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The 49ers have come a long, long way in the last several years, as Long Beach State has become a powerhouse in the Big West, and begun to make progress on the national level. <\/span>Saturday against LSU in the first round of the NCAA playoffs, they were shown how far they still have to go to become competitive in the NCAAs, as they fell 4-0 to the No. 25 Tigers, after dropping a close doubles point and being swept through singles. <\/span>The No. 50 49ers were close the year out with an 18-8 record. <\/span><\/p>\n \n The 49ers were defeated in No. 1 doubles by No. 17 Falcon\/Hedburg 8-0, but Rachel Manasase and Anais Dallara rallied from a 5-2 deficit to even doubles with an 8-6 win. Hannah Grady and Julie Luzar, competing together for the first time in doubles, went the distance with Kantor\/Spencer, heading to a tiebreaker before falling 8-6.<\/p>\n In singles, No. 13 Megan Falcon defeated Grady in her final match, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, and LSU clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 3 and a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 6. Rachel Manasse had forced Mykala Hedberg to a third set at No. 2 singles when the match was concluded.<\/p>\n Long Beach State finishes the 2008-09 season with an 18-8 record, having won the team’s sixth straight Big West title and recording a perfect 11-0 record in Big West matches including the conference tournament.<\/p>\n Senior Hannah Grady earned her fourth Big West Player of the Year award, while six of the seven team members were honored with All-Big West honors in either doubles or singles.<\/p>\n DOUBLES<\/b><\/p>\n #17 Falcon\/Hedburg, LSU def. Armstrong\/Sutton, LBSU, 8-0<\/p>\n Dallara\/Manasse, LBSU def. Robinson\/Wolf, LSU, 8-6<\/p>\n Kantor\/Spencer, LSU def. Grady\/Luzar, LBSU, 9-8 [6]<\/p>\n SINGLES<\/b><\/p>\n #13 Megan Falcon, LSU def. #110 Hannah Grady, LBSU, 6-1, 6-2<\/p>\n Rachel Manasse LBSU vs. Mykala Hedberg, LSU, 6-2, 6-3<\/p>\n Whitney Wolf, LSU def. Deborah Armstrong, LBSU, 6-3, 6-3<\/p>\n Nicole Kantor, LSU led Anais Dallara, LBSU, 6-4, 5-2<\/p>\n Hannah Robinson, LSU led Julie Luzar, LBSU, 6-3, 3-1<\/p>\n Staten Spencer LSU def. Lisa Sutton, LBSU, 6-3, 6-1<\/p>\n From LBSU reports<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n