The No.10-ranked Long Beach State men’s volleyball team won its second straight Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match after defeating No. 15 UC Santa Barbara in four sets on Friday at the Walter Pyramid.
LBSU (7-6, 3-5 MPSF) dominated the Gauchos, 25-20, 28-30 25-15, 25-20 while holding the UCSB attack to just a .138 hitting percentage.
Junior Colten Echave got the start in the wake of an injured Ryan Meehan and came through big for LBSU. Echave led the ‘Niners with 17 kills and no errors on an impressive .654 hitting percentage.
Echave’s success is the second time LBSU has had someone come off the bench and succeed. Freshman John La Rusch started against UCLA earlier in the week and led the ‘Niners in kills as well.
“He’s a real good player and it’s been about a year since he’s been healthy,” said head coach Andy Read. “He’s healthy now and he felt great being out there.
Miles Evans has led the Gauchos all season in kills and UCSB (4-8, 2-6 MPSF) lived and died with his success. Evans had16 kills and 12 errors, leading UCSB in both categories. The second set was the only set that Evans hit more kills than errors and unsurprisingly the only one the Gauchos won.
LBSU continued its strong, well-balanced attack — notching another season-high 63 kills and posting a new high of 60 assists.
Sophomore Connor Olbright aided the ‘Niners attack with a season-high 54 assists.
The ‘Niners were able to hold UCSB to a low hitting percentage by forcing 29 errors while blocking 13 Gaucho attacks.
LBSU started off the match holding Evans down by forcing two early errors including a block from La Rusch and sophomore Jeff Ornee.
The first set was even until Echave added two straight kills to the ‘Niners up 9-7.
A 6-1 run late in the first set put the Gauchos away with UCSB only putting up 6 kills and being kept down with -.043 hitting percentage.
The second set saw resurgence from Evans.
Evans hit 8 kills and only 2 errors in the second set to help keep UCSB right in the match.
Neither team was able to put each other away featuring 24 tie scores and 11 lead changes throughout the second set alone.
An Evans kill and a triple block to stop a La Rusch kill attempt finally put the ‘Niners away to tie up the match.
Despite winning the second set the Gauchos hit a paltry .176 compared to LBSU’s .238.
The 49ers went on an 8-1 run early on in the third led by Ornee who hammered down 2 blocks and 2 kills to put the ‘Niners up 12-4.
The play of the match, however, would come in the middle of the third set with LBSU up 17-10.
Senior Jim Baughman, who started the third set in the place of a struggling La Rusch, smashed a ball into the back of row UCSB. Gaucho freshman Kevin Donohue tried to dig the kill but instead had the ball collide with his chest with a ringing that filled the Pyramid. The kill put LBSU 18-10 and put the lead well out of reach of UCSB.
Up 2-1 LBSU tried to take control of the fourth set, but couldn’t break away for a big lead.
Evans slammed 4 kills in the fourth but also added four errors including getting blocked twice.
LBSU’s 13th and final block came at the hands of Ornee and Olbright to seal LBSU’s third MPSF victory.
The ‘Niners will have a week to prepare for their four-match road trip that begins Feb. 24 at the Bren Events Center against No. 2 UC Irvine. First serve is slated for 6 p.m.