In almost a mirror image of last season’s matchup, the No. 23 Long Beach State women’s volleyball team came up short in five sets against No. 2 Texas on Saturday.
The 49ers (5-1) lost the contest, 16-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 11-15, at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Texas. The win gave Texas (5-1) its 1,000th victory in the history of the program.
Much like the affair between the teams last season, a two-set lead was blown — only this time by Texas — to force a winner-take-all frame.
The Longhorns opened up a four-point advantage late in the deciding set when Juliann Faucette delivered a kill between two LBSU blockers to make it 11-7. The Beach then handed Texas the next point on a poor set by freshman Ashley Vazquez.
The ‘Niners tried to make one final comeback trailing 14-9, but Libby Fontanilla’s service error gave the Longhorns a 15-11 victory to close the match.
Junior outside hitter Caitlin Ledoux was clearly LBSU’s workhorse, finishing with match-highs of 22 kills and 52 swings. She also added seven digs.
Ledoux’s performance over the two games — in which she compiled 34 kills — earned her a spot on the all-tournament team of the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational.
A trio of 49ers reached double figures in digs, led by Janisa Johnson’s 18. Junior libero Lauren Minkel followed with 17 digs and Laura Schuck added 14.
Haleigh Hampton, who came into the match hitting .476 for The Beach, had a tough time getting involved early in the match. The 6-foot-7 freshman middle blocker recorded 10 kills, but rarely without a blocker contesting an attempt or deflecting the ball out of bounds.
The Longhorns used a balanced attack led by senior outside hitter Faucette’s 15 kills. Sha’Dare McNeal (14), Amber Roberson (12) and Rachael Adams (10) also hit double digits. Adams was the most efficient, hitting a match-best .571.
Texas also used nine service aces to its advantage, led by freshman setter Hannah Allison’s three aces. Allison added a double-double with 48 assists and 11 of her team’s 61 digs.
Leading 13-12 in set three, the 49ers took nine of the next 10 points to give themselves a cushion for the first time in the match. The Beach eventually avoided the sweep, convincingly winning the third set, 25-16.
Both teams started the fourth set in sloppy fashion, but it was the 49ers who were able to snap out of the funk.
Tied at 15, LBSU took control of the flow and accounted for five of the next seven points en route to a 25-20 win.
Texas jumped out to a quick 13-5 lead in set two but LBSU fought back. The ‘Niners closed to within 18-14 but would get no closer in the frame, as the Longhorns prevailed, 25-20.
The Longhorns, whose 25-match home winning streak was snapped in a 3-0 loss to No. 5 Illinois the day before, wasted little time taking it to the 49ers in the opening set. Texas limited LBSU to just .125 hitting in a 25-16 victory.
The 49ers will return home to face No. 25 San Diego in the Long Beach State Mizuno Invitational next Friday. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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