California State University Northridge Athletics
California State University at Northridge
Long Beach State
CSUN Concludes Second Season With 5-0 Loss to Long Beach State
3/31/2015 12:00:00 AM | Beach Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - The CSUN Sand Volleyball team dropped its season finale Tuesday afternoon as No. 6 Long Beach State swept the Matadors 5-0 at the Matador Sand Volleyball Facility.
Playing the final match of its second season of sand volleyball, CSUN did not win a set Tuesday but still finished the season with a team dual record of 3-8. The Matadors won once in their inaugural season in 2014.
"The season was very good; we saw a ton of improvement in all the players," said CSUN head coach Jeff Stork. "We saw a tremendous effort by our players to get better and improve in something they hadn't done. Four or five of our players had never played sand volleyball at the start of the season and to see their development is very encouraging."
In the first set of matches, the 49ers easily won the No. 5 match as Rachel Nieto and Sammee Thomas defeated Cieana Stinson and Stephanie Serna 21-6, 21-10. In the No. 4 match, Andrew McHugh and Ciana Wagner handled Nada Dragovic and Alia Casino 21-15, 21-11.
Dragovic and Casino finished their first season playing together with a very respectable 5-6 dual match record.
The exhibition No. 6 match between CSUN's Lauren Conati and Brianna Johnson and LBSU's Lindsey Lawmaster and Morea Wagner was called with the Matadors leading 16-13 after the 49ers won the first set 21-15.
In the second flight of matches, the visitors picked up where they left off winning the No. 1 match to clinch the dual win. Delainey Aigner-Swesey and Chelsea Cabrajac defeated Casey Hinger and Kelcie Randazzo 21-18, 21-16. The loss was just the third in the last seven matches for Hinger and Randazzo who will compete in tournament play for CSUN in the coming weeks.
In the No. 3 match, Bre Mackie and Jenelle Hudson swept Julie Haake and Nicolette Pinkney 21-15, 21-12 before the 49ers clinched the sweep in the No. 2 match. In the last match to go final, Tyler Jackson and Anete Brinke topped Mahina Haina and Katie Sato 21-12, 21-15.
The Matadors concluded their second season with wins over Cal Poly and Boise State and also posted their first-ever home win over TCU.
"Our team record is an indication of where we are as a young program," added Stork. "We need to get more concentrated players that are going to be playing sand volleyball exclusively. We're losing to teams that have between 50 and 80% of their team made up of sand exclusive players. We have to migrate that way in the next couple of years and with the vision and support of Dr. Harrison and Dr. Martin I think we'll get there."
No. 6 Long Beach State 5, CSUN 0 - Tuesday, March 31, 2015 - Northridge, Calif.
No. 1. Delainey Aigner-Swesey/Chelsea Cabrajac (LBSU) def. Casey Hinger/Kelcie Randazzo (CSUN), 21-18, 21-16
No. 2. Tyler Jackson/Anete Brinke (LBSU) def. Mahina Haina/Katie Sato (CSUN), 21-12, 21-15
No. 3. Bre Mackie/Jenelle Hudson (LBSU) def. Julie Haake/Nicolette Pinkney (CSUN), 21-15, 21-12
No. 4. Andrea McHugh/Ciana Wagner (LBSU) def. Nada Dragovic/Alia Casino (CSUN), 21-15, 21-11
No. 5. Rachel Nieto/Sammee Thomas (LBSU) def. Cieana Stinson/Stephanie Serna (CSUN), 21-6, 21-10
Order of finish: 5,4,6,1*,3,2
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