Another five-game winning streak snapped as the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team lost the last of its three matches in the Roadrunner Classic Tournament last weekend.
The 49ers (10-4) fell 3-2 against Oregon State during its last match of the tournament. But they were able to sweep their first opponent Fresno State, and topped CSU Bakersfield 3-1.
This is the second match in a row against OSU (10-1) that went to a fifth set, and the result remained the same. LBSU trails the series 1-3.
Both teams traded the first two sets, the Beach winning the first 25-22 and the Beavers winning the second 25-19. The last three sets started with the Beach taking the lead, but eventually losing all of them.
LBSU took the lead early in the third set, then both teams traded runs. The 49ers led 21-18 after one of LBSU senior Chisom Okpala’s 14 kills hit the floor, but two big blocks by OSU’s Tayla Woods and Arica Nassar helped give the Beavers a 23-22 lead. Bre Mackie tied it 24-24, but Mary-Kate Marshall gave the Beavers the lead with a kill and took the set 26-24 with a service ace.
OSU jumped to a 12-4 lead early in the fourth set, but the 49ers crept their way back up with a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to one. Niners’ Tyler Jackson, who played as an outside hitter instead of her usual libero position, tied the set at 17-17, and Alex Reid gave them a lead that they never gave up for the rest of the set, winning 25-21.
LBSU took that momentum into the fifth set leading 9-5, but OSU tied the game at nine. The 49ers went on a small run to reclaim the lead 13-10, but the Beavers scored three quick points, two from blocks by Woods, Amanda Brown and Marshall, forcing a Beach timeout. OSU blocked opportunities for the 49ers at the net, and ended it 16-14.
The Beavers finished with 21 team blocks in the match, while the Beach finished with 10.5.
Both teams finished with four players in double-digit kills. Reid had a double-double leading the 49ers with 19 kills and matching libero Chelsea Cabrajac’s team-high 21 digs. Jackson also had a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs, and Mackie finished with 10 kills. Setter Jenelle Hudson ended with 55 assists.
Marshall led the Beavers with 20 kills, while two of their players reached a double-double; Lila Toner had 13 kills and 18 digs and Nassar had 11 kills and 11 blocks.
Mackie had a career-night against CSUB (4-9), racking up a team-high 17 kills on a .615 hitting percentage to lead the 49ers past the Roadrunners 25-19, 25-22, 11-25 and 25-10. Okpala also finished in double figures with 13 kills.
CSUB’s Danika Youngblook finished with 19 kills and Kelsee Sawyer with 17.
LBSU dominated Fresno State (5-9) 25-21, 25-16 and 25-16 to open the tournament, hitting .333 while holding the Bulldogs to .080 in the match. Okpala led the Beach with 11 kills and Mackie followed with 10.
The 49ers begin conference play on the road this weekend against UC Irvine (10-4) on Friday and rivals Cal State Fullerton (6-7) on Saturday.