The No. 23-ranked Long Beach State women’s volleyball team opened its season with an inexperienced, inconsistent effort Friday night.
The 49ers lost 24-26, 25-15, 22-25, 22-25 to the No. 15 San Diego Toreros in a nonconference match at the Walter Pyramid.
“We just didn’t play very well,” 25th-year LBSU head coach Brian Gimmillaro said. “I don’t think San Diego played one of their better matches but the personnel I know are better than that.”
LBSU (0-1) couldn’t capitalize on the absence of Amy Mahinalani DeGroot, the West Coast Conference Player of the Year who is expected to miss the entire season for USD with rods in both tibias.
The Toreros (1-0) didn’t exactly play a pretty match but relied on the three-headed monster of Ashton Basch (18 kills), Ali Troost (14 kills) and Colleen Carlson (10 kills). Four players also recorded double-digit digs, led by Kayleen Webster’s match-high 22.
Senior middle blocker Naomi Washington and sophomore Caitlin Ledoux each tallied 12 kills to lead the ‘Niners. Sophomore libero Lauren Minkel led the way defensively with 18 digs.
“I thought [Washington] did a nice job, I thought Lauren Minkel did a nice job. But aside from that, we were not very good,” Gimmillaro said.
USD setter Kelsi Myers outplayed her counterpart Ashley Lee, 48-30, in the assist column. It was Lee’s first match as LBSU’s full-time setter after playing outside hitter in her sophomore season last year.
The Beach essentially gave away the first set, and probably the match, with mental errors down the stretch.
Washington said the communication “wasn’t there.”
“Normally we get the easy balls but [nobody] was talking. That’s a big issue,” she said. “Because we didn’t communicate on the defensive line … a lot of balls dropped. We’ll get it.”
In the opening set, sophomore Michelle Osunbor gave LBSU a presence at the net with a pair of block assists and a solo block but it wasn’t enough.
Leading 24-22 and holding set-point advantage, the 49ers failed to capitalize as the Toreros closed the frame on a 4-0 run to prevail, 26-24.
“When the game is on the line in the first [set] and we have a wide-open net, our setter goes up and all she has to do is throw the ball on the ground,” Gimmillaro said. “Nobody was blocking her and they left to go to Naomi … you could’ve dumped the ball and the [set] is over and maybe this whole thing turns out differently.
“We made three errors. You can’t make three errors.”
The ‘Niners prevailed, 25-15, in a sloppy second set for both teams.
LBSU opened on an 8-2 run but watched USD close the gap to two points with four consecutive scores, including one LBSU mental lapse.
The Toreros gave the lead back as the 49ers entered the second timeout of the set with a 17-11 lead. Senior middle blocker Brittney Herzog then helped The Beach pull away with three consecutive points, including back-to-back block assists with Ledoux.
USD failed to record a positive attack percentage as a team in the set, posting a dismal -.034 mark. LBSU countered with a .333 attack.
Basch dominated the left side of the court in the third set with eight kills to lead the Toreros to a 25-22 win.
“We just lost control and started playing balls we shouldn’t be playing,” Gimmillaro said.
Tied at 21 late in the fourth set, the Toreros earned four of the last five points as Troost delivered the final kill for the victory.
“We could’ve taken this game by the horns and just ran with it, but we didn’t execute,” Washington said. “Tomorrow we just need to come out stronger, get a different attitude going.”
Tomorrow night’s match against No. 2 Texas won’t be any easier, and the Longhorns’ star player won’t be missing, either.
“No. 2 Texas — I think — is the most physical team in the country,” Gimmillaro said.
The Longhorns return six of their seven starters from a team that appeared in the NCAA semifinals last season. One in particular — 6-foot-4 senior outside hitter Destinee Hooker, who is also a three-time NCAA outdoor high jumper — is no stranger to LBSU’s Washington.
“That’s my best friend. I’m excited to see her, not the playing part,” Washington joked. “It should be a tough challenge for us.”
First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid.
Game notes
The 49ers, as well as the cheerleaders, donned new, white home uniforms … Gimmillaro inserted four players — Osunbor, Jocelyn Neely, Libby Fontanilla and Janisa Johnson — who were not in his lineup last season. Osunbor and Neely redshirted last season, while Fontanilla and Johnson are both true freshmen. With the exception of Johnson, who appeared in just one play, the newcomers received substantial playing time … Two new banners — one commemorating the 60th anniversary of the university, and the other celebrating the 15th year of the Walter Pyramid — were on display behind the bleachers near the men’s basketball team’s locker room. A new student section sign, sponsored by the U.S. Army and Domino’s Pizza, was also on display.