Athlete of the Week: Jim Baughman

This week's Long Beach State athlete of the week is men's volleyball's outside hitter, Jim Baughman. Jim lead the team with an impressive 15 kills in last Friday's upset win against UCLA.

Baughman is a junior majoring in communications. His high school resume is impressive, as he played both volleyball and basketball. His dedication to sport and studies won him not only athlete of the year honors, but student scholar accolades as well.

Baughman sat down with the Black and Gold Insider and answered a few quick questions: 

Q: How does it feel to be named Long Beach State Athlete of the Week?

A: Being named athlete of the week at Cal State Long Beach is such a great honor because of all the talent represented on campus. Our basketball team is having a great year along with many other sports on campus and to be noticed in such a large group of talented athletes is very rewarding.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about your two matches last week, what you and the team did well, and the perseverance the team showed in the comeback victory against UCLA?

A: Against Santa Barbara on Tuesday night our team was clicking in all areas. We are a very hard team to stop when we are playing our game. There was no letting up through out the entire match. Santa Barbara is a very good team so it was a great night for consistency.

Friday night was a different story. We started the match very slow and very hesitant, two things you do not want to do against a UCLA team who was on a five game winning streak at the time. However, we stayed calm and stayed together and found a way to bring home the victory. Every great team has off nights and I think it says a lot about our program that we were able to find a way to win.

Q: What do you guys need to do to continue to be successful?

A: We take a lot of pride in how hard we work in our practice gym. We just need to keep doing what we are doing day in day out and we will be prepared for anything.

Q. What music gets you pumped before a game?

A: I listen to a lot of Eminem and Kid Cudi before matches, but my pregame song is "The Show Goes On" by Lupe Fiasco.

Q: What does it mean to Bleed Black and Gold?

A: It means that we should always remember that we are not only representing an entire program, but an entire school in everything we do. Keep Long Beach State’s pride in the back on your head at all times. Go Beach!