Cal Poly Escapes with 3-2 Win
Mustangs Fight off two LBSU Match Points to Secure Victory
September 30, 2006 Box Score
LONG BEACH, CA -- The 20th-ranked Cal Poly Mustangs escaped the Walter Pyramid with a 3-2 win over host Long Beach State on Saturday night in Big West Conference action. Game scores were 30-20, 30-19, 20-30, 35-37, 17-15 in favor of the Mustangs.
Long Beach State fell to 10-4, 1-1 in Big West play, while Cal Poly improved to 11-4, 3-0 in league action.
Alicia Waller and Kylie Atherstone led Cal Poly with a combined 48 kills. The Mustangs out-blocked LBSU 23-9.
Mischa Hasalikova had 18 kills to lead Long Beach State in the losing effort. Alexis Crimes had 16 kills and Dyanne Lawlor chipped in with 14 kills to lead LBSU. Nicole Vargas had 69 assists and 13 digs. Talaya Whitfield registered career-highs in kills (nine) and digs (22).
Cal Poly used a .378 attack percentage and six total team blocks to come away with a 30-20 game one victory. The Mustangs jumped out to an early 4-1 lead after a Waller kill, forcing LBSU to call a timeout. CP pushed its lead to 17-10 after a Kylie Atherstone kill, and held its biggest lead at 28-16 after a 49er attack error. Long Beach State could not overcome a poor offensive output, hitting just .054 for the stanza. Waller had six kills for the Mustangs.
The Mustangs continued to pour it on offensively, registering a .469 attack percentage en route to a 30-19 game two victory. Waller tallied another six kills in the set to raise her match total to 12. The 49ers kept it close in the game, before Cal Poly widened the scoring gap to 16-10 after an Atherstone kill. Long Beach State pulled to within 23-16 after a Mariko Crum kill, before Cal Poly closed out The Beach with a 7-3 run.
Long Beach State prevented a sweep and stayed alive with a 30-20 game three victory. The 49ers were much better offensively with a .378 attack percentage. Talaya Whitfield registered four kills and an ace to spark the rally. LB jumped out to a 9-4 lead after a Whitfield kill, and quickly increased the lead to 11 (20-9) after a Dyanne Lawlor kill. The Mustangs never posed a serious threat to the 49er lead, as a Lawlor kill ended the game.
The 49ers fought to stay alive in the match and forced a fifth and deciding game with a 37-35 game four victory. Long Beach State fought off three match points, and eventually tied the game at 35-35 after a Cal Poly attack error. A second consecutive attack error, followed by a Hasalikova kill proved true for LBSU to cap off the game four victory.
Cal Poly fought off two match points (14-12, 14-13) to tie the fifth set at 14-14 after a 49er attack error, and won the game, 17-15 after a block by Jaclyn Houston.
Long Beach State returns to action next Tuesday vs. CS Northridge at 7 pm from the Walter Pyramid. |
