Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Utah Tech University Athletics

LBSU Recap
Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics
3
Winner Long Beach St. LBSU 2-1,0-0 Big West
2
Dixie St. Dixie 0-3,0-0 WAC
Winner
Long Beach St. LBSU
2-1,0-0 Big West
3
Final
2
Dixie St. Dixie
0-3,0-0 WAC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Long Beach St. LBSU 25 23 25 20 15 (3)
Dixie St. Dixie 17 25 21 25 10 (2)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Trailblazers drop five-set thriller to Long Beach State

Three post doubles-doubles in the loss

The Dixie State volleyball team dropped a five-set thriller to Long Beach State on Saturday in its final match of the Boise State Invitational in Boise, Idaho.
 
Three DSU players posted double-doubles in the loss, as Whittnee Nihipali and Hannah Howard each notched their second consecutive double-doubles. Nihipali finished with 15 kills and 12 digs, while Howard recorded career-best marks with 13 kills and 13 digs. Lauren Mena claimed her first double-double in a DSU uniform with 37 assists and 17 digs.
 
Long Beach State jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a 25-17 win in set one that saw LBSU lead wire-to-wire.
 
The Trailblazers (0-3) wasted no time bouncing back, racing to a 9-3 lead in set two to force an LBSU timeout. The break in the action seemed to work as DSU saw a 9-5 run tie the game at 15-15. From there, neither team led by more than three points, and the Trailblazers eventually turned a 22-22 tie into a 25-23 second-frame victory.  Howard led the charge with seven kills in the set.
 
The teams battled to a 13-13 tie in set three before LBSU used a pivotal 6-0 run to take control with a 19-13 advantage. DSU would later close the gap to 21-18, but would get no closer as Long Beach State held on for a 25-21 triumph.
 
Dixie State staved off defeat in the fourth set, racing to a 15-9 lead behind four kills by Kate Hardy and a pair of kills and a service ace by Nihipali. LBSU managed to cut the lead to 16-13, but DSU dug in and closed out a 25-20 win to force a decisive fifth set.
 
After trailing 2-0 in set five, the Trailblazers used a 7-2 run to build a 7-4 lead near the halfway point in the set. Long Beach State countered with an 8-2 run to retake the lead at 12-9. DSU pulled to within 12-10 after a Nihipali kill, but would get no closer, as LBSU closed the match with three consecutive points.
 
Dixie State hit .170 for the match and posted 48 kills, weekend-best marks in both categories. Along with the three double-doubles, Hardy added 11 kills to go with a career-high eight digs.
 
The Trailblazers will travel to Provo, Utah, next week to take on Michigan State, BYU, and Weber State in the BYU Invitational.
 
Print Friendly Version