No. 9 Long Beach State Picks up a Pair of Wins on First Day of Belmont Shore Challenge

Friday, March 22

Long Beach, Calif.

12:00 PM

Long Beach State University

Washington

No. 9 Long Beach State Picks up a Pair of Wins on First Day of Belmont Shore Challenge

3/22/2019 5:42:00 PM | Women's Beach Volleyball

The Beach defeated Washington and Nebraska to go 2-0

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

@LBSUBeachVB picked up a pair of 4-1 wins on the first day of the Belmont Shore Challenge. Hear her head coach Mike Campbell has to say about the team's performance #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/WbQMQd92Ox
— LB Beach Volleyball (@LBSUBeachVB) March 23, 2019

LONG BEACH, Calif. – No. 9 Long Beach State earned a pair of 4-1 victories on Friday afternoon at the Belmont Shore Challenge at Rosie's Dog Beach as the Beach defeated both Washington and Nebraska on the opening day of the tournament.

The Beach have now won four of their last five matches as they improve to 8-4 on the year, while the Huskies fall to 4-4, and the Huskers drop to 12-10.

LBSU and Washington opened the Belmont Shore Challenge on a sunny day at the Beach that saw Long Beach State pick up wins at courts 1, 2, 4, and 5.

Playing at No. 1, Nicci Reinking and Zoi Konstantopoulou took the match, 21-15, 21-14, while Mari Molina and Megan Kruidhof earned a 21-11, 21-7 win at No. 2. Tyler Spriggs and Alexis Patterson defeated Kyra Peterson and Callie Weber at No. 4, 21-16, 21-17, before the duo of Claire Newlander and Sophie Major won, 21-14, 21-13 at No. 5.

The Beach's lone set loss of the match came at No. 3 as Kendra Koelsch and Sydney Stevens battled Cat McCoy and Sam Drechsel to three sets before falling, 21-15, 20-22, 12-15.

Long Beach State came back a few hours later and went head to head with Nebraska. By the late afternoon, the wind picked up and both teams had to battle the strong gusts on the beach.

LBSU swept through flights 1, 2, 3, and 5 never dropping a set. The tandem of Molina and Kruidhof picked up a commanding victory at No. 2, defeating Nebraska's pair of Kenzie Knuckles and Jazz Sweet, 21-9, 21-8.

Leading 4-0, Long Beach State gathered at court No. 4 to watch the battle between Tyler Spriggs/Kenzie Holtz and Hailey Densberger/Anezka Szabo. Spriggs and Holtz took the first set, 21-19, but came up short in the second, 21-18. The pairs fought each other point for point, but the Huskers came out on top 18-16 to take the set.

Long Beach State will continue action at the Belmont Shore Challenge on Saturday, March 23 as the Beach go up against Stanford at 11 a.m., before facing off against Colorado Mesa at noon.

No. 9 Long Beach State 4, Washington 1

Nicci Reinking/Zoi Konstantopoulou (LBSU) def. Destiny Julye/Kristen Gengenbacher (UW), 21-15, 21-14
Mari Molina/Megan Kruidhof (LBSU) def. Shayne McPherson/Kara Bajema (UW), 21-11, 21-17
Cat McCoy/Sam Drechsel (UW) def. Kendra Koelsch/Sydney Stevens (LBSU), 15-21, 22-20, 15-12
Tyler Spriggs/Alexis Patterson (LBSU) def. Kyra Peterson/Callie Weber (UW), 21-16, 21-17
Claire Newlander/Sophie Major (LBSU) def. Emma Calle/Chloe Newton (UW), 21-14, 21-13

No. 9 Long Beach State 4, Nebraska 1

Nicci Reinking/Zoi Konstantopoulou (LBSU) def. Lauren Stivrins/Nicklin Hames (NEB), 21-14, 21-17
Mari Molina/Megan Kruidhof (LBSU) def. Kenzie Knuckles/Jazz Sweet (NEB), 21-9. 21-8
Kendra Koelsch/Sydney Stevens (LBSU) def. Mari Kurkova/Madi Kubik (NEB), 21-13, 21-11
Hailey Densberger/Anezka Szabo (NEB) def. Tyler Spriggs/Kenzie Holtz (LBSU), 19-21, 21-18, 18-16
Claire Newlander/Sophie Major (LBSU) def. Callie Schwarzenbach/Megan Miller (NEB), 21-14, 21-13