The No. 22-ranked Long Beach State women’s volleyball team couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2011 regular season in its home opener at the Mizuno Invitational on Friday.
The 49ers recorded a .588 hitting percentage — the fifth-highest in school history — en route to a 25-13, 25-14, 25-11 victory over Prairie View A&M at the Walter Pyramid.
Sophomore middle blocker Haleigh Hampton led the way for the ‘Niners with 16 kills on a .619 hitting percentage, while junior outside hitter Janisa Johnson added nine on a .538 clip.
The Beach received an all-around effort as the 49ers recorded the program’s highest hitting percentage since 1998. LBSU notched 46 kills on 68 attempts while committing just six errors.
Sophomore setter Ashley Vazquez had three of The Beach’s seven aces on the day. The 49ers also had 10 blocks, led by Serna who had seven total blocks for The Beach. Senior libero Lauren Minkel had eight digs.
The 49ers dominated the first set of the season against the Panthers. Two early kills from senior captain Caitlin Ledoux brought the 49ers a quick lead. Following a service ace from Libby Fontanilla, LBSU extended its advantage to 11-5, which led to a Prairie View timeout.
Hampton put together two kills sandwiched around another LBSU ace, to extend the lead to 16-7. From there, The Beach never looked back as it claimed a 25-13 victory in the first frame.
The Panthers responded with a better start in the second set, and held an early lead at 3-2 after scoring the first two points. Early service errors from the 49ers kept the frame close, but the 49ers took their first lead of the set at 7-6, and moved ahead at 10-8 following a Hampton kill on an overpass by the Panthers.
The 49ers continued to apply pressure, scoring five straight points to take a 15-9 lead before going up by as many as nine. Following two kills and a block from Serna, the 49ers closed out the set 25-14.
Prairie View A&M took a quick lead yet again in the third set, but a kill from Johnson and a block from Serna and Delainey Aigner-Swesey gave the 49ers a 5-3 advantage. Another Hampton kill helped the 49ers to an 11-7 advantage before Aigner-Swesey’s kill sparked a three-point run leading to a Panther timeout at 13-7.
The run continued after the break as the 49ers took a commanding 18-7 lead en route to a 25-11 victory following a kill from Fontanilla.
LBSU will returns to action at the Walter Pyramid again Friday to host UMBC in the third match of the Mizuno Invitational at 7 p.m.
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