Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
12-3, 3-1
Cal Poly
9-7, 4-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly | 25 | 23 | 22 | 25 | 9 | 2 |
| Long Beach State | 23 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 15 | 3 |
Beach Topples No. 22 Cal Poly At Home
10/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 10, 2008
Long Beach, Calif. - Behind four players in double-digit kills, Long Beach State (12-3) defeated No. 22 Cal Poly (9-7) 23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 15-9 in front of a raucous 1,493 in the Walter Pyramid Friday night. Caitlin Ledoux led the 49ers with a career-high 20 kills and 12 digs while Nicole Vargas added 55 assists and 20 digs for The Beach.
Tied at one-set apiece, a three-point swing in the third set was a key turning point in the match, even though the original swing went in Cal Poly's favor. The Mustangs had taken an 11-8 lead, and moved ahead after a close line call was argued vehemently enough by the 49ers to warrant a red card, taking a potentially 13-11 score to 15-10 with the swing. Instead of folding with the misfortune, Long Beach State instead rallied, tying the set at 17 before moving ahead 19-17 on the way to a 25-22 win.
Cal Poly responded with a dominant win in set four, never trailing as the match went to a deciding final set. The Mustangs scored first, taking a 1-0 lead, but a block by Cat Highmark and an ace from Nicole Vargas helped the 49ers take a 5-1 lead. The 49ers locked down the set after the turn, as Long Beach State won a long rally following a spectacular dig by Iris Murray on a Highmark kill, and the momentum carried on the way to a 15-9 win in the final set.
A well-played match from both teams, the 49ers just edged the Mustangs in hitting at .240 to .239, but made 11 more digs on the match to help offset the difference. The 49ers had 82 total in the match, and had two players with more than twenty digs, led by LBSU libero Murray who finished with 27 digs.
Cal Poly's Ali Waller had 20 kills and defending Big West Player of the Year Kylie Atherstone added 19, but the 49ers had plenty of offense themselves, led by Caitlin Ledoux's 20 kills. Quincy Verdin finished with 17 kills, Naomi Washington had 13 kills on .476 hitting and Highmark finished with 10 kills after entering the game at the end of the second set.
Long Beach State continues their homestand tomorrow night against UC Santa Babrara. First serve against the Gauchos is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Walter Pyramid.
