Debbie Green may be the greatest setter of all time. And she really, really loves Long Beach

PHOTO by RUSS ROCA

Once there was a little girl named Debbie who lived in an enchanted land called Belmont Shore. Debbie loved Belmont Shore, loved Long Beach, loved going to the beach volleyball courts by Belmont Plaza Pool to watch her father play in pickup games.

But then, one horrible day, her mother and father told her they would have to leave Long Beach for some far off place she’d never heard of; some place called Westminster.

“I remember crying,” said Debbie, who’s all grown up now. “I remember saying, ‘I’m going to move back to Long Beach someday.’”

She did. The girl who watched dad play volleyball grew up to become one of the greatest volleyball players of all time: two-time Olympian, two-time collegiate national champion as a player (three-time national champ as a coach), member of the United States Volleyball Association Hall of Fame and, arguably, the greatest setter of all time (the only other person in that argument being Misty May, whom Green coached at Long Beach State).

Green has been an assistant coach at Cal State Long Beach for 22 years and, as you’d expect with her resume, has had her share of offers to head her own program elsewhere.

“I’ve received calls, and you think, well, it’d be nice to have the title of head coach and the extra money in your paycheck. But it’s not all about you. It’s about the quality of life. I love Long Beach. I can’t see myself living anywhere but Long Beach.”

By “Long Beach” she means Seal Beach, where she, her husband, Joe Vargas (a two-time Olympian as a member of the US water polo team), and daughters Nicole (a setter at Long Beach State) and Dana (a setter at UC Santa Barbara) moved eight years ago from Long Beach. But Green, like the rest of us, considers Seal Beach just a logical extension of Long Beach, especially because it’s so close to her beloved Belmont Shore, which is where you’ll find most of her favorite things:

Taco Surf “We eat there, the one on Second Street, a lot. Ahh lot.”

5316 1/2 E Second St | Long Beach 90803 | 562.434.8646

Walking Second Street “I just love all the different shops, boutiques and coffee shops. It’s just the atmosphere, people walking around, you don’t have a lot of that in Southern California. Second Street reminds me a lot of what it’s like to be in Europe.”

Late night breakfast at Shorehouse Café “I go there a lot because it stays open late and it’s a good place to go after matches. Plus, they serve breakfast all day and I really like having breakfast for dinner.”

5271 E Second St | Long Beach 90803 | 562.433.2266

AMC Marina Pacifica 12 “It’s just down the street from us. I like it, especially the newer side, the theaters they put in there. I don’t have any favorite kind of movie, I like all types. I just saw 3:10 to Yuma. It was pretty good, though the last scene was a little far-fetched.”

6346 E Pacific Coast Hwy | Long Beach 90803 | 562.435.4AMC

[Our Dearly Departed] Russell’s “Oh, I miss my Russell’s. That was my favorite. Getting a burger and shake at Russell’s. I was so sad when they were gone.” You know there’s one left, right? “Where?” Pasadena. “Oh, I’ll have to check that out!” Well, it’s good, but they’re tying to make it a little fancy. “Whattaya mean?” They have a wine list. “Ooooh.”

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