The Long Beach State women’s volleyball team sent fans home happy this weekend at The Walter Pyramid, winning all three of their matches in the Long Beach State Invitational.
On Friday, The Beach beat the No. 13 Missouri Tigers 30-16, 30-18, 30-27. On Saturday afternoon the women cruised by Alabama State Hornets 30-7, 30-7, 30-6, and later that evening LBSU fought past a feisty Villanova Wildcats squad, winning 34-32, 30-20, 30-27.
“We came out, played as a team and got off to a good start for the season,” said LBSU middle blocker Alexis Crimes. “I’m proud of my teammates.”
In its season opener, LBSU (3-0) made quick work of a Missouri team that reached the elite eight in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
With Crimes leading the way, The Beach jumped out to an 18-8 lead in the opening game and then coasted to an easy first game victory.
In the second game, The Beach scored the first four points and the Tigers would not get any closer than three for the rest of the game, as LBSU took a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
Missouri (2-1) then showed glimpses of why it was ranked in the top-15 to start the year, taking a 9-3 lead to open the third game. But LBSU scored 12 of the next 18 points to tie the match, and then outlasted the Tigers to win the deciding game by three.
Quincy Verdin led the squad in kills with 12, and Robin Miramontes had 11 kills and 15 digs in the win.
“We are just a better team,” said LBSU head coach Brian Gimmillaro. “This is Long Beach State, what do you expect?”
LBSU faced a less daunting opponent Saturday afternoon against Southwestern Conference foe Alabama State (0-3), who finished 10-19 in 2005.
The Beach yielded only 20 points in the three games, which made the victory the most lopsided in LBSU history since the rally scoring was implemented in 2001.
Czech Republic native Michaela Hasalikova had 11 kills and Heather Hetzer hit eight kills in the easy victory. Crimes broke her career high for aces in a match with five.
About six hours after LBSU dismantled Alabama State, The Beach played its most challenging match of the weekend against Villanova (0-3).
The Wildcats took advantage of a lackadaisical LBSU squad and raced out to a 16-10 lead in the opening game.
Villanova had three game points, but The Beach denied all three opportunities. LBSU then converted on its only game point chance, with a Crimes block giving The Beach a 1-0 lead in the match.
LBSU had little difficulty in the second game, but the Wildcats again gave the home team fits in the third game.
The Wildcats led 28-26 before LBSU scored the final four points to win the game and the match.
“When you are a good team sometimes other teams play their very best against you,” Gimmillaro said. “Villanova played very well tonight, but we played strong when we needed to.”
Crimes was exceptional in the match. Through the first two games she was 11-for-11 on kill opportunities and finished the match with 13 kills and four blocks.
“I guess we learn to expect performances like that out of Alexis,” Gimmilaro said.
Miramontes also helped the cause with 11 kills and Nicole Vargas tallied 43 assists in the match.