Sports, Women's Volleyball

The Beach sweeps opening Big West weekend

The Long Beach State women’s volleyball team defeated both Black and Blue rival UC Irvine and Orange County rival Cal State Fullerton during the Big West Conference opening weekend on Friday and Saturday.

The 49ers (12-4, 2-0 Big West) finished UCI in four close sets (25-21, 22-25, 26-24 and 25-21) and breezed through OC rivals CSUF in straight sets (25-14, 25-15 and 25-15).

LBSU started the first set against UCI (11-6, 0-2) by trading points until two attack errors and a

service ace gave the Anteaters a three-point lead. The set was tied at 18-18 right before the Beach took a 6-0 run. The 49ers never looked back – taking the first set 25-21.

Both teams went back and forth again during the second set and tied 11 times, with the last tied score at 23-23. UCI’s Marisa Bubica closed the set with two kills, giving her team the 25-23 win behind a .295 hitting percentage, and tied the match at 1-1.

The third set was a game of runs, as LBSU’s 3-0 run gave it the lead at 17-15. Both teams traded points until an Anteater attack error gave the 49ers their largest lead of the set at 24-20. The Anteaters went on a 4-0 run sending the set into extra points. A Bre Mackie kill gave the Beach the lead and another UCI attack error gave the Beach the set at 26-24.

One of LBSU setter Jenelle Hudson’s seven kills found the floor to start a 4-0 run that gave the 49ers a lead they would never lose in the fourth set, winning 25-21.

Mackie led the Beach with 15 kills and five blocks; Alex Reid followed with a double-double with 11 kills and 16 digs, and Ashley Murray with nine kills and four blocks. Hudson also finished with a double-double of 40 assists and 14 digs. Tyler Jackson led the night with 24 digs.

UCI’s Cassidy Pickrell led the match with 21 kills while Allison Lee followed with 17.

The 49ers held CSUF (6-8, 0-2) to 15 points or less and a .174 hitting percentage in the 49ers sweep.

LBSU trailed just twice in the whole match, both 0-1 at the start of the second and third set after the Titans struck first.

The Beach’s Chisom Okpala put on a near perfect performance as she led the match with 10 kills out of 11 attempts, giving her a .909 hitting percentage. Ashley Murray had six kills and led the Beach with four blocks. Sophie Bukovec had five kills and two solo blocks.

The 49ers showed dominant offense and defense, leading with a .346 hitting percentage and 14 blocks, and limiting the Titans to just five blocks.

LBSU is hitting almost 2.4 blocks per set, which ranks third in the Big West Conference behind Cal State Northridge (2.90/set) and Hawai’I (2.49/set). The 49ers are also ranked second in kills with 14.18 per set and hitting percentage of .228 per set.

The Beach will take on CSUN (11-3, 2-0) this Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Walter Pyramid.

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