In a battle of a pair of teams trying to impress the NCAA tournament selection committee, the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team kept its at-large bid hopes alive Friday night.
The 49ers (23-7) swept Notre Dame 26-24, 25-16, 25-19, in the first day of the Mizuno Thanksgiving tournament at the Walter Pyramid.
Janisa Johnson led the charge in the final set, recording five of her eight kills in explosive fashion. Johnson gave the 49ers an 11-7 lead with an emphatic kill after getting a running start and crashing into the net. The Irish (18-13) never threatened, and it was just another win for LBSU head coach Brian Gimmillaro.
“Two more to go, two more to go,” Gimmillaro said, alluding to the remainder of the 49ers’ schedule before the fate rests in the selection committee’s hands.
LBSU’s hobbled star duo of Haleigh Hampton (foot and knee) and Caitlin Ledoux (shoulder) tallied a match-high 10 kills apiece. Notre Dame’s Andrea McHugh and Kristen Dealy also finished with 10 kills.
Gimmillaro said he is unsure if Hampton, who missed last week’s Big West finale at Cal State Northridge, will be able to play Saturday.
“Haleigh’s a big part of our team and that just gives each player on the court more of a role,” senior setter Ashley Lee said.
The 49ers held on for a 25-16 victory in set two to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Notre Dame cut a 16-10 deficit in half with three consecutive points, and eventually pulled to within 17-15 after a block by freshman Sam Brown. From there, however, the 49ers closed the frame on an 8-1 run and hit a blistering .423 for the set.
“I thought after the first [set] we started to play like us,” said Gimmillaro, whose team limited the Irish to .113 hitting for the match.
The Beach squeaked out a 26-24 victory in a first set that featured 11 ties.
Trailing 23-21, the ‘Niners rallied to win the next three points to take a 24-23 lead, but Maggie Brindock’s one-handed dump to the corner of the court kept the Irish alive. The 49ers prevailed after Michelle Osunbor accounted for a kill and combo block with Delainey Aigner-Swesy.
LBSU will close the regular season Saturday as part of a tripleheader at the Walter Pyramid. The 49ers will host Akron at 11 a.m. and Seattle at 2 p.m. before the men’s basketball team faces Loyola Marymount at 7:05 p.m.
“We couldn’t lose today and can’t lose tomorrow,” Lee said.
Game notes
Lee, Taylor Cook and Laura Schuck were honored before the match as part of Senior Night. Among Lee’s supporters was her 92-year-old grandfather, who watched his granddaughter for the first time this season.
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