Seiffert Is Pacing Himself

The new kid on the block showed up with enough talent to thump his chest--and the good sense not to. Respectful and humble seemed like the best approach, Chris Seiffert decided and was he ever right.

His teammates on the Long Beach State men’s volleyball team took to Seiffert from the start. Not only that, 49er Coach Ray Ratelle couldn’t have been more impressed with his sensible newcomer.

And now, with only two matches on his resume, Seiffert, 19, is a bona fide go-to guy. Life couldn’t be better for the starting freshman setter from Capistrano Valley High, whose only goal this season was to avoid the veterans’ wrath.

“I really had no idea what to expect,” Seiffert said. “You never know what’s going to happen when you start college and start playing college volleyball, so I was a little bit worried.”

No need to be, though.

Seiffert, 6 feet 4 and 180 pounds, has made the smoothest of transitions from high school to college. He is the 49ers’ unchallenged starter at the quarterback position in volleyball.

“I’m pretty stoked about that,” said Seiffert, who averages 12.25 assists. “I don’t think I’ve made too many mistakes and I think I’ve played pretty well so far.”

He started at the bottom, but didn’t stay there long. The quick trip has been a wild ride, Seiffert said.

“Everything was up in the air and the coaches gave me no guarantees,” he said. “It’s actually been weird because I was kind of thrown in so fast.

“I had talked to the coaches before [the season] about possibly redshirting. I sort of wanted to redshirt to make the transition easier. I have been a little nervous at times still, but I’m more excited than nervous so I guess I’m doing all right.”

All right? Ratelle views Seiffert differently.

“We always knew he was going to be a good setter at some point, but he’s come in and clearly been the man to do the job--no question about it,” Ratelle said. “He’s been a very pleasant surprise in the fact that he’s been able to play as quickly as he has.”

The signs were all there.

As a senior at Capistrano Valley, Seiffert was the co-most valuable player of the South Coast League. He also led the Cougars to the Southern Section Division I final.

Seiffert could have angered a lot of the 49er upperclassmen if his ego matched his credentials, but it didn’t.

And because Seiffert has respected his elders, the 49ers laid off the harsh rookie treatment. Well, most of it anyway.

“I still have little jobs I have to do,” he said. “I’m in charge of all the balls during practice. If there are any balls missing after practice, I have to go hunt them down, and sometimes the guys get on me about it, but they don’t give me much of a hard time for being a freshman.

“The guys have made it a lot easier. They’re nice guys and they give me a lot of respect.”

Ratelle wants Seiffert to be more vocal with his teammates, but Seiffert is still reluctant.

“I know I have to be one of the leaders out there, but I want to do it with my play because it’s still kind of tough for me to yell at a senior,” Seiffert said. “I don’t want to be some cocky little punk who tries to run everybody around.”

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Brotherly showdown: On Feb. 1, Seiffert will stare across the net at the Pyramid and see USC. He also will see his brother, Eric.

A senior middle blocker, the older Seiffert is a four-year starter for the Trojans. The Seifferts can’t wait, Chris said.

“We’re real pumped up about it,” he said. “We’ve been talking about it and popping off at each other, but I don’t think it’s the sort of thing you can say in a newspaper.”

The Seifferts have never played against each other in an organized volleyball match. Until now, their sibling wars were limited to some heated Sega Genesis video-game battles.

“A lot of his friends and a lot of my friends will be coming to Long Beach that day,” Chris said. “I don’t think I’m going to say anything to him [during the game]. I think I’ll let my play do the talking.”

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Crunch time already: The chances of the men’s basketball team turning things around are fading faster than its second-half intensity this season.

Any hope Long Beach (5-9, 1-3 in the Big West) still has could end this week. Long Beach players said they face must-win situations when they host UC Santa Barbara Thursday and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Saturday at the Pyramid.

The 49ers need a sweep to keep believing in themselves and keep the fans at least a bit interested.