Long Beach State University
12-17, 8-14MPSF
USC
16-12, 13-9MPSF
LBSU ends season with 3-0 loss to USC
4/17/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
April 17, 2010
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Dean Bittner led Long Beach State with 11 kills but it wasn't enough as the 49ers' season ended with a 30-25, 30-25, 30-23 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation loss to USC Saturday in the Walter Pyramid.
Bittner was the only 49er to finish with double figure kills as the team struggled hitting just .174. USC hit a blistering .471 as a team. Murphy Troy led the Trojans with 16 kills on 30 swings for a .400 hitting percentage, while Tony Ciarelli added 11 kills on 22 swings for a .364 hitting percentage.
USC jumped all over LBSU in the first game and cruised to a win behind .536 hitting. The Trojans stormed out to a nine-point lead twice, 25-16 and 26-17. LBSU rallied scoring four straight points and eight of the next nine to climb within 27-24 but USC closed the door on a Troy kill to win the game.
Troy paced the Trojans with six kills on 11 swings for a .455 hitting percentage. Bittner and Pestolesi led The Beach with four kills, while Bittner finished hitting .375. LBSU hit .321 as a team.
Long Beach State jumped out to an early 7-4 lead in game two, but USC climbed back to tie it at 12-12. The two teams traded points with neither team leading by more than one until USC took a 23-21 lead on a kill by Troy.
The Beach climbed within one at 23-22, but the Trojans scored the next two points to push the lead to three and finished scoring five of the last eight points to take a 2-0 lead.
USC continued to hit a blistering percentage on offense finishing the second game with a .522, while the 49ers struggled hitting just .182. Troy led the Trojans with seven kills on nine swings (.778), while Alexander was effective for LBSU with five kills on six swings (.833). Aguillard added four kills on seven swings, but Bittner was held to just two kills on 10 swings (-.300).
The Trojans wrapped up the win jumping out to an early 6-2 lead in game three and then cruising to the win. LBSU crept back to tie it at 12-12, but USC pulled away scoring eight of the next 12 points and LBSU could never get closer than four the rest of the way.
USC hit .382 in the final game, while LBSU struggled hitting just .032. Bittner had five kills to lead The Beach, while five Trojans had three or more assists in the game.
