Long Beach State Reaches Final

With senior setter Misty May leading the way, No. 1 Long Beach State defeated Florida, 15-2, 15-8, 15-10, Thursday night in the semifinals of the NCAA Division I volleyball tournament.

Long Beach State (35-0) advanced to face No. 2 Penn State (35-0) in Saturday’s championship match. It assures the NCAA of its first undefeated champion in its 18-year history.

May put down 11 kills and jump-served a pair of aces before a crowd of 12,327. Senior Jessica Alvarado led the 49ers with 12 kills.

Fourth-ranked Florida (35-3) has not won a game, let alone a match, in five trips to volleyball’s final four, and the Gators were overwhelmed from the start this time.

Long Beach took a 10-0 lead in the opening game and won easily. Florida staved off seven game points in the second game before losing, and Long Beach then swept the match.

Jenni Keene led Florida with 10 kills.

In the earlier semifinal, Lauren Cacciamani had 20 kills, Christy Cochran had 19 and three-time All-American Bonnie Bremner had 13 as Penn State beat No. 3 Nebraska, 15-11, 15-8, 8-15, 15-11.

Nebraska ended its season 32-2.

Penn State, whose season was ended by Nebraska five of the six times the teams previously met in postseason play, had been forced to play all six matches at the Nebraska Coliseum. The Nittany Lions’ lone win in Lincoln was in a regional final in 1996.

“Our goal is to end our season with a win,” Cacciamani said. “Whoever is on the other side of the net.”

In the opening game, Penn State scored the final six points for the victory. The Nittany Lions were in control of the second game the whole way.

“It’s great to have a lead,” Penn State Coach Russ Rose said. “It was great to be up 2-0, but we knew we weren’t playing best two out of three.”

Nebraska took a 6-0 lead in the third game and went on to win.

“We just didn’t fold,” Nebraska senior Jamie Krondak said. “After that first game, we could have just folded and let them take off and win in three. But we really came back and fought. I just wish we could have kept with them a little bit longer.”

Penn State overcame a 6-2 deficit in the clinching game, scoring nine consecutive points for the victory.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament

Final Four at Madison, Wis.

SATURDAY’S FINAL

* Long Beach St. (35-0) vs. Penn St. (35-0), 11 a.m. PST (ESPN2, 1 p.m.)