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CSU Sets Record for Wins with Win over LBSU
Rams improve to 28-4 on the season.
Nov. 26, 2003
LONG BEACH, Calif. - In the final regular season match of the 2003 season, the 12th-ranked Colorado State Rams swept the Long Beach State 49ers, 30-22, 30-24, 31-29 to improve to 28-4 on the season. With the win, the Rams set the new school record for consecutive victories at 21, breaking the old record of 20 from the 2001 team. Long Beach moves to 17-9 with the loss and has two regular season matches remaining. Colorado State won a match for the second straight time with an ace serve, this one by junior middle blocker Katie Jo Shirley to win its 28th match. Sophomore outside hitter Tess Rogers led the Rams with 11 kills, while Shirley had 14 and hit a match-high .619, recording only one hitting error on the night. Sophomore right side hitter Dre Downs added 12 kill on the evening. Junior middle blocker Bri Frech and Downs led the Rams with four blocks each. Junior setter Melissa Courtney tied her career-high and led all players with 18 digs. "We started out strong and blocked really well," said head coach Tom Hilbert. "Knew we had to get a lot of balls to Dre and she came through big for us. LBSU is a great defensive team and they provide a lot of challenges to you because of that and it took a little while for us to adjust to." "This has been one of the greatest weeks since I've been here," Hilbert continued. "I'm really proud of our team and I'm proud of our program. Its an exciting time for CSU volleyball and I'm excited to see the NCAA draw." Long Beach State was led by Erika Chidester with 13 kills, while Liz Hudson had three aces. Four 49ers recorded double figures in digs with Jillian Mazzarella and Heather Laudato getting 14 and Hudson and Sara Kroneberger chipping in 10. Mazzarella and Mariko Crum each had two blocks.
Despite missing seven serves in the first game, the Rams won 30-22. Long Beach State scored the first two points of the match off CSU errors but the Rams scored the next two off kills by Rogers and Downs to knot the score at 2-2. LBSU then scored the next three points, two off CSU errors to take the 5-2 lead. The Rams scored two more to make the score 5-4. Rogers missed her serve but the Rams scored the next two points to tie the score at six all. The 49ers scored three of the next four points to take the 9-7 lead, but Sarauer got a kill and then Courtney and Shirley combined for a block to knot the score at 9-9. The score was again tied at 10-10 and the Rams took their first lead of the match off a Rogers kill and scored the next point of a Long Beach error to lead 12-10. The Beach took a timeout and scored the next to points for the sixth tie of the game at 12-12. The Rams scored three straight, two off Frech kills to lead 15-12. Courtney missed the next serve and Frech got another kill for the 16-13 lead. Rogers then served an ace for CSU for the 17-13 advantage. After the teams traded points until 20-17, the Rams scored two straight to lead 22-17. The Rams missed another serve but Rogers got a kill off the tip to make the score 23-18 and Long Beach used its final timeout. The Beach scored the next three points to close within two, 23-21, but Downs got a kill for the 24-21 lead. Courtney hit a ball long on a back row attack but then the Rams rattled off the final six points behind the tough serving of Frech to win.
The Rams again started the second game with two straight errors, but Downs got a kill to make the score 1-2. Uhart got a kill for The Beach and then Lewis hit it long for the 3-2 Long Beach lead. The Rams missed another serve, but knotted the score at 4-4 after Sarauer got two straight kills. Lewis then got two straight kills for the 49ers, but the Rams rattled off five straight to lead 9-6, thanks in part to two kills by Shirley and a kill and block by Rogers. Long Beach battled back to score the next four points, including an ace serve to lead 10-9, but Rogers got a kill for the fourth tie at 10-10. Long Beach scored the next three, but then the Rams did the same to tie the score at 13-13. Long Beach scored two straight but then the Rams eight of the next nine points, thanks in part two blocks and two Sarauer kills to lead 21-16 when the 49ers called a timeout. Long Beach scored two points out of the break, but Shirley recorded a kill for the 22-18 CSU lead. WIth the 27-24 advantage, the Rams scored the final three points, two off kills by Shirley to win 30-24. An ace serve by Hudson started the third game, but the Rams got back-to-back kills by Rogers to lead 2-1. Chidester tied the score with a tip, but the Rams scored the next five points behind tough serving by Rogers to lead 7-2. The teams traded points until 8-4 when the Rams scored five of the next six points, including two kills by Shirley and a solo block by Courtney for the 13-5 lead. Long Beach State scored the next four points and CSU called a timeout. Rogers got a kill out of the block, but the 49ers scored the next four points to close within one 14-13. Casey Bauer got a CSU kil and then Courtney served an ace to lead 16-13. Long Beach scored three of the next four points with the lone CSU point coming from a Downs kill for the 17-16 score. The teams traded points until 19-18 when the Rams scored two straight for the 21-18 lead. Hudson got a kill and then Rogers hit one long for the 21-20 Rams lead. Shirley got a kill and then Courtney got her second solo block of the night for the 23-20 advantage. Long Beach State scored four straight, including an ace serve to take the 24-23 lead when Hilbert used his final timeout. Rogers got a kill off the block to tie the score at 24-24. The score was again tied at 25,26, 27, 28 and 29 before the Rams got a kill from Rogers and an ace by Shirley to win 31-29 The Colorado State team will find out on Sunday where they will be playing in the NCAA Tournament. Please join the Rams at CB & Potts for the NCAA Selection Show. Come in for dinner at 5:00 and watch the selection show at 6:00 p.m. with the Rams. |
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