Men’s volleyball: 49ers put on offensive showcase
The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team hit .361 en route to a 30-24, 30-23, 36-34 victory over Canada’s McMaster University in an exhibition at the Walter Pyramid on Tuesday night.
A trio of 49ers reached double figures in kills, led by senior opposite Dean Bittner’s match-high 16. Senior middle blocker Dan Alexander and junior outside hitter Kyle Friend added 11 apiece.
“We just need to focus more on the first ball and getting a good pass,” said junior setter Mike Klipsch, who added 51 assists and seven digs. “And I have to get the ball [to my hitters] and take a good swing.”
The Marauders were paced by Paul Podstawka and Jeremy Groenveld, who added 10 kills apiece.
After taking care of McMaster quietly in the first two sets, the ‘Niners needed extra points to put away the Marauders in the clincher.
LBSU, which also racked up five service aces, rallied from a 27-24 deficit to take a 30-29 lead on a Friend kill. Bittner and Alexander teamed up for the ninth and final block of the night for the 49ers to close out a 36-34 victory.
“I like how we were down in [set three] … and we took really good swings and were really steady at the end,” said LBSU head coach Andy Read, who is taking over the program while Alan Knipe coaches Team USA. “What I didn’t like is how we got down in [set three] and maybe just a lack of focus.”
The ‘Niners used an eight-man rotation through the first two sets before going deeper into the roster in set three.
“I think that rotation could change,” Read said about the rotation once the season starts. “I think we have some really good depth.”
One player who did not see action was 6-foot-8 sophomore transfer middle blocker Ryan Meehan, who previously attended Pepperdine.
“He just got eligible Monday,” Read said, “so you’ll probably see him play a little bit tomorrow.”
Tables turn on ‘Niners
The exhibition between Long Beach State and McMaster on Wednesday night was a complete turnaround from the night before.
After sweeping the Marauders on Tuesday, the 49ers were dealt a four-set loss — 30-26, 30-17, 23-30, 30-25 — at the Walter Pyramid.
Trailing 18-13 in set four, the ‘Niners cut the deficit to two points at 20-18. But McMaster went on a 5-1 run highlighted by two of Tyler Santoni’s match-high 15 kills for a 25-19 advantage.
LBSU threatened once more, closing to within 27-24, but the Marauders closed the set and match with three of the next four points for a 30-25 victory.
Santoni hit a staggering .714 in the match and his 15 kills were matched by Groenveld, who added nine digs to pace McMaster.
The 49ers were led by sophomore Jim Baughman’s 13 kills, seven block assists and two solo blocks.
“There were a lot of things we didn’t do well tonight. Everyone has an off night,” Baughman said.
After a forgettable second set, the The Beach came out with a different intensity in set three. The squads traded points past the midway point of the frame before LBSU took a 20-18 lead into a timeout.
The 49ers, who responded to a two-set deficit with a .355 hitting clip, then scored eight of the next 11 — capped by an emphatic Alexander kill — and eventually won the set, 30-23.
“I like how we hung in there,” Read said of his team’s response between set two and three.
The Marauders opened the second set on an 8-4 run, LBSU called timeout and then watched McMaster reel off the next four points to force another timeout.
The ‘Niners, who registered a woeful -.032 attack and just eight kills in the frame, trailed by as many as 13 in the set and lost, 30-17. In contrast, the Marauders hit a blistering .357 in set two.
McMaster limited The Beach to just an .050 hitting percentage en route to a 30-26 victory in the opening set. The Marauders also collected six team blocks in the frame.
“I think the intensity in set one was good on both sides. We had chances to score and didn’t,” Read said. “So we could be up by six points in set one and instead we’re even or down a point.”
Sophomore transfer Ryan Meehan, a 6-foot-8 middle blocker who previously attended Pepperdine and was cleared Monday, made his preseason debut for the 49ers and started.
The 49ers will start the 2010 campaign on the road at the two-day Elephant Bar Tournament, which starts Jan. 7 in Santa Barbara. LBSU will face California Baptist in its season opener at 11 a.m. and will return to the court later that evening at 7:30 p.m. against an opponent yet to be determined.