Aug. 28, 2010

Box Score

Long Beach, Calif. - Long Beach State completed an impressive first weekend of action, outlasting No. 25 Saint Mary's 25-21, 25-27, 25-16, 26-28, 15-7 to finish their time hosting the Baden Classic with a 4-0 record on the weekend.

Caitlin Ledoux led the 49er offense with 26 kills on .308 hitting, while Janisa Johnson and Haleigh Hampton each had 21 kills. Both had double-doubles, as Johnson finished the match with 26 digs while Hampton had 12 total block.

Saint Mary's fought through a pair of match points in the fourth set to force the finale, where Long Beach State took control. Tied 6-6, the 49ers picked up a kill from Johnson, and after a setting error from Missy White, the 49ers scored five straight points to take a commanding lead on the way to a 15-7 win in the fifth and final set to clinch the victory.

Ashley Vazquez finished the match with 66 assists for the 49ers and made 11 digs, giving LBSU three different players with a double-double on the night. Shannon Lowell and Lauren Corp led the Gaels with 16 and 15 kills respectively.

The 49ers surrendered the first point of the match then scored six straight capped by an ace from Johnson to lead to an early St. Mary's timeout. The Gaels slowly climbed closer to the 49ers as both teams were very efficient on offense, eventually climbing to within one at 18-17. Long Beach State regained the edge with a kill from Ledoux and a block by Delainey Aigner-Swesey and Hampton to take a 21-18 lead, and closed out the set with an Michelle Osunbor kill to grab set one 25-21.

The Gaels were the first team to take an advantage in set two, using an ace from White to take a 10-5 lead prior to a 49er timeout. The Beach stormed back with three straight points to cut back into the lead, and eventually tied the set at 11-11 after a Hampton kill. St. Mary's recovered from a brief two-point lead by the 49ers to take a 20-18 lead following a Megan York kill. Long Beach State tied the set once more, and fought off a pair of St. Mary's set points, but a second White ace allowed the Gaels to prevail 27-25.

The third set was the most lopsided of the night, with a Ledoux solo block making the score 13-10. More blocking, this time from Vazquez and Hampton helped the 49ers take their largest lead of the set at 20-15, and Long Beach State rolled to an easy third set victory.

Down 14-8 in the fourth set, the 49ers fought their way back into the set with good blocking, finally pulling even at 21-21 on a Haleigh Hampton kill. Long Beach State eventually took the lead for the first time at 24-23, forcing match point, but after being denied twice, a Corp and Lowell block gave St. Mary's the lead, and a York kill finished the set at 28-26.

In earlier action on the day, Long Beach State won a 3-0 decision over Sacred Heart, and then Rutgers split a pair of matches, falling in five sets to UNLV but then rallying from two sets down to defeat Sacred Heart in the final match in Long Beach for the Scarlet Knights and Pioneers.

2010 Long Beach State Baden Classic All-Tournament Team

Lauren Corp (Saint Mary's)
Haleigh Hampton (Long Beach State)
Janisa Johnson (Long Beach State)
Shannon Lowell (Saint Mary's)
Ashley Vazquez (Long Beach State)
Megan York (Saint Mary's)
Libero - Jessica Colberg (Sacred Heart)
MVP - Caitlin Ledoux (Long Beach State)