In one of the most climactic matches of the season, the Long Beach State men’s volleyball team was able to pull off a five-set, come-from-behind victory over UC Irvine in the semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament.
“That was a huge one,” junior Connor Olbright said. “We just grinded it out at the end.”
The third-seeded 49ers (24-7, 19-6 MPSF) used a strong blocking presence to keep UCI’s power hitters at bay throughout the final two sets of the night.
“We were really closing the net, making plays and keeping the pressure on them,” Olbright said.
After taking the first set of the night 25-22, the ‘Niners fell behind the third-seeded Anteaters (23-7, 18-7 MPSF) after losing set two 22-25 and set three 20-25.
LBSU then fought back with a decisive 25-15 set four win to force a fifth and final set.
Junior Ian Satterfield’s roll-shot kill gave LBSU the set-four win and acted as a huge spark for the ‘Niners toward the end of the match.
“We had a higher attention to detail, and that’s why we were able to make plays down the stretch,” Satterfield said.
The fifth set of the night saw both UCI and LBSU exerting every ounce of energy they had in each and every point.
LBSU went up 5-3 early on and kept its lead up until UCI went on a run and tied the set 14-14.
This upped the ante for both teams and required a two-point advantage to end the match.
Both teams put forth exhaustive efforts throughout the ensuing points.
Finally, with the score 21-20 and LBSU on its fifth match point opportunity, the ‘Niners came up big with a block that sealed their victory 22-20 and clinched an MPSF final berth.
“Everyone just played their role and executed well,” Olbright said. “It took all six guys on the court.”
The win over the Anteaters was the only one for the season for LBSU, and after losing 3 times previously, and it couldn’t have come at a more crucial time.
“Probably one of the biggest wins of my career,” Olbright said.
While not a certainty, the win will give LBSU a very good shot at obtaining the wild card spot in the NCAA tournament if they fail to win the MPSF tournament.
“Everyone’s pretty ecstatic,” Satterfield said. “It’s just a great experience; I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
The ‘Niners will play Brigham Young for the MPSF championship Saturday night. The match is set to start at 6 p.m. at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo, Utah.