Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
12-6, 6-2Big West
Pacific
13-8, 4-4Big West
Middle blocking sends Long Beach State past Pacific
10/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 15, 2011
Long Beach, Calif. - Freshman Alma Serna finished with a career-high 12 kills and had six blocks, while sophomore Haleigh Hampton had 12 kills and nine blocks as Long Beach State defeated Pacific in four sets 25-16, 23-25, 25-20, 25-17 on Saturday night.
Hampton and Serna led the 49ers to 16 total blocks on the night, as the 49ers increased on their Big West-best average of 3.06 blocks per set.
Long Beach State had four hitters in double-figures in kills as setter Erin Juley distributed the ball in a balanced offensive night. Caitlin Ledoux and Delainey Aigner-Swesey each had 14 kills, while Serna and Hampton added 12 each in .272 hitting for the 49ers. Ledoux captured her fourth double-double of the season, tying for the team lead in digs with Lauren Minkel, as the pair each had 13.
Long Beach State got started early with the blocking, as Aigner-Swesey and Hampton picked up the second block in the early part of the set to take a 5-1 lead. The 49ers continued to push courtesy of their play at the net, as the fourth block of the set gave LBSU a 12-5 lead courtesy of Alma Serna and Bre Mackie. A cut shot from Ledoux put the 49ers in front 21-12, and Long Beach State grabbed the win 25-16.
A Gabby Cowden ace, and a Jennifer Sanders kill put the Tigers out in front early in set two 4-2. Long Beach State took back the lead at 9-8 on an attack error from Samantha Misa, and extended the lead to two at 14-12 with a Hampton ace. Long Beach State took over with a four-point run to take an 18-13 lead, but Pacific slowly climbed back into the set. Two 49er errors brought the score even at 21-21, and Megan Birch scored two straight kills to give Pacific their second lead at 23-22. Hampton held off the first set point with a kill, but Misa answered from the back row to give Pacific a 25-23 set two win.
Pacific grabbed an early lead in the third set, maintaining the momentum from their late charge in the second set and using a couple of 49er miscures to take an 8-6 lead. The Tigers held off the 49ers for the majority set, but with Pacific leading 17-14, Long Beach State finally made their run. Picking up a sideout, the 49ers pushed a point, and then a kill from Ledoux in the back row gave the 49ers the lead back at 18-17. Long Beach State picked up two more points in a six-point run, and closed out the set with a three point run for a 25-20 win.
The big block set the tone of the final set, as Hampton and Mackie, followed by Hampton and Juley shut down two straight attempts from the Tigers on the way to an early lead. The 49ers moved ahead 5-1 on a spectacular sidearm swing from Ledoux. An Erin Juley ace put the 49ers on top by five, and the 49ers eventually took a 15-9 lead following a bad set from Hannah Clancy. Pacific made one final push to pull to within two at 15-13. Long Beach State picked up a sideout from Ledoux, and pushed back out to a five-point lead behind an error from Jennifer Sanders at 18-13 on the way to a 25-17 win to seal the match.
With the win, Long Beach State went 3-0 in its latest homestand, and has now won four straight matches. The 49ers will hit the road next week, travelling to Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara as LBSU starts its second run through the conference. Long Beach State will start with the Mustangs on Friday, October 21 at 7 p.m.
