The Long Beach State women’s volleyball team needed wins this weekend, and it got them.
One week after losing two of three five-set matches at the Bay Area Challenge, the 49ers (5-4) made quick work of Loyola Marymount, College of Charleston and Seattle at the Long Beach State/LMU Tournament.
“It’s always good to win,” senior outside hitter Delainey Aigner-Swesey said. “It brings your spirits up.”
The Beach opened the weekend on Friday in Los Angeles, where they took a 25-20, 25-13 and 25-19 win over LMU (5-4).
Freshman Joy Miley and junior Bre Mackie started a weekend trend at the net, as they collected five blocks apiece for the night. Junior middle blocker Chisom Okpala finished with nine kills on .643 hitting to lead the ‘Niners to their first sweep of the 2013 season.
LBSU returned to the Pyramid for Saturday’s match against College of Charleston. The 49ers couldn’t sweep the Cougars, but they did finish the night with a convincing 25-14, 25-19, 25-27 and 25-21 victory.
In their first and most dominant set of the night, the 49ers held Charleston (8-2) to a negative -.038 hitting. They used a late push to take the second set of the night but couldn’t finish off the sweep in the third, as the Cougars came back from an early 10-5 deficit and eventually rallied to win 27-25.
The set would be the only one The Beach would lose all weekend.
The ‘Niners, who were led by Aigner-Swesey’s double-double for the night, took the victory with a close 25-21 win in set four.
Closing out the weekend for LBSU was a dominant 25-14, 25-13 and 25-13 win over Seattle (2-10). Each set told the same story, with the 49ers opening with the lead and going on several runs before winning comfortably.
The LBSU defense performed well once again, holding the Redhawks to just .038 hitting on the night. Aigner-Swesey, Mackie and Alex Reid each finished with 10 kills in a win that capped the first undefeated weekend of the season for the 49ers.
“We played as well in the third as we did in the first,” head coach Brian Gimmillaro said. “ We played more like us.”
The ‘Niners got a much-needed momentum shift without having to play much extra time, as they played 10 total sets — a third of the amount they played in three matches at the Bay Area Challenge.
Middle blocker Haleigh Hampton sat out again with a fractured leg, and there is still no set date for her return.
“Bones are bones, they heal when they heal,” Gimmillaro said.
LBSU will try to extend its three-game win streak when it returns to the Pyramid on Wednesday to face No. 11 UCLA. Aigner-Swesey said the momentum gained over the weekend would help the team get ready for UCLA, but that the game against the Bruins wouldn’t be anything special.
“We’ve played so many ranked teams so far, it’s just another game,” she said, referencing early-season matches against No. 14 Illinois, No. 16 Florida State and No. 19 Kentucky.
LBSU will face the Bruins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.