Friday, February 24
Los Angeles, Calif.
10 a.m.
Long Beach State University
2
vs
3
Grand Canyon
No. 14 Beach Volleyball Suffers Pair of Tough Losses Against No. 6 GCU and No. 4 USC
2/24/2023 4:44:00 PM | Women's Beach Volleyball
Long Beach State battled in both of their opening matches, but fell 3-2 to both their ranked foes.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – No. 14 Long Beach State suffered a pair of close losses in their first day of the 2023 season. In their first dual of the day, they fell 3-2 to No. 6 Grand Canyon and then 3-2 to No. 4 USC.
In the Beach's first match of the season, the Lopes of Grand Canyon would win the first three flights in straight sets. LBSU would still fight back to take the third and fifth flights and avoid a lopsided loss. The freshmen duo of Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah won the first point of the season for Long Beach taking flight number three, 21-13, 22-20. The other pair of newcomers, Natalie Glenn and Maggie Walters, would make it 3-2 with a win in the fifth flight, 19-21, 23-21, and 15-11.
Looking to bounce back, Long Beach State had to take on the hosts and defending champion Trojans to close out the day. In a back-and-forth contest, USC took the first point in flight two but LBSU answered with a win in flight four from Emily Mattoon and Megan Widener.
The Trojans would retake the lead after taking the first flight, but once again the Beach had an answer as Natalie Glenn and Maggie Walters took flight five in three sets, 19-21, 23-21, 15-11. That put the dual in the hands of the third flight.
Perfectly on par with the entire dual, Gementera and Hagenah opened it up with a 21-17 win the first set, but fell in the second flight 22-24. The winner of the dual would be decided in a first to 15, third set battle. Unfortunately, USC took an early lead and never relinquished it for the victory.
Long Beach State will be right back on the courts tomorrow in Malibu taking on No. 17 Pepperdine and No. 11 California. First serve will be at 10:00 a.m.
No. 6 Grand Canyon def. No. 14 Long Beach State, 3-2
1. Allison HANSEN/Allanis NAVAS (GCU) def. Christine DEROOS/Mari MOLINA (LBSU); 21-17, 21-17
2. Abbie HUGHES/Samaya MORIN (GCU) def. Sydney STEVENS/Julia WESTBY (LBSU); 21-19, 21-11
3. Malia GEMENTERA/Taylor HAGENAH (LBSU) def. Dana ROSKIC/Krista ROWAN (GCU); 21-13, 22-20
4. Anaya EVANS/Cami SANCHEZ (GCU) def. Emily MATTOON/Megan WIDENER (LBSU); 21-18, 26-24
5. Natalie GLENN/Maggie WALTERS (LBSU) def. Jessica DRAKE/Mackenzie HARRIS (GCU); 19-21, 23-21, 15-11
Exh. Elly COLLINS/Kamilah CHECANI (GCU) def. Savannah LYONS/Kate STOUGHTON (LBSU); 21-12, 21-18
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1*, 3, 5
No. 4 USC vs. No. 14 Long Beach State, 3-2
1. Megan KRAFT/Delaynie MAPLE (USC) def. Christine DEROOS/Mari MOLINA (LBSU); 21-15, 21-14
2. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Sydney STEVENS/Julia WESTBY (LBSU); 21-18, 21-10
3. Madison SHIELDS/Madison WHITE (USC) def. Malia GEMENTERA/Taylor HAGENAH (LBSU); 17-21, 24-22, 15-11
4. Emily MATTOON/Megan WIDENER (LBSU) def. Mabyn THOMAS/Gabby WALKER (USC); 21-17, 17-21, 17-15
5. Natalie GLENN/Maggie WALTERS (LBSU) def. Delaney KARL/Ashlyn RASNICK-POPE (USC); 21-19, 21-15
Exh. Haley CARRINGTON/Holly JACKSON (LBSU) def. Tatiana RUSICH/Klaire VanDEUSEN (USC); 21-18, 21-19
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1, 5, 3*
In the Beach's first match of the season, the Lopes of Grand Canyon would win the first three flights in straight sets. LBSU would still fight back to take the third and fifth flights and avoid a lopsided loss. The freshmen duo of Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah won the first point of the season for Long Beach taking flight number three, 21-13, 22-20. The other pair of newcomers, Natalie Glenn and Maggie Walters, would make it 3-2 with a win in the fifth flight, 19-21, 23-21, and 15-11.
Looking to bounce back, Long Beach State had to take on the hosts and defending champion Trojans to close out the day. In a back-and-forth contest, USC took the first point in flight two but LBSU answered with a win in flight four from Emily Mattoon and Megan Widener.
The Trojans would retake the lead after taking the first flight, but once again the Beach had an answer as Natalie Glenn and Maggie Walters took flight five in three sets, 19-21, 23-21, 15-11. That put the dual in the hands of the third flight.
Perfectly on par with the entire dual, Gementera and Hagenah opened it up with a 21-17 win the first set, but fell in the second flight 22-24. The winner of the dual would be decided in a first to 15, third set battle. Unfortunately, USC took an early lead and never relinquished it for the victory.
Long Beach State will be right back on the courts tomorrow in Malibu taking on No. 17 Pepperdine and No. 11 California. First serve will be at 10:00 a.m.
No. 6 Grand Canyon def. No. 14 Long Beach State, 3-2
1. Allison HANSEN/Allanis NAVAS (GCU) def. Christine DEROOS/Mari MOLINA (LBSU); 21-17, 21-17
2. Abbie HUGHES/Samaya MORIN (GCU) def. Sydney STEVENS/Julia WESTBY (LBSU); 21-19, 21-11
3. Malia GEMENTERA/Taylor HAGENAH (LBSU) def. Dana ROSKIC/Krista ROWAN (GCU); 21-13, 22-20
4. Anaya EVANS/Cami SANCHEZ (GCU) def. Emily MATTOON/Megan WIDENER (LBSU); 21-18, 26-24
5. Natalie GLENN/Maggie WALTERS (LBSU) def. Jessica DRAKE/Mackenzie HARRIS (GCU); 19-21, 23-21, 15-11
Exh. Elly COLLINS/Kamilah CHECANI (GCU) def. Savannah LYONS/Kate STOUGHTON (LBSU); 21-12, 21-18
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1*, 3, 5
No. 4 USC vs. No. 14 Long Beach State, 3-2
1. Megan KRAFT/Delaynie MAPLE (USC) def. Christine DEROOS/Mari MOLINA (LBSU); 21-15, 21-14
2. Audrey NOURSE/Nicole NOURSE (USC) def. Sydney STEVENS/Julia WESTBY (LBSU); 21-18, 21-10
3. Madison SHIELDS/Madison WHITE (USC) def. Malia GEMENTERA/Taylor HAGENAH (LBSU); 17-21, 24-22, 15-11
4. Emily MATTOON/Megan WIDENER (LBSU) def. Mabyn THOMAS/Gabby WALKER (USC); 21-17, 17-21, 17-15
5. Natalie GLENN/Maggie WALTERS (LBSU) def. Delaney KARL/Ashlyn RASNICK-POPE (USC); 21-19, 21-15
Exh. Haley CARRINGTON/Holly JACKSON (LBSU) def. Tatiana RUSICH/Klaire VanDEUSEN (USC); 21-18, 21-19
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1, 5, 3*
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
/ Women's Beach Volleyball
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