NCAA VOLLEYBALL NORTHWEST REGIONAL : 49ers Can’t Overcome Ohio State

Those confused expressions and frustrated grimaces told the story.

After finding a little extra to overcome challenges so many times before, the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team could search all it liked, but it couldn’t come up with what it needed on this night.

The defending national champion 49ers were overpowered by Ohio State, 15-5, 14-16, 15-9, 15-5, Saturday night in the Northwest Regional final.

Ohio State (29-2) plays Stanford (30-1) in the final four Thursday at Austin, Tex. The championship game is Saturday.

The Buckeyes last played in the final four in 1991, when they lost to eventual national champion UCLA.

Ohio State dominated the deciding fourth game Saturday night, hitting .529%. The Buckeyes led, 13-2, at one point. Junior middle blocker Jenny Jackson ended the match with a kill. Jackson led Ohio State with 21 kills.

The loss ended the college career of 49er senior outside hitter Nichelle Burton, who had a match-high 24 kills. Burton, the Big West player of the year, was a two-time All-American selection.

Burton said Friday night’s emotional five-game victory over Hawaii in the regional semifinals took something out of the team.

“Last night was a little bit of a factor,” Burton said. “I think we were a little tired.”

Long Beach, which finished 27-6, endured a draining season. The 49ers were in a tight Big West race with Hawaii, UC Santa Barbara and Pacific, and won their fourth consecutive conference title in their final conference match.

“There wasn’t much left,” Long Beach Coach Brian Gimmillaro said. “We didn’t attack the ball at the net.”

After three games Saturday night, Ohio State led, 2-1. The 49ers led in the third game, 8-6, on a kill by Burton.

The Buckeyes tied the score, 8-8, then controlled the game, limiting the 49ers to one point the rest of the way. The game ended, 15-9, when a kill attempt by 49er senior middle blocker Traci Dahl went long.

Early in the second game, it appeared as though Long Beach was on its way to being swept. Leading, 1-0 in games, Ohio State took a 10-3 lead.

But Burton wouldn’t let the 49ers fold--and Brita Schwerm provided help.

The 49ers rallied, and Burton’s consecutive kills cut the Buckeyes’ lead to 10-9. The score became 10-10 when a kill attempt by Ohio State’s Jackson went long.

A block and a kill on consecutive plays by freshman middle blocker Nique Crump gave Long Beach a 12-10 lead, its first since leading, 2-1. From there, the game was tied at 12-12, 13-13 and 14-14.

Then Schwerm, who had 19 kills in the match, gave the 49ers a 15-14 lead with her fifth kill of the game. Her sixth kill from the left side ended the game.