Nov. 14, 2003
Nov. 14, 2003
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - It's four wins in a row and counting over longtime rival Long Beach State for the 21st-ranked UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team, which swept the 49ers 30-24, 30-22, 31-29 Friday night in the Thunderdome.
A season-high crowd watched the Gauchos record a three-game sweep over LBSU for the first time since Sept. 19, 1997 and improve to 17-7 overall and 12-3 in Big West Conference play. UCSB is now one-and-a-half matches ahead of second-place Cal State Northridge with two league contests remaining. The Beach - which has now dropped six of its last eight matches to Santa Barbara - fell to 14-8, 9-6 in the Big West.
In game one the Gauchos used a 9-2 run to open a 13-8 lead, forcing LBSU head coach Brian Gimmillaro to call timeout. The home team's lead grew as wide as 22-14 following Megan Blackshire's kill of an overpass, but the 49ers' crept back within 24-19 with a run of four unanswered points. Undeterred, UCSB closed out the opening frame thanks to senior outside hitter Erica Menzel's off-speed shot. She was one of five Gauchos with at least three put-aways in the first game, while the Beach hindered its cause with four service errors.
Game two was a back-and-fourth affair until freshman Olivia Waldowski's kill off a quick-set capped a 4-0 run by Santa Barbara and made the scoreboard read 12-8 in favor of the home team. A later run of five unanswered pushed the Gaucho lead to 22-14, and LBSU could not close within five points the rest of the frame. Another quick hit by Waldowski sent her squad into the locker room with a 2-0 advantage.
The third game was most indicative of the highly-competitive Santa Barbara-Long Beach rivalry, which dates back nearly three decades. Excellent blocking by the 49ers helped them build an early cushion, one they would maintain until UCSB finally evened things at 28-28 following a Waldowski ace. After a Beach timeout, Rosie Lewis slammed one home to give the visitors game point and prompt Santa Barbara head coach Kathy Gregory to ask for a stoppage of play herself. Menzel responded with a big cross-court slam, and UCSB won the next two points to complete the sweep thanks to 49er hitting errors.
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The Gauchos were led by their starting middle blockers - Waldowski and Blackshire - who notched a match-high 11 kills apiece and hit .563 and .389, respectively. Waldowski added three service aces, as did junior setter Mari Bell who amassed seven kills without an error and dished off 36 assists. Menzel dug 13 balls while junior libero Kristin Nelson scooped 11. Santa Barbara compiled a .284 hitting percentage to the Beach's .181.
Pacing the LBSU attack was Lewis with 10 put-aways. No other 49er had more than seven kills, although sophomore libero Heather Laudauto did a nice job defensively with 13 digs. Long Beach collectively out-blocked the Gauchos nine to eight.
UCSB - a perfect 7-0 at home this season - can clinch at least a tie for its second straight Big West title with a win over UC Irvine in the Thunderdome on Saturday, Nov. 15. First serve is slated for 7:00 p.m.
