Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
2-2
Idaho
1-3
Defense Dominates The Night, Beach Tops Idaho In Four
9/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
| Highlight Video courtesy of GazettesSports.com
LONG BEACH, Calif. - A stingy Long Beach State defense led the women's volleyball team to a four-set win over Idaho in its home-opener on Saturday night. The Beach (2-2) had six more blocks and 22 more digs in the 25-18, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20 win.
While three 49ers hit double digit digs in the debut of the new court inside Walter Pyramid, it was the defensive number that popped off the page after all was said and done. Four players had at least 13 digs and the front row players set up their biggest block of the season.
While the match provided plenty of highlights, the highlight of the night came when head coach Brian Gimmillaro and men's volleyball head coach Alan Knipe honored local volleyball hero Bill Lovelace between sets two and three. The Beach also launched a $30,000 campaign in Lovelace's honor to name the sand volleyball courts after him. If you would like to donate to the honor, please click here.
Jenelle Hudson put together the first double-double of the season with 44 assists and 19 digs. Senior libero Tyler Jackson put up 18 digs and fellow senior Chelsea Cabrajac added in 15 to go along with a pair of aces. Junior Lindsey Lawmaster had 13 digs.
At the net, Bre Mackie and Sophie Bukovec seemed to be a brick wall at points. Mackie had seven total blocks, including two solo, and Bukovec was in on five block assists. The Beach had 13 blocks with three coming consecutively in decisive fourth set.
The Beach led the Vandals (1-3) for most of the first set but didn't get separation from the visitors until late. The 49ers only trailed when Ali Forde's kill put Idaho up 8-7 early on. Chisom Okpala led the attack with five of her 13 kills in the set, including three late kills that grew an 18-16 lead into a 24-17 lead.
Mackie dominated the net in the second set and brought the Beach back from an 8-5 hole. Mackie had four kills, two blocks and an ace as that 8-5 hole turned into an 11-9 advantage. Idaho battled the whole set and didn't allow the Beach to go one a run but eventually fell in the set with another one of Long Beach's four blocks clinching the set.
Idaho came out of the break with a hot hand and hit .310 in the third set to avoid the sweep. Katelyn Peterson had four of her team-high 12 kills in the set and Stephanie Hagins had four of her nine. The Beach stayed close with five of their seven aces coming in the set and nearly climbed back from a 20-16 deficit before Hagins clinched the set with a kill.
The Vandals built another 3-0 lead in the fourth set and stayed mostly out in front until late. Idaho seemed to have an answer in every big moment early on. A couple of long rallies went the way of Long Beach State with Alex Reid putting away an over pass and Hudson dropping an attack in the corner but a Meredith Coba kill and Idaho block brought the Vandals right back. Three Beach blocks in a row put LBSU up 13-12 and again the Vandals responded with a kill.
At 20-20 Long Beach State had enough as Bre Mackie and Sophie Bukovec scored the last five points consecutively to grab the win. Both put down a pair of kills and combined for a block out of a timeout to put the match away.
The Beach hit .201 in the match and held Idaho to .167 hitting. The 49ers put up 86 digs compared to Idaho's 64.
The Beach is back on the floor tomorrow for two matches, starting with the 11 a.m. match against Campbell.
