Long Beach State University
10-8, 7-8
UCLA
10-7, 6-7
Beach Wins Five-Set Battle at No. 9 UCLA
3/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - In its first five-set match of the year, the 10th-ranked Long Beach State men's volleyball team defeated No. 9 UCLA, 20-25, 25-23, 27-25, 23-25, 15-11, Friday evening at Pauley Pavilion.
The Beach (10-8, 7-8 MPSF) completed the season series sweep as it also topped the Bruins, 3-1, at the Walter Pyramid on Feb. 4.
Juniors Dan Glamack and John La Rusch led the way as they each recorded their first career double-double. Glamack finished with 15 kills and 12 digs, while La Rusch had 14 kills and 12 digs.
Sophomore Curtis Stallings added his second-straight double-double and fourth of the year with 44 assists and 11 digs, to go along with six blocks. Sophomore Eric Ensing contributed a career-high 10 kills and eight digs, and classmate Bryce Yould had nine kills and seven blocks. Freshman Bjarne Nikolai Huus totaled a team-best 15 digs.
There were six ties and four lead changes early in the first set before UCLA broke a 10-10 deadlock with a 13-6 run to pull ahead, 23-16. LBSU sided out and senior Chris van Vuuren followed with an ace to start a 4-1 spurt, but the Bruins were able to hold on for the 25-20 victory.
After trading points to start set two, UCLA would take a 10-7 lead behind a couple of aces from Christian Hessenauer. The Beach called a timeout and responded with an 8-2 run, capped by a Yould kill, to turn the tables and go up, 15-12. LBSU stayed out front and held a 22-19 advantage, but the Bruins reeled off four unanswered to reclaim the edge at 23-22. The 49ers then made the final push as they scored the last three points with a double block by Yould and Glamack ending it at 25-23.
It was another close one in the third frame as neither team led by more than three. Long Beach State fell behind late, but battled back from a 21-18 deficit to even the score at 21-21. UCLA sided out and went on to take set point at 24-23, before a couple of unforced errors gave the Beach a 25-24 lead. The Bruins held off the set point before Yould and Ensing answered with back-to-back kills for the 27-25 win.
In the fourth set, LBSU went on top, 11-8, on a kill from junior Taylor Gregory. UCLA answered with three-straight points to even the playing field and seven more tie scores would follow before the Bruins made a late push for the 24-21 advantage. The 49ers staved off two set points, but the home team was able to put down the final kill for the 25-23 victory.
Long Beach State never trailed in the final set as it took an early two-point lead with a kill by Yould and a solo block by La Rusch. The Bruins knotted it up at 4-4 and 6-6 before the Beach went on a 6-2 run for a 12-8 cushion. LBSU stayed in control and pulled away with the 15-11 win.
UCLA (10-7, 6-7 MPSF) struggled throughout the night as it committed 25 service errors and 28 hitting errors. J.T. Hatch paced the Bruins with 23 kills, while Hessenauer finished with 20 kills and 14 digs.
Long Beach State will take a break from its MPSF schedule next week as it hosts the Asics Tournament, March 13-14. The 49ers will entertain Harvard on Friday and Penn State on Saturday.
