Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
12-3, 2-1
CSUN
5-13, 0-5
49ers Blow Past Matadors In Three
10/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 7, 2008
Long Beach, Calif. - Long Beach State found a return to form in dropping Cal State Northridge in their return to the Walter Pyramid on Tuesday. Caitlin Ledoux led a balanced 49er attack, as the Beach finished with three players with eight or more kills.
Along with their attack, guided by Nicole Vargas with 29 assists, the 49ers also were impressive defensively. Long Beach State put together 14 blocks, led by Ledoux and Naomi Washington who each finished with six total blocks. The Beach also made 51 digs in the three-set match, led by libero Iris Murray with 11.
Offensively, Ledoux led the way with 10 kills, while Washington finished with eight and Quincy Verdin added 8 for The Beach.
Cal State Northridge started the first set by taking an early lead, and held onto the opening advantage by being the first team to grab a two point lead at 10-8. Two Quincy Verdin blocks helped The Beach turn the tide, as the 49ers first tied the set at 11-11 and then regained the lead at 14-13. Two more 49er blocks led to a Cal State Northridge timeout, and a Matador overpass was put away by Ledoux as the 49ers grabbed a 20-17 lead. The 49ers then closed out the set by taking five of six points to win the opener 25-18.
The Matadors opened the second game with early momentum as well, as a close line call went their way and helped CS Northridge to an 8-4 lead. Long Beach State roared back in a set filled with runs, riding a pair of Washington kills to take five straight points and the lead at 9-8. The Matadors would tie the set at 11 with an answering run, but could not move over the top, and Long Beach State closed out the rest of the set on the way to a 25-21 win, again winning the battle at the net, finishing the first two sets with 11 blocks.
Long Beach State came out hot after the break, taking a 5-1 lead, but the Matadors would come back and take the lead at 8-6. Changing patterns from the first two sets, the back row play would play a larger role, as a number of long rallies would fall either way between the teams on the way to a 16-16 tie. Long Beach State would push their lead out to three points from there, and took the final set by a 25-21 margin. CSUN back 8-6.
Long Beach State stays at home this weekend, hosting two key conference matchups. On Friday night, the 49ers will host No. 22 Cal Poly in a matchup of two of the top teams in the conference, following by a Saturday night contest with traditional volleyball rival UC Santa Barbara. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m.
