Long Beach State University
12-9, 8-8
California Baptist
6-15, 2-13
LBSU Men's Volleyball Sweeps Cal Baptist in MPSF Action
3/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
LONG BEACH - The ninth-ranked Long Beach State men's volleyball team picked up its eighth sweep of the season with a 25-23, 25-19, 25-22 win over Cal Baptist in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation action Wednesday evening at the Walter Pyramid.
The Beach improved to 12-9 overall and evened its conference record at 8-8, while the Lancers dropped to 6-15, 2-13 MPSF.
Junior John La Rusch led the 49ers with 10 kills, four digs and two aces. Junior Taylor Gregory also finished with six kills on .400 hitting, while racking up a match-high eight blocks.
Sophomore Eric Ensing added nine kills and four digs and junior Dan Glamack contributed six kills, five digs and five blocks. Sophomore Curtis Stallings also totaled 32 assists, six digs and four blocks.
The first set was a game of runs that featured six tie scores and three lead changes. The Lancers pulled ahead midway through the stanza as a 6-2 spurt gave them a 13-9 advantage. Long Beach State then answered with a 7-2 run of its own to reclaim the edge at 16-15. The Beach stayed out front until CBU tied it up at 18-18, but the home team proceeded to take set point at 24-21. Cal Baptist came back with a couple of points, forcing LBSU to call a timeout, and the break in action paid off as CBU missed its serve to give the 49ers the 25-23 win.
Long Beach State took an early 5-2 lead on a double block from Gregory and Stallings in set two. The Lancers eventually evened the score at 10-10, but LBSU then reeled off three-straight points. Cal Baptist was able to close the gap to one before the Beach closed out the frame on a 10-5 run for the 25-19 victory.
It went back-and-forth in the third set until the 49ers scored three unanswered and went on top, 10-7, following a La Rusch kill. The Lancers then turned the tables with an 8-2 run as they took a 15-12 lead. CBU held on to that lead and pulled ahead, 20-17, before LBSU knotted the score at 20-20 on an ace from La Rusch. After trading points, the Beach then turned it up a notch, scoring the final three points to take the set and match at 25-22.
Roy Powell paced the Lancers with 12 kills, while Kevin Kustura had a match-high 17 digs.
Long Beach State is back in action on Friday, March 20, when it welcomes No. 7 USC to the Walter Pyramid for a 7 p.m. MPSF showdown.
