LBSU FACES #1 PEPPERDINE; USC PDF VERSION of this RELEASE
14-7, 8-6 MPSF
Home: 9-3 • Away: 3-3 • Neutral: 2-1
No. 4 AVCA Quickly:
The No. 4 ranked Long Beach State men's volleyball team (14-7, 8-6) travels to #1 ranked Pepperdine (16-2, 14-1) on Thursday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m., then faces USC (5-18, 2-13) on Saturday at 7:00 at USC. LBSU has won six straight matches, and have hit .400 or better as a team in five out of thier last six matches. The match versus Pepperdine will be live on Thursday at the following link:
http://www.pepperdine.edu/athletics/yahoo.mvb.htm Waves 411:
Pepperdine overcame a slow start to defeat UC San Diego by scores of 26-30, 30-21, 30-20, 30-27 in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) match played Saturday night at Firestone Fieldhouse. The top-ranked Waves won their third consecutive match and improved to 16-2 overall and 14-1 in MPSF play. UC San Diego drops to 5-16 overall and 1-15 in league action. Junior outside hitter Fred Winters collected a team-best total of 18 kills to pace the Waves. Sophomore outside hitter Sean Rooney totaled 17 kills and eight digs, while sophomore outside hitter Mike Gledhill contributed 11 kills, seven digs and six total blocks. Trojans 411:
USC went 0-2 in the Beach Bash at The Pyramid (3/14-15), losing to Penn State, 3-2, and Ball State, 3-1. Mark Dusharme leads the Trojans with 3.44 kills per game. Recapping the Week:
Beach Bash Tournament
vs. Penn State • 3/15
Tournament MVP Scott Touzinsky led all scorers with a match-high 21 kills for a .548 hitting percentage. The trio of Jeff Wootton, David Lee, and Robert Tarr all had nine kills each. Lee also added a team-best six blocks. As a team, LBSU hit .451 for the match, making it the fifth time in six matches that the 49ers have hit .400 or better. Setter Tyler Hildebrand chipped in with a match-high 49 assists. The Beach also limited its errors, only committing 13 for the entire match.
vs. Ball State • 3/14
Five players led the 49ers in double-figure kills, including Jeff Wootton, who posted a match-best 19 kills for a .455 hitting percentage. Scott Touzinsky added 18 kills and six blocks, while David Lee contributed 16 kills, five digs, and seven blocks. Duncan Budinger and Robert Tarr combined for 23 kills to highlight the top 49er scoring. As a team, LBSU hit over .403 for the match, making it the fourth time in five matches that they have hit .400 or better. Tyler Hildebrand, the nation's leader in assists per game, registered a match-high 68.
News & Notes: Breaking Down the Streak:
LBSU has won six straight matches, its longest streak of the season...three have been 3-0 sweeps, and three have been 3-1 victories...The 49ers have hit .400 or better in five out of its last six matches...four or more players have registered double-digits in kills in six out of the last eight matches.
Tourney MVP:
Scott Touzinsky was named the Beach Bash Tournament MVP after registering 39 kills over two matches (5.571 kills/g). Jeff Wootton was named to the All-Tournament Team as well.
Breaking 900:
Junior Scott Touzinsky has recorded 236 kills over his last 12 matches and leads the team averaging 4.44 kills per game. He registered his 900th career kill vs. Penn State on March 15. He recorded his 800th career kill at Stanford, one month earlier on Feb. 14. Three other 49ers have hit for 900 or more kills: Robert Kutsch -966; John Brajevic -950; Alan Knipe -946. Touzinsky currently has 917 career kills, and needs just 83 more kills to become just the 12th player in the program's history to break 1,000 career kills.
Hildebrand Breaks 1,000:
Setter Tyler Hildebrand broke the century mark at the Beach Bash, and moved past Jason Stimpfig for No. 2 all-time for a frosh registering his 1,000th assist vs. Penn State (3/15). His 1,051 assists this season are are currently the second highest in the program's history for a freshman (Chris Seiffert - 1,578 (‘97); Tyler Hildebrand - 1,051 (‘03); Jason Stimpfig - 1,043 (‘90). They are the only freshmen in school history to record 1,000 or more assists.
Budinger's Clip:
Freshman Duncan Budinger's .435 hitting percentage (thru 21 matches) is currently the third highest attack percentage for a freshman in school history (Brett Winslow - .445 (‘98); Dustin McCappin - .440 (‘00).
Lee Moves up to 5th All-Time
Registering a .463 hitting percentage this season, David Lee has moved up to 5th place all-time for career hitting percentage at .396, passing Gaby Amar. Furthermore, Lee tied a career-high 22 kills versus Pepperdine on Jan. 31.
Heading Towards 600:
David Lee (588 career kills) needs 12 more to reach his 600th career kill. Lee is averaging 2.96 kills per game this season.
Wootton's Way:
Junior co-captain Jeff Wootton established new career-bests in kills (29), and hitting percentage (.533) in the 3-1 victory over Stanford on 1/11. Wootton (29-5-45) finished the match with nine digs and five block assists. This season, Wootton has recorded double-digits in kills 15 times. In fact he has had 20 or more kills four times this season. He scored his first double-double of the season after registering 22 kills and 10 digs versus USC on Jan. 28. He is second on the team, averaging 3.62 kills per game this season.
Triple Threat:
Jeff Wootton, Scott Touzinsky, and David Lee have combined for 867 of the team's 1359 total kills this season (64%).
Fab Fresh:
Head coach Alan Knipe is receiving solid contributions from his three freshman in the line-up. Duncan Budinger has filled up the middle, averaging 2.19 kills per game. He set a personal-best 15 kills in the 3-1 victory over Stanford on 2/14, and is second on the team with a .435 hitting pct. Tyler Hildebrand has been a steady force at the setter position, averaging a conference-best 14.80 assists per game. Hildebrand also set a personal-best 79 assists versus Pepperdine on Jan. 31. Knipe inserted freshman Robert Tarr into the line-up for the first time this season versus UOP on 2/12. Tarr recorded a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs in his LBSU debut. Tarr then recorded 21 kills and five digs versus Stanford the following night on 2/14. Tarr is already averaging 3.82 kills and 1.39 digs per game, and has recorded double-digits in kills seven times.
Touzinsky Joins Elite Company:
Scott Touzinsky, who has recorded at least one or more service aces in 15 out the 21 matches this season, joined Brent Hilliard as the only other player in Long Beach State history to record 100 or more service aces. Touzinsky, who has 24 aces this season, has compiled 110 career aces, 22 away from tying Hilliard.
Leading the Nation:
Moreover, Hildebrand leads the Nation (as of 3/6) in assists per game (14.80).
Other Nat'l Leaders (As of 3/6):
David Lee ranks No. 7 in Hitting Pct. (.463) ... Duncan Budinger ranks No. 12 (.435) ... Scott Touzinsky ranks No. 11 in kills per game (4.44) ... Phillip White ranks No. 9 in digs per game (2.40)...Lee ranks No. 17 in blocks per game (1.24)
MPSF Extras:
As a team, LBSU has set MPSF highs in Assists (84), Kills (89), and Digs (65) vs. Pepperdine on 1/31...Individually, Hildebrand's 79 assists versus the Waves are an MPSF best this season, as well. |
