Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
6-5
San José State
6-4
Beach Survives San Jose State in Five Sets
9/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
San Diego, Calif. - Long Beach State again needed five sets to decide a match, but the Beach came out on the right end of a 3-2 score line on Friday afternoon at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Playing their fourth five-set match in less than a week, the 49ers persevered to take down San Jose State, 22-25, 25-22, 25-28, 23-25, 15-12 at the University of San Diego. LBSU got back over the .500 mark, improving to 6-5 and ending a two-match losing streak. San Jose State drops to 6-4 with the defeat.
Leading the Beach again was senior Nele Barber, who has led Long Beach State in kills in every match this season. The senior posted her eighth double-double of the campaign with 18 kills and 11 digs. Ashley Murray had 13 kills, a career-high eight digs and five blocks. Sophomore Megan Kruidhof delivered season-highs with nine kills and nine digs on the outside.
The Beach got off to a good start with a 6-2 lead in the first game, but the Spartans battled back to tie the set at 13-13. LBSU edged out to a 17-14 lead on consecutive SJSU hitting errors, but San Jose State turned the tide quickly and decisively. Following a timeout, the Spartans went on a 6-0 run to go up 20-17, and they never relinquished that lead.
The second set remained close throughout, but freshman Morgan Dewyer was able to serve a key 5-0 run for the Beach, turning an 18-16 deficit into a 21-18 lead. Murray had a pair of kills and a block in that stretch, and it proved to be the difference. SJSU got within 23-22, but back-to-back kills from Barber and YiZhi Xue clinched the set and tied the match.
Kruidhof started set three and was an immediate difference-maker, recording six kills on nine swings in the third game. As a team, the Beach hit .371 in what was the most lopsided set of the match. Barber added five kills of her own and Anete Brinke had four of her six kills in the third. LBSU appeared poised to close out the match in the fourth, but LBSU couldn't maintain a 21-18 advantage. With both teams out of timeouts, the teams traded big runs at a key time. The 49ers won five straight to claim the 21-18 lead, but the Spartans immediately responded with a 6-0 run to reach set point at 24-21. The Beach survived the first two set points but the third time was a charm for SJSU to force a fifth set.
The teams tied at each of the first five points before the Beach edged out a 7-5 lead and forced a San Jose State timeout. SJSU took an 8-7 lead, but they would never hold a lead again after Murray put up a block and an ace to put the Beach in front for good.
Long Beach State faces a tough turnaround, facing No. 10 San Diego on their home court at 7 p.m. on Friday night to continue a busy weekend in the 619.
