For the third time this season, the No. 6-ranked Long Beach State men’s volleyball team went to a fifth set against No. 8 UCLA Friday night at Pauley Pavilion.
This time, like the first, the Bruins came out on top of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation affair — 18-25, 25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 15-13.
LBSU opposite Jim Baughman led the match with his second double-double in three matches. The junior finished with 21 kills, 14 digs and a team-leading .395 hitting percentage.
Baughman’s efforts were not enough, however, as the Bruins (11-9, 6-8 MPSF) were able to outlast LBSU (9-7, 8-5 MPSF).
The fifth set started with each side exchanging blows until two big attack errors by Baughman and freshman Taylor Crabb put LBSU down, 7-5.
Down 13-11, it looked like it was all over for the 49ers until freshman serving substitute Ian Satterfield came in for LBSU.
Satterfield’s first serve landed for an ace, pulling the 49ers within one. The next one, however, set up UCLA’s Kyle Caldwell to put a stop to the 49er comeback. LBSU setter Connor Olbright, who had replaced starter Mike Klipsch earlier, then came up with a huge solo block to tie the game up at 13.
After a UCLA timeout it was Satterfield’s turn again. This time his serve went long, giving the Bruins control of the ball and their destiny.
In some kind of poetic justice, Caldwell got the call once again and this time he didn’t miss as his attempt was tipped out of bounds to give UCLA the win.
“It’s a tough loss but we’re going to come in next week and hopefully get two Ws,” Olbright said.
UCLA beat itself in the first set by committing 10 errors — over double what it would produce in all of the other sets — and hitting a measly .083.
LBSU’s offense was on fire in the first set. Each one of the starting 49ers, except libero Kirk Francis, record at least one kill on the set.
The Bruins’ second and third sets made their first look like a distant memory.
LBSU opened the second set with a 4-0 run, but UCLA responded with another 4-0 to tie the score and tt would be all Bruins from that point.
Not only did UCLA notch 14 kills on only two errors, but it held the 49ers to an .022 hitting percentage and nine errors.
“It was like we were moving in quicksand,” LBSU interim head coach Andy Read said.
The third set would be more of the same. UCLA pummeled the 49ers with 16 kills and a humbling .464 hitting percentage.
In the fourth set, the 49ers were facing elimination when Baughman came to the 49ers’ aid once again. Baughman hammered home seven of his 21 kills in the fourth set, pushing the match to the deciding fifth frame.
LBSU will now face No. 14 Lewis next Friday and No. 11 Penn State the following day in the Active Ankle Tournament. Both contests are scheduled for 7 p.m. at Walter Pyramid.
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