Long Beach State held off four set points to take set one 29-27, but were unable to recapture that magic in the final set falling 27-29, 25-23, 25-17, 18-25, 15-13 on the road in Irvine. Caitlin Ledoux led the 49ers with 13 kills on .214 hitting.
Set one was close throughout, with Long Beach State and UC Irvine swapping the lead nine times and putting up 16 tie scores in the opening set. UC Irvine opened up the first significant lead of the set at 23-20 after a block from Taryn Robertson and Riley Cropper. However, Long Beach State held off set point with a Caitlin Ledoux kill and eventually tied the set at 24-24. The 49ers held off one final set point, the fourth for UC Irvine in the set with a Ledoux kill, and then two attack errors from the Anteaters left the set in LBSU’s favor 29-27.
Two service aces for Kari Pestolesi helped UC Irvine advance to a 4-0 lead. Long Beach State rebounded to tie the set at 8-8 after trailing by six, and eventually took a 18-16 lelad following an error from the Anteaters. UC Irvine pushed back at that point, taking a 23-20 lead, and Long Beach State couldn’t match its first set comeback in a 25-23 set two loss.
Sets three and four were mirror images of each other, as UC Irvine hit .395 in the third to take a commanding 25-17 victory, while Long Beach State used defense in a convincing set four win, holding the Anteaters to negative hitting at -.024. after taking a 15-9 lead in the early part of the set.
Tied 4-4 in the final set, UC Irvine scored five straight points in what looked to be a commanding lead in the first-to-fifteen final set. Yet again, the 49ers fought back into the set, despite trailing by six at 12-6 after a service error. Down six, the 49ers let the Anteaters hit around them to a 12-12 tie, and held off a final set point at 14-12, but UC Irvine rebounded and a Piggott kill ended the match at 15- 13.
Long Beach State returns home on Saturday night, hosting another conference opponent in Cal State Northridge. That match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the Walter Pyramid.
From Reports By LBSU