The No. 8-ranked Long Beach State men’s volleyball team opened the two-day Active Ankle Tournament by sweeping Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne at Walter Pyramid Friday night.
LBSU’s sweep, 18-25, 23-25, 17-25, increases its win streak against IPFW to 12 matches.
The 49ers (10-8, 5-7 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) have not lost to an unranked opponent all season.
Junior Trevor Crabb replaced his younger brother, Taylor, in Friday’s match after Taylor twisted his ankle in a match against UC Santa Barbara last week.
Trevor and freshman John La Rusch led the ‘Niners attack with 10 kills on a .500 clip each.
LBSU posted a season high .473 hitting percentage due to a great passing night by sophomore setter Connor Olbright.
“It was one of Connor’s best setting nights of the whole year,” said head coach Andy Read. “I was really happy with how well Connor set the ball tonight.”
Senior Ryan Meehan chipped in seven kills of his own while committing no errors on a .636 hitting perentage.
Junior Elon Fyfield led the Mastodons attack with a match-high 12 kills on a .296 clip.
LBSU traded points early on in the first set with IPFW till a 6-2 run opened up an 8-5 lead for the ‘Niners.
La Rusch posted 6 kills and including one that ended a late three-point run by IPFW to put Long Beach up one set.
The second set would be even more competitive than the first.
Fyfield smashed a ball past two LBSU blockers to give IPFW a 19-20 lead. Fyfield yelled something in the face of the two ‘Niners that had the LBSU in an uproar. Sensing the tension rising Read called for a quick timeout and spoke to his players.
LBSU answered the junior’s taunting with a 4-point run to all but seal a two-set lead.
Fyfield had fired up the LBSU offense and they weren’t planning on letting up.
LBSU’s third set performance was their best all night. The Beach hit for a staggering .714 with 15 kills and no errors.
Crabb who had already hit 5 of his 10 kills in the third set chased after a ball in the middle of the third.
The ball sailed past a row of seats that makes up the courtside section of the Walter Pyramid and Crabb collided with the chairs to save the point.
Crabb was slow to get up and when he did there was a sizable gash on his left ankle prompting Read to take him out for senior Srdjan Nadazdin. The 49ers were able to go on to win the set and the match.