Long Beach State University
Irvine Valley College
Long Beach State Opens Beach Volleyball Season With Two Wins
3/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball
Long Beach, Calif. - Opening the season at home, No. 7 Long Beach State lived up the challenge of opening the season in the Top 10, picking up two 5-0 sweeps against Irvine Valley College and CSU Bakersfield.
Long Beach State (2-0) opened up the day by hosting Irvine Valley (0-2), and won all five matches in straight sets to open the day. 18 kills for Rachel Nieto helped her and Nele Barber defeat Ka'awaloa/Sassman in the top flight, 21-7, 21-10 as the pair continued to play at No. 1.
Sasha Karelov made her beach debut with Kobi Pekich at No. 2, and Karelov finished with 19 kills in her first match as the pair defeated Lucee Fitzgerald and Brittany Tuliau 21-13, 21-8.
Two other debutantes also won against the Lasers, as Heather Weiss and Morea Wagner combined for a 21-11, 21-7 win over Holder/Salaya at No. 3, and Hannah Matt won against her former teammates by pairing with Zoi Konstantopoulou for a 21-13, 21-10 win over Blervins/Brogan.
Ariana Garner and Ciana Wagner closed out the sweep with a 21-11, 21-7 victory over Riden/Millerd at No. 5.
In match two, Long Beach State again was in command despite making two lineup changes. Anete Brinke played with Konstantopoulou at No. 4, where the pair defeated Manzanares/Busler 21-10, 21-7. Then at No. 5, Long Beach State played Jenelle Hudson and Megan Kruidhof, who defeated Ally Barber and Kayla Tinker of CSU Bakersfield (1-1) 21-5, 21-7.
The pairs in the top three flights remained unchanged, as did their dominant performances in three straight set wins over the Roadrunners to open the season 2-0.
No. 7 Long Beach State will return to the LBSU Sand Courts to host another three-way dual next week on Tuesday, March 7, against Cal State Los Angeles and No. 9 Stetson.
#7 Long Beach State 5, Irvine Valley College 0
1) Nele Barber/Rachel Nieto, LBSU def. Taira Ka'awaloa/Ally Sassman, IVC 21-7, 21-10
2) Sasha Karelov/Kobi Pekich, LBSU def. Lucee Fitzgerald/Brittany Tuliau, IVC 21-13, 21-8
3) Morea Wagner/Heather Weiss, LBSU def. Hannah Holder/Hannah Salaya, IVC 21-11, 21-7
4) Zoi Konstantopoulou/Hannah Matt, LBSU def. Alyssa Blevins/Diamond Brogan, IVC 21-13, 21-10
5) Ariana Garner/Ciana Wagner, LBSU def. Hailee Riden/Jacuqi Millerd, IVC 21-11, 21-7
#7 Long Beach State 5, CSU Bakersfield 0
1) Nele Barber/Rachel Nieto, LBSU def. Carol Grasso/Sara Little, CSUB 21-8, 21-11
2) Sasha Karelov/Kobi Pekich, LBSU def. Jocelyn Rodriguez/Ashley Prater, CSUB 21-8, 21-6
3) Heather Weiss/Morea Wagner, LBSU def. Sarah Garrow/Mattison DeGarmo, CSUB 21-13, 21-11
4) Anete Brinke/Zoi Konstantopoulou, LBSU def. Hannah Manzanares/Madisen Busler, CSUB 21-10, 21-7
5) Jenelle Hudson/Megan Kruidhof, LBSU def. Ally Barber/Kayla Tinker, CSUB 21-5, 21-7
