By Troy Lippman
Long Beach State’s women’s volleyball outlasted Pepperdine University 3-1 in a hard-fought match on Sept. 21 at Walter Pyramid.
In the first set, The Beach led from the third point on and played great defense while delivering several clutch kills when needed, leading to a 25-14 first set victory. When the Waves cut the deficit to 17-13, the Beach responded emphatically with an 8-1 run to seal the early 1-0 lead.
The second set was one to forget for The Beach as they quickly found themselves down 17-4. The hole they dug was too large to dig out of, as the Waves held on and dominated the set to a score of 25-8, tying the match.
LBSU senior setter Zayna Meyer sets the ball during a match against Pepperdine at the Walter Pyramid. Meyer put up 31 assists, six digs, two kills and two blocks en route to securing the 3-1 win over the Waves. Photo Credit: Ethan Cohen
LBSU answered in a big way in the third set by limiting mistakes and hitting an efficient .306 in the frame as they glided to a 25-19 third-set victory and a 2-1 lead in the match.
Crucial to the third set victory was the efficiency from redshirt senior outside hitter Abby Karich, who finished the game with a game-high fourteen kills while adding three blocks and three aces.
“I would say I did my job, but I was one of nine girls that did their jobs tonight, and I think that’s why we got the win,” Karich said
With their back against the wall in the fourth set, the Waves would not go away, hanging in down 16-14. However, similar to the first set, The Beach all but sealed the victory with a dominant 8-0 run, as they eventually took the set 25-19.
LBSU women’s volleyball celebrates its 3-1 victory over the Pepperdine Waves as The Beach finished their non-conference schedule 6-4 heading into their next match at UC Davis on Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. Photo credit: Ethan Cohen
“One of the biggest ways we were able to show up was a mentality called ‘all six,’ whether it’s passing or covering, but today it showed up with a lot of different people carrying different loads today,” LBSU interim head coach Natalie Reagan said
Senior outside hitter Natalie Glenn continued her hot start to the season, racking up 10 kills, 14 digs and two blocks in her fifth double-double of the season.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have Natalie Glenn carrying a heavy load for us and it’s amazing to see other players step in and uplift the whole team,” Reagan said
The Beach improved to 6-4 as they prepare for conference play, which starts on the road with UC Davis on Sept. 26 at 6 p.m.
