UCI Sweeps The Beach

April 14, 2006

NO. 3 UC IRVINE SWEEPS LONG BEACH STATE ON SENIOR NIGHT (Boxscore)

Irvine, Calif. -- After honoring UCI's four seniors, the third-ranked Anteaters blanked No. 12 Long Beach State, 3-0 (30-25, 30-21, 30-19) Friday at the Bren Events Center in front of 1,726 fans.

Senior opposite Matt Webber led all players with 13 kills, hitting .500 (13-3-20) and firing three service aces. With the three service aces, Webber moves into second on the UCI season aces list with 41, five shy of the school record set by Spencer Benus in 2004. Senior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky totaled 11 kills and also fired three service aces, while senior middle blocker David Smith hit .727 on eight kills in 11 swings without an error. Smith also had a team-high four blocks. Senior setter Brian Thornton orchestrated the Anteaters to a .449 team hitting percentage, while recording 41 assists, two kills and two blocks. Sophomore Taylor Wilson pitched in 10 kills and Brent Asuka had a match-high 11 digs.

Long Beach State was led by Dean Bittner with 11 kills, the only 49ers to hit double-digits. Paul Lotman and Teddy Liles each totaled seven kills, while Lotman had six digs. Long Beach State out-blocked UCI, 8.5 t0 7.0, but hit just .193 on the night.

UCI led 18-12 in game one, but Long Beach State went on a 8-2 run to tie the game at 20-20 on a Lotman kill. The Anteaters would use two Forty-niner errors, including a block by Jablonsky and Smith to extend the lead to 22-20. UCI would never relinqish the lead, taking the set 30-25.

With the score tied 8-8, the Anteaters went on a 11-4 spurt to open up a 19-12 advantage. The Anteaters would win the game 30-21 behind four kills by Webber and Wilson.

The final game was all UCI as they jumped out to a 7-3 lead and never looked back going on to the 30-19 victory.

The Anteaters improve to 23-5 overall and 16-5 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play. Long Beach State drops to 11-17 on the year and 6-16 in league play. The win gives UCI two points in the Black & Blue Rivalry Series sponsored by Duke's of Huntington Beach.

UCI will close out the regular season, traveling to UC San Diego Saturday (Apr. 14) for a 7:00 p.m. match at the RIMAC Arena.