Post by bigfan on Apr 28, 2006 9:33:00 GMT -5
49ers dig this victory
By Frank Burlison
Long Beach Press Telegram
LBSU vs UC Irvine IRVINE — Based on what transpired in the Bren Center Thursday night, one might not have been able to surmise which was the top-ranked volleyball team in the country and which was playing on its home court. That's because the Long Beach State 49ers made short work of the No. 1 UC Irvine Anteaters in three games, 30-26, 30-20 and 30-23, in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament semifinals.
And though the game was played on the UCI campus, the crowd of 2,434 seemed decidedly in favor of the team that calls the Walter Pyramid home.
The 49ers (23-9) needed just an hour and 20 minutes to dispense of a team that came into the match with a 27-3 record, buoyed by a 21-match winning streak, and hadn't lost since dropping a three-game decision at the University of Hawaii on Jan. 27.
Two of those 21 victories came against Coach Alan Knipe's team, both coming in four games, the most recent not quite a month ago (April) less than 200 yards away from the Bren Center in the elbow-to-elbow confines of Crawford Hall.
But the late-arriving Long Beach followers (the earlier semifinal, won by UCLA in three games over Pepperdine, was played in front of maybe 500 folks) wasted little time in demonstrating that they were going to be a lot more vocal than their counterparts.
The 49ers took a little more time in establishing their dominance they trailed 19-17 in Game 1 but once they did, there was little question as to who was going to hook up with UCLA at 7 p.m. Saturday in the same building with a trip to the NCAA Championships at Penn State on the line.
"It didn't hurt that we approached this like it was a home match," Knipe said after the 49ers advanced to a MPSF tourney final for the sixth time (they've won twice).
"It was awesome how many (of their fans) traveled down the (405) freeway. They made it feel like we were in the Pyramid."
Senior setter Tyler Hildebrand (with 46 assists) orchestrated an offense that finished with a .444 attack percentage, with sophomore opposite Norm Hutton cranking 22 kills (on only 32 swings, for a .562 percentage) and senior outside hitter Robert Tarr adding 15.
Senior middle blocker Duncan Budinger dominated the net with nine block assists, five of those in Game 1.
And the rest of Long Beach's defense was every bit as exceptional as the 49ers out-dug the hosts, 36-22, while holding them to a .184 attack percentage.
"We knew it was going to be a battle of serving and passing," UCI Coach John Speraw said.
"Long Beach has been serving just great lately and that proved the case tonight. They were very good."
Saturday night's meeting will be the fourth match between the 49ers and Bruins this season.
By Frank Burlison
Long Beach Press Telegram
LBSU vs UC Irvine IRVINE — Based on what transpired in the Bren Center Thursday night, one might not have been able to surmise which was the top-ranked volleyball team in the country and which was playing on its home court. That's because the Long Beach State 49ers made short work of the No. 1 UC Irvine Anteaters in three games, 30-26, 30-20 and 30-23, in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament semifinals.
And though the game was played on the UCI campus, the crowd of 2,434 seemed decidedly in favor of the team that calls the Walter Pyramid home.
The 49ers (23-9) needed just an hour and 20 minutes to dispense of a team that came into the match with a 27-3 record, buoyed by a 21-match winning streak, and hadn't lost since dropping a three-game decision at the University of Hawaii on Jan. 27.
Two of those 21 victories came against Coach Alan Knipe's team, both coming in four games, the most recent not quite a month ago (April) less than 200 yards away from the Bren Center in the elbow-to-elbow confines of Crawford Hall.
But the late-arriving Long Beach followers (the earlier semifinal, won by UCLA in three games over Pepperdine, was played in front of maybe 500 folks) wasted little time in demonstrating that they were going to be a lot more vocal than their counterparts.
The 49ers took a little more time in establishing their dominance they trailed 19-17 in Game 1 but once they did, there was little question as to who was going to hook up with UCLA at 7 p.m. Saturday in the same building with a trip to the NCAA Championships at Penn State on the line.
"It didn't hurt that we approached this like it was a home match," Knipe said after the 49ers advanced to a MPSF tourney final for the sixth time (they've won twice).
"It was awesome how many (of their fans) traveled down the (405) freeway. They made it feel like we were in the Pyramid."
Senior setter Tyler Hildebrand (with 46 assists) orchestrated an offense that finished with a .444 attack percentage, with sophomore opposite Norm Hutton cranking 22 kills (on only 32 swings, for a .562 percentage) and senior outside hitter Robert Tarr adding 15.
Senior middle blocker Duncan Budinger dominated the net with nine block assists, five of those in Game 1.
And the rest of Long Beach's defense was every bit as exceptional as the 49ers out-dug the hosts, 36-22, while holding them to a .184 attack percentage.
"We knew it was going to be a battle of serving and passing," UCI Coach John Speraw said.
"Long Beach has been serving just great lately and that proved the case tonight. They were very good."
Saturday night's meeting will be the fourth match between the 49ers and Bruins this season.