Semifinal Highlights | Championship Central >>>
| No. 4 seed Long Beach State 3, No. 1 seed UC Santa Barbara 2 |
Box score | LBSU presser | UCSB presser
LONG BEACH, Calif. - It was a literal Black (and Gold) Friday from Walter Pyramid in the semifinal round of the 2023 Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship as host and No. 4 seed Long Beach State ousted regular-season champion and top-seeded UC Santa Barbara by a final score of 3-2.
The upset saw the Beach (21-9) triumph over the Gauchos in the third-straight five-set thriller in the championship. Set scores oscillated between the two teams—26-24, 23-25, 25-17, 16-25, and 15-12. With the win, LBSU advances to the inaugural championship finale, set to take on the winner of the nightcap between No. 2 seed Hawai’i and third-seeded Cal Poly on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Long Beach State's victory was spearheaded by standout performances from key contributions from junior outside hitter Elise Agi, who compiled 20 kills, seven digs and four blocks to lead the way. Natalie Glenn was back in the mix with a significant role tallying 19 kills and five blocks – three of which were solo stuffs. Glenn also served up three aces in pivotal moments and commanded the service line at the end of the final frame to give the Beach the early match lead. Big West Setter of the Year Zayna Meyer orchestrated the offense with 45 assists to go along with a match-high 15 digs in the victory.
Big West Player of the Year Michelle Ohwobete led the offensive charge for UC Santa Barbara with 15 kills, supported by 11 kills and five blocks and an ace from Briana McKnight and a 10-kill, five-block outing for Tasia Farmer.
UCSB found themselves in a 12-6 hole in the first set before clawing back to even serve for the set point of the night before LBSU rallied back for the 26-24 win with the final four points in the frame. Agi powered down two kills and Glenn got an ace before a setting error on the Gauchos gave the Beach the advantage.
The second set saw a late lead for the Beach evaporate with UCSB scoring the final four points to even the tally with sophomore Sophie Reavis stuffing the penultimate point before scoring the final point to knot the match.
The third and fourth frames were dominant displays for the winning side, with USCB taking the third 25-17 before LBSU rallied back with the 25-16 win in the fourth. The fifth frame was even at 6-6 when Reavis again found pay dirt, but LBSU was able to reel off six of the next seven points to gain a 12-7 cushion. Glenn was again strong at the net to get LBSU one point away from victory and the score at 14-8, but the Gauchos were able to stave away four set point tries before a pass from Meyer found the hands of Glenn as the two connected for the win.
UC Santa Barbara, sporting an impressive 27-4 overall record and ranked 34th in the latest NCAA RPI, awaits the committee decision for an at-large bid to the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship, while Long Beach State needs one more win to find themselves in the national field.
| No. 2 seed Hawai'i 3, No. 3 seed Cal Poly 0 |
Box score |
UH presser |
CP presser
No. 2 seed Hawai'i emerged victorious in straight sets against the No. 3 seed Cal Poly in the nightcap of the semifinal round of the 2023 Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship from Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif.
The Rainbow Wahine advance to take on host and No. 4 seed Long Beach State in the inaugural championship finale, with the victor earning The Big West’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship.
Hawai'i clinched the victory with set scores of 25-17, 25-18, and 26-24. The Mustangs pushed to take the match to a fourth, even playing for their own set point with the score at 24-23 in favor of Cal Poly, before UH rattled off three straight points off of passes from Kate Lang, with Amber Igiede’s ball to close the match sending the pro-Hawai'I crowd into celebration.
Statistical highlights revealed strengths for Hawai'i in key categories, with a notable edge in kills (53-36), hitting percentage (.297 to .229), and assists (51-34). Cal Poly, while resilient, could not match Hawai'i's offensive prowess.
Hawai'i's multifaceted attack saw four players finish with double-digit kill tallies, with Caylen Alexander’s 15 leading the match. Kendra Ham added a double-double of 10 kills and 18 digs with senior Amber Igiede adding 12 kills on .462 hitting with two service aces and a pair of blocks for the ‘Bows. Kate Lang closed the night with 44 assists in the victory.
Hawai'i's serving proved impactful, securing seven aces compared to Cal Poly's two, contributing to their overall control of the match.
The Mustangs’ attack was paced by 12 kills on .286 hitting from redshirt sophomore outside hitter Lizzy Markovska. Emme Bullis assisted on 31 scoring plays and scooped up seven digs in the loss. Cal Poly closes the year at 21-10.