UCLA Wins Volleyball Rematch

Top-ranked UCLA regrouped after an early scare Saturday night to record a 10-15, 15-12, 15-10, 15-7 victory over Cal State Long Beach in a nonconference rematch between last season’s NCAA women’s volleyball finalists.

UCLA, a two-time defending national champion that has won 39 in a row, was extended beyond the three-game minimum for the fourth time this season. Third-ranked Long Beach, which had its 27-match winning streak ended, is 27-2. The 49ers’ other loss was to second-ranked Stanford.

An overflow crowd of more than 2,000 in the 49ers’ campus gym watched Long Beach score six unanswered points midway through the first game en route to victory.

Long Beach then led, 7-2, midway through the second game, but UCLA’s superior depth began to take effect. The Bruins (29-0) evened the match by outscoring the 49ers, 13-5. Then, with the help of nine Long Beach service errors, they won the third game.

“I’m not sure what happened in that second game,” said Brian Gimmillaro, Long Beach coach. “My feeling was, for some reason that we just ran out of gas.”

In the fourth game, UCLA fell behind, 6-2, then rallied behind the hitting of All-American Natalie Williams. The Bruins won the match when Annett Bucker blocked Nichelle Burton’s spike.

“Long Beach came out very fired up and eager to play us,” UCLA Coach Andy Banachowski said. “All their serves were very tough and kept us out of sync in that first game.”