Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
Alberta
Men's Volleyball Opens Season With Exhibition Loss To Alberta
1/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
Jan. 2, 2009
Long Beach, Calif. - Dean Bittner led all hitters with 24 kills on .356 hitting, but the defending Canadian national champion Alberta Golden Bears defeated Long Beach State 24-30, 24-30, 27-30. The 49ers will get a second shot against Alberta tomorrow night at 6 p.m.
Joel Schmuland of Alberta led the Golden Bears with 16 kills on .400 hitting, while Justin Merta was a perfect five-for-five with no errors, together helping Alberta to .341 hitting on the night. Long Beach State was held to .206 hitting, as Bittner was by far the most effective attacker for The Beach.
Alberta opened the first set with a 4-1 run, and would never be threatened seriously in the set. Alberta opened a five-point cushion at 14-9 after a Spencer Leiske kill, and the 49ers would never cur the lead to less than three for the remainder of the set.
Long Beach State made their most serious run at the Golden Bears in the second set, taking a 9-7 lead on a four-point run led by a Jim Baughman service ace. Alberta responded with a run of its own, eventually taking a three point lead at 16-13. The 49ers would tie the score once more at 21, but Alberta would again push out to a 30-24 win, their second straight.
Set three was the closest of the three, featuring six lead changes, but .406 hitting from Alberta combined with a number of service errors for Long Beach State kept the 49ers from taking a set in the finale, a 30-27 loss. The 49ers finished with 18 service errors, and just 3 aces on the night.
The 49ers will get a second chance at Alberta tomorrow, facing the Golden Bears in the Walter Pyramid at 6 p.m. Long Beach State will then start the regular season at the UC Santa Barbara Tournament beginning on January 9.
