49er men's volleyball cruises to 3-0 victory over Cal Baptist in home opener
Jan. 25, 2012
LONG BEACH - The No. 11 Long Beach State men's volleyball team made quick work of Cal Baptist as it swept the Lancers, 3-0, in its home opener Wednesday evening at the Walter Pyramid. It took the 49ers just 1 hour and 11 minutes to defeat CBU, 25-16, 25-18, 25-10. LBSU hit a blistering .429 (38-8-70) on the night. Senior Jim Baughman had a match-high 12 kills, while committing just one error on 17 swings, to finish with a season-best .647 attack percentage. Sophomore Taylor Crabb added seven kills and six digs, while classmate Connor Olbright compiled 22 assists and seven digs. Long Beach State (3-4) took an early three-point lead in the first set before using an 8-3 spurt, capped by an Olbright kill, to go up, 14-6. The 49ers cruised from there as they led by at least six before Cal Baptist's fifth service error of the set gave LBSU the 25-16 win. The 49ers posted a .333 attack percentage, while the Lancers hit just .065 in the first set. In the second stanza, Long Beach State raced out to a 10-3 advantage following an ace from Baughman. CBU would go on a 6-1 run to close the gap to three, but LBSU then reeled off five straight points to open up a 17-9 lead. The 49ers pulled ahead by as many as nine and eventually closed it out, 25-18, on a kill from senior Ryan Meehan. Long Beach State hit an impressive .400 (15-3-30) in set two. LBSU kept the momentum in the third set as it held a 10-4 edge after a Cal Baptist hitting error. The Lancers were able to come within five before the 49ers went on top, 17-7, following a 5-0 spurt that ended with a Crabb ace. Long Beach State then outscored CBU, 8-3, down the stretch for a convincing 25-10 victory. The 49ers saved their best hitting performance for the third set as they pounded down 13 kills with just one error on 22 attempts (.545). Cal Baptist (1-4), which is in the process of transitioning from the NAIA to NCAA Division II, hit just .095 on the evening. Joseph Fitzpatrick, Jonathan Tuttle and Aaron McCalmont all had a team-high six kills. Long Beach State returns to the Walter Pyramid next week when it plays host to Princeton in non-conference action on Tuesday, Jan. 31. The 49ers will also entertain Cal State Northridge in their MPSF home opener on Friday, Feb. 3. First serve for both matches is 7 p.m.
|
|