Successful Senior Night Sees Women’s Volleyball Send Off CSUN To Close Regular Season

Saturday, November 23

Long Beach, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

18-10,12-6Big West

CSUN

10-19,5-13Big West

CSUN

Long Beach St.

Successful Senior Night Sees Women’s Volleyball Send Off CSUN To Close Regular Season

11/23/2024 9:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score - CSUN

Long Beach State will be the (4) seed in next week’s Big West Championship.

By: Roger Kirk, Associate Athletics Director, Communications & Broadcast

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State closed the regular season having won six of their last seven matches, including their last two at home after a 25-9, 21-25, 25-14, 25-16 win over CSUN. Senior Abby Karich finished with 18 kills on .531 hitting, and senior Zayna Meyer finished with a double-double with 25 assists and 15 digs.

                Long Beach State (18-10, 12-6 Big West) got off to a fast start and carried that momentum through the night, hitting .327 overall while holding CSUN (10-19, 5-13 Big West) to .102 hitting themselves. Karich led the Beach with 18 kills while freshman Madi Maxwell added 16. The Beach had 52 blocks led by Meyer's 15, and finished with 9 blocks, six coming from senior Kameron Bacon.

                A Livi Narancich ace sparked a serving run from the sophomore, who pushed the Long Beach State lead from 4-2 all the way to 18-2 as the Beach were dominant in the first set. The Beach didn't allow CSUN a point on serve until 24-9, and hit .391 while holding CSUN to just five kills with ten errors in the first set.

                After the dominant first set from Long Beach State, CSUN had the early edge in the second, taking a 5-1 lead. The Matadors would push their lead to eight at 12-4, but a short run for LBSU pulled the team two within five at 13-8. Long Beach State continued to battle, forcing a CSUN timeout after an Abby Karich kill cut the lead to 21-17, but a service error gave CSUN a key sideout. A block from Ella Lomigora and Natalie Glenn cut the edge to 23-20, but CSUN was able to hold off the late push from Long Beach State to even the match with a 25-21 win.

                Natalie Glenn pounded a kill to start the third set as the Beach carried their late momentum from the second set, opening up the third with five straight points. The Beach continued to control play through the set, opening up a 14-3 lead. CSUN rallied slightly to cut the lead to 16-10, but back-to-back kills from Karich turned the tide back for the Beach who won the third 25-14.

                A successful challenge helped CSUN stay within striking distance early, but the Beach regained the service edge against CSUN following an attack error from the Matadors at 5-4. CSUN rallied to take the lead, but up 10-8, Long Beach State rebounded with a pair of aces from Karich to take a 13-10 lead. A Kameron Bacon solo block put the Beach up 17-12, and LBSU closed out the win with a 25-16 set four.

                Following the match, Long Beach State celebrated their nine seniors, Abby Karich, Zayna Meyer, Jaylen Jordan, Kameron Bacon, Savana Chacon, Kailia Lopez, Jenna Giambi, Maura Hayes and Natalie Glenn as well as long-time women's volleyball athletic trainer, Chrissy Mengual.

                With the win, Long Beach State secured the (4) seed for the upcoming Big West Championship and will face (5) UC San Diego at 3 p.m. in the opening round on Wednesday, November 27 from the Bren Events Center in Irvine.