FULLERTON – Senior middle blockers Alexis Crimes and Michaela Hasalikova combined for 28 kills, and senior libero Talaya Whitfield recorded a match-high 20 digs as the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team finished Big West Conference play with a dominant 3-0 sweep of CS Fullerton 30-25, 30-23 and 30-19 at the Titan Gym Friday night.
LBSU (21-6, 14-2 conference) played its last regular season road game, finishing 12-2 away from The Walter Pyramid. The 49ers entered the contest with a 72-4 record against the Titans, without losing a game to them in three years. Not much changed in this time, as LBSU outlasted an overmatched CSF squad despite several miscues in the middle of the match.
The Titans’ best effort was in the second game, in which LBSU allowed three straight aces and blew a double-digit lead. However, a game-clinching kill by Crimes sealed the second game.
After trailing 3-0 in the third game, LBSU jumped right back into the lead, as Hasalikova and miscues by the Titans turned the contest into a blowout. Junior setter Nicole Vargas tied for a game-high 34 assists and added 11 digs.
Each LBSU player wore a black armband in memory of retired athletic trainer Dan Bailey, who passed away Friday morning due to complications from surgery.
LBSU will host the Baden Thanksgiving tournament next week with a four-game home stand against Temple, Yale, Pittsburgh and No. 7-ranked Florida, with possible NCAA Tournament positioning on the line.
When asked about possibly overlooking the previous three teams before playing Florida, Whitfield said the team could definitely feel that way.
“But we got our eyes open,” she said.
