Matadors Blanked at Top-Ranked Long Beach State

Sunday, March 4

Long Beach, Calif.

7:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

8-7 (0-2Big West)

Long Beach State

CSUN

Long Beach State

Photo by: Paul Trafecanty

Matadors Blanked at Top-Ranked Long Beach State

3/4/2018 8:31:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. - For the second time in three days, 12th-ranked CSUN went toe-to-toe with the top-ranked team in the country. After playing three tough sets on Friday in Northridge, the Matadors came out on the short end of a 3-0 score to No. 1 Long Beach State Sunday at the Walter Pyramid.

Senior Arvis Greene's nine kills was enough to lead CSUN (8-7, 0-2 Big West) which was limited to a season-low .152 team hitting clip. Junior Dimitar Kalchev added seven kills (.118) while Maciej Ptaszynski added five (.143).

Junior Eric Chance chipped in five kills, hitting a team-high .273 on 11 swings to go with a pair of blocks. Chance also served one of two CSUN aces in the loss.

The Matadors trailed by one at 13-12 in the opening set when the hosts scored on four of the next five points to force a CSUN timeout at 17-13. The Long Beach lead was still four at 20-16 when a 3-0 run by the 49ers all but sealed the set and when a Long Beach dig landed on the Matadors' side of the net, the hosts had a 25-18 win.

The second set was decided by the same 25-18 score as the frame transpired in much the same fashion. A Ptaszynski-Josiah Byers block pulled CSUN within one at 13-12 when the 49ers again claimed four of the next six points to open up a 17-14 cushion.

A Kalchev kill on the ensuing point cut the lead to two but the Matadors the surrendered a 5-0 run and Long Beach won the set going away.

CSUN stayed within one at 8-7 in the final set after a 49er swing went long. But a TJ DeFalco kill on the next point propelled the Beach on decisive 10-2 run that boosted the Long Beach lead to 17-10.

The Matadors could not get within six the rest of the way and Long Beach clinched the sweep when Ksawery Tomsia's service error ended the match.

DeFalco had a match-high 15 kills on .458 hitting as the 49ers (16-0, 2-0) hit a collective .316 as a team in remaining unbeaten on the season.

CSUN returns to The Matadome this week to open a season-long five-match homestand Friday (Mar. 9) against George Mason at 7 p.m.

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