Tuesday, December 31
Toronto, Ontario
8:30 AM
Long Beach State University
3
vs
2
McMaster
Photo by: Mason Boroff
No. 4 LBSU Closes Out 2019, CanAm Volleyball Holiday Showcase with 3-2 Win Over McMaster
12/31/2019 11:46:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
Junior setter Carlos Rivera was named Player of the Game
TORONTO – The No. 4 Long Beach State men's volleyball team capped off the 2019 calendar year with a 3-2 [19-25, 25-20, 25-28. 12-25, 15-13] exhibition victory over McMaster on the final day of the CanAm Volleyball Holiday Showcase at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on Tuesday morning.
Junior setter Carlos Rivera was named Player of the Game after piloting the Beach to a five-set victory over the Marauders as Long Beach State hit nearly .300 in the match. Rivera also added three kills and six digs on the day.
Leading the offensive attack for the Beach was Spencer Olivier who recorded 10 kills, while adding eight digs. Simon Andersen (8 kills), Marc Moody (7 kills), Nate Harlan (7 kills), Ryan Poole (7 kills), and Ethan Siegfried (5 kills) also contributed for LBSU.
Defensively, freshman libero Mason Briggs turned in another solid showing in the back row as he collected 14 digs.
McMaster took an early lead in the opening set and extended that advantage to six (16-10) at the technical timeout. Long Beach State worked to whittle the Marauders' lead down to three (21-18), before McMaster claimed the first set, 25-19.
The Marauders started the second set up 5-2, but Long Beach State turned the three-point deficit into a 7-6 lead. From there, the game was a back-and-forth affair as the two teams traded points before the Beach opened up a three-point lead (20-17) over the Marauders. Olivier ended the set with a kill to give LBSU the 25-20 win and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set saw McMaster take a four-point lead, but once again, the Beach showed their resiliency and bounced back to tie the game 10-10 on a kill off the hands of Harlan. Long Beach State used a 6-0 run to take a 17-11 advantage that it would not relinquish as the Beach would go on to win the third set, 25-18.
Leading two sets to one, Long Beach State fell behind early in the fourth set (6-2) and was never able to recover. McMaster led by double digits and went on to win, 25-12, evening the match at two sets apiece to force a fifth and deciding set.
After McMaster took a quick lead over Long Beach State to start the fifth set, the Beach rallied to make it a one-point game (7-6). Long Beach State turned in a gritty effort and battled McMaster to an 11-11 tie, before the Beach took a 13-12 edge forcing a timeout by the Marauders. The break in action did little to stop LBSU as the Beach came back and earned the victory, 15-13.
The win over McMaster was the Beach's second victory of the day as Long Beach State started the morning with a scrimmage against Trinity Western in which the Beach took the first two sets by scores of 25-21, 25-18, before dropping the third set, 15-12.
In the scrimmage, the Beach were led by Alexander Anastassiades' 11 kills, while Gary Trejo got the start at setter and led the team with seven digs. Grant Guinasso got the starting nod at libero and collected five digs in the back row, while Anastassiades added four digs and posted three blocks in a solid outing for the Beach.
Also contributing offensively for the Beach in the scrimmage were Dawson Fugate, Nate Harlan, Gary Adams, and Grant Marocchi who each tallied four kills, while Mitchell Bollinger contributed three.
Anastassiades and Fugate were solid from the service line as well as the duo each notched a pair of aces, while Harlan added a service ace of his own.
Long Beach State will return to California to open the 2020 season at the UCSB Asics Invitational on Thursday, Jan. 9 against Benedictine at 8 p.m. After three matches in Santa Barbara against Benedictine, McKendree (Jan. 10), and Concordia (Jan. 11), the Beach will host No. 12 USC in the home opener on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid.
Junior setter Carlos Rivera was named Player of the Game after piloting the Beach to a five-set victory over the Marauders as Long Beach State hit nearly .300 in the match. Rivera also added three kills and six digs on the day.
Leading the offensive attack for the Beach was Spencer Olivier who recorded 10 kills, while adding eight digs. Simon Andersen (8 kills), Marc Moody (7 kills), Nate Harlan (7 kills), Ryan Poole (7 kills), and Ethan Siegfried (5 kills) also contributed for LBSU.
Defensively, freshman libero Mason Briggs turned in another solid showing in the back row as he collected 14 digs.
McMaster took an early lead in the opening set and extended that advantage to six (16-10) at the technical timeout. Long Beach State worked to whittle the Marauders' lead down to three (21-18), before McMaster claimed the first set, 25-19.
The Marauders started the second set up 5-2, but Long Beach State turned the three-point deficit into a 7-6 lead. From there, the game was a back-and-forth affair as the two teams traded points before the Beach opened up a three-point lead (20-17) over the Marauders. Olivier ended the set with a kill to give LBSU the 25-20 win and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set saw McMaster take a four-point lead, but once again, the Beach showed their resiliency and bounced back to tie the game 10-10 on a kill off the hands of Harlan. Long Beach State used a 6-0 run to take a 17-11 advantage that it would not relinquish as the Beach would go on to win the third set, 25-18.
Leading two sets to one, Long Beach State fell behind early in the fourth set (6-2) and was never able to recover. McMaster led by double digits and went on to win, 25-12, evening the match at two sets apiece to force a fifth and deciding set.
After McMaster took a quick lead over Long Beach State to start the fifth set, the Beach rallied to make it a one-point game (7-6). Long Beach State turned in a gritty effort and battled McMaster to an 11-11 tie, before the Beach took a 13-12 edge forcing a timeout by the Marauders. The break in action did little to stop LBSU as the Beach came back and earned the victory, 15-13.
The win over McMaster was the Beach's second victory of the day as Long Beach State started the morning with a scrimmage against Trinity Western in which the Beach took the first two sets by scores of 25-21, 25-18, before dropping the third set, 15-12.
In the scrimmage, the Beach were led by Alexander Anastassiades' 11 kills, while Gary Trejo got the start at setter and led the team with seven digs. Grant Guinasso got the starting nod at libero and collected five digs in the back row, while Anastassiades added four digs and posted three blocks in a solid outing for the Beach.
Also contributing offensively for the Beach in the scrimmage were Dawson Fugate, Nate Harlan, Gary Adams, and Grant Marocchi who each tallied four kills, while Mitchell Bollinger contributed three.
Anastassiades and Fugate were solid from the service line as well as the duo each notched a pair of aces, while Harlan added a service ace of his own.
Long Beach State will return to California to open the 2020 season at the UCSB Asics Invitational on Thursday, Jan. 9 against Benedictine at 8 p.m. After three matches in Santa Barbara against Benedictine, McKendree (Jan. 10), and Concordia (Jan. 11), the Beach will host No. 12 USC in the home opener on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid.
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