49ers Beat UCI

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

#2 Long Beach State

#1 UC Irvine

UCI Kill Leader: Jablonsky (12)
LBSU Kill Leader: Hutton (22)
Box Score

Thursday, April 27

Irvine, Calif.

7:00 p.m.

Long Beach State University

UC Irvine

4/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball

49ers Advance to MPSF Championship Match
Long Beach Ends Irvine's 21-Match Win Streak
April 27, 2006

IRVINE, CA-- The No. 2-ranked Long Beach State men's volleyball team swept the No. 1-ranked UC Irvine Anteaters and advanced to play the UCLA Bruins in the MPSF Championship match on Saturday night at 7:00 pm from the Bren Center.

The 49ers have now advanced to the MPSF championship match three straight seasons (2004-06).

Game scores were 30-26, 30-20, 30-23. Long Beach State improved to 23-9, while UCI fell to 27-4. The loss also snapped Irvine's 21-match win streak.

Norm Hutton pounded out a match-high 22 kills for a .562 attack percentage, while adding two service aces, four digs, and two blocks. Robert Tarr checked in with 15 kills, eight digs, and four blocks. Tyler Hildebrand directed the 49er offense to a .444 attack percentage (57-13-99) and netted 46 assists and seven digs. Duncan Budinger registered a match-high nine blocks, to go along with six kills.

LBSU outblocked Irvine, 11.5-7. Jayson Jablonsky posted 12 kills in the losing effort for UCI.

"Our guys really scrapped tonight," said Head Coach Alan Knipe. "We talked about second and third efforts tonight. We hit well, blocked balls and played good defense. We needed to keep the pressure on them throughout. UCI is a good team and we didn't want to give them a chance to come back."

The 49ers broke open a tight game one with a 4-1 run to close out a 30-26 win. Leading 26-25, the 49ers got back-to-back kills from Tarr and Lotman to take a 28-25 advantage. After a 49er service error and another kill by Tarr, Budinger ended the game with a block on Aaron Harrell. The 49ers hit .368 (18-4-38) in the game as Hutton led the way with seven kills. The 49ers recorded 6.5 team blocks as Budinger had five and Tarr four. UCI hit .189 (15-8-37) in the game.

Game two was all Long Beach State as the 49ers jumped to leads of 11-5 and 14-7 before finally prevailing 30-20. Hutton added eight more kills in the game and Long Beach hit .531 (22-5-32).

The 49ers unlocked an 8-8 score in the third set with a 4-0 run before Irvine stormed back to tie the game at 16-16. But it was all Long Beach State from there after a 4-1 run (Hutton kill) gave LBSU the 20-17 advantage. Hutton ended the match with his 22nd kill.

UCLA defeated Pepperdine in the earlier semifinal match, 3-0.


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