Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach Cruises Past Pioneers In Tournament Opener
3/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
March 17, 2008
Long Beach, Calif. - DENVER, Colo. - Opening with the hosts of the Pioneer Classic in Denver, the 49ers won an easy 3-0 victory against Denver 30-25, 30-25, 30-24. Alexis Crimes and Michaela Hasalikova each finished with 11 kills to lead the 49ers. With the win, the 49ers improve to 4-4 on the year.
Running into a host Denver squad that pushed No. 17 Ohio to five games in the opening match of the day, Long Beach State took early control of all three games and finished with impressive offensive totals on the way to the sweep. The 49ers hit .272 over the match, led by Hasalikova at .500 (11-2-18), and had a balanced attack with Quincy Verdin, Naomi Washington and Ashley Lee joining Crimes and Hasalikova with over five kills. Nicole Vargas finished with her fourth double-double of the year, making 10 digs along with 30 assists.
As a team, the Beach also utilized what was a clear serving advantage, making nine aces led by three from Sarah Hudson, while the Pioneers were plagued additionally with nine service errors on the night. The 49ers also out-dug their opponent for the fifth time this season, led by 16 from Cynthia Buggs.
A slow start in the first game was the only trouble Long Beach State had on the night. The Pioneers opened the match with a 6-2 run, but the 49ers closed the gap to a tie at 10-10, and opened up a 21-16 lead before closing out the game. Game two featured a 10-3 start from the 49ers keyed by two Long Beach blocks, and while the Pioneers came all the way back to tie the game at 25, their momentum was stopped with an attack error by Kim Muller and the 49ers won four straight points to close out the second game. The final game was close early, but two separate 5-point rallies turned a 12-12 game into a 22-14 advantage, and the 49ers won their fourth match of the year with ease from there.
The tournament continues tomorrow with three matches. The 49ers will compete in the day's opener, taking on Washington State at 9 a.m. Pacific, and will return to face No. 17 Ohio in a match beginning a 4 p.m. The two-day event concludes with Denver playing Washington State in the nightcap.
