow audiences to see every flap of skin ripple in reaction to whatever absurd assault is happening at the moment. The movie is quick to get to the point of each gag, and crams quite a few into the one-and-a-half hour runtime. Despite the stomach-churning moments involving excrements, vomit, unsightly nudity and body hair, the film delivers again and again to achieve its ultimate goal — to make audiences gasp, wince and above all, laugh. MCDANNALD: LBSU volleyball needs cold-blooded mentality By Tracy McDannald

Assistant Sports Editor

Anyone who has played the video game Mortal Kombat can probably remember the booming voice demanding that you "finish him." The Long Beach State women's volleyball team might want to find a Sega Genesis console. A seemingly disastrous start to October could be countered in an equally crucial stretch to close the month for the 49ers. But the team needs to develop more of a killer instinct. Over the next two weeks, the 49ers will meet the other three teams that occupy the top four spots in the Big West Conference. The gauntlet for LBSU (15-5, 5-2 Big West) will start on the road Saturday against first-place Cal State Fullerton (17-4, 6-1 Big West), which is a perfect 11-0 at Titan Gym this season. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. The 49ers will then attempt to avenge a pair of losses when Cal Poly (15-6, 5-3 Big West) and UC Santa Barbara (11-9, 5-2 Big West) visit the Walter Pyramid on Oct. 29 and 30, respectively. Head coach Brian Gimmillaro is even looking ahead an extra week to road matches at Pacific (11-8, 4-4 Big West) and UC Davis (13-7, 5-3 Big West). For you sports standings math majors, that's just a two-game difference between first and fifth place in the conference standings. "Five matches, certainly Fullerton this week is important, but is it any more important than the other four?" Gimmillaro said after practice Monday. "If you put your hopes on one match, you're making a big mistake." CSUF will bring a six-match winning streak into the contest, but The Beach will counter with a 56-match winning streak in the all-time series between the teams. Overall, the ‘Niners are 78-4 against their rivals dating back to 1966, including a 3-0 sweep Sept. 25 in this season's conference opener. But that was before LBSU went to the Central Coast and came back winless against the Gauchos (five-set heartbreaker after blowing a 2-0 lead) and Mustangs (3-0 sweep). Since that blemish, the ‘Niners have won four straight matches — some in far-from-easy fashion, however. It's things like the longer-than-expected battle with last-place UC Riverside last Saturday that the ‘Niners must clean up. LBSU was six points away from finishing the match in four sets but, instead, squandered a 19-13 lead and nearly blew an early 9-4 advantage in the final frame. A much-better Gauchos team would have capitalized on the 49ers' miscues, and that's exactly what happened when the teams met earlier this season. The Beach let UCSB hang around in the third set that night, which carried over into a fourth frame that the 49ers never led. The final set was eventually the result of a snowball effect, which the ‘Niners brought to San Luis Obispo. Now, at essentially the midway point of the Big West slate, the next two weeks could jeopardize LBSU's bid for a third straight conference crown. Or, the 49ers could finally put a stop to the generosity. That's why he's paid the big bucks If there's one positive from the scare against lowly UCR, senior setter Ashley Lee is still hauling in the accolades. A day after being named the conference player of the week, Lee was named national player of the week Tuesday by both the American Volleyball Coaches Association and Collegiate Volleyball Update. "The stars have to align," Gimmillaro said when asked about the possibility of Lee earning national recognition for her quadruple-double performance against the Highlanders. A month ago, Gimmillaro's critics wondered whether a previously injured Lee should have been playing over freshman Ashley Vazquez, who guided the 49ers to a 6-1 record while starting seven of the team's first eight matches. LBSU lost in Lee's season debut, a four-set decision to a then-No. 25 San Diego team that wasn't the easiest of opponents. And, of course, Vazquez looked impressive as the starter in the following match — a sweep over a lesser Virginia squad — and the armchair quarterback suggestion was hatched. Nothing against Vazquez, but that's an all-Big West first-team selection you would have to send to the bench. Lee's 50 assists, 13 digs, career-high 10 blocks and season-best 10 kills against UCR should serve as a reminder for her undeniable versatility.