Box Score SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Behind a stellar performance from Lindsey Ruddins, UCSB (12-9, 3-5) was able to do what no other team in the conference has done, taking a 2-0 lead against Long Beach State (13-8, 8-0) on Friday night. Unfortunately for the Gauchos, their early momentum was not enough to hand the 49ers their first Big West loss of the season, as it took five thrilling sets before Long Beach pulled away with a tight 15-13 win in the decisive final game.
"I'm proud of my team for putting us in a position to win the match against a very tough opponent," Head Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. "We played a very high level of volleyball for a lot of the match and unfortunately we came up just a little short. I thought we improved as a team tonight but we also have a lot to learn from this match."
Proving that the injury which kept her out of the Gauchos' first two Big West matches is officially behind her, Ruddins was the big bright spot in a match where UCSB struggled to hit as a team. The redshirt freshman paced her team with a game-high 25 kills, hitting at a .361 clip, while as a team the Gauchos hit just .213.
"I thought she was phenomenal tonight," Lantagne Welch said. "She just wanted to take over, you could see it in her play and her effort. She really got comfortable and she was on fire."
Long Beach's Nele Barber had an efficient offensive night of her own, leading the 49ers with 22 kills and a .442 hitting percentage.
Coming into the match, the 49ers had dropped just one opening set during conference play. A fearless UCSB side came out ready to make a statement in a back-and-forth first set, utilizing a 5-0 run capped off by a Ruddins kill to take control of the game.
The 49ers did their best to keep it close, pulling within just a point when a Megan Kruidhof kill made it 20-19 in favor of the home side. From there, UCSB put it away with a 5-2 run that was highlighted by a pair of aces from Hannah Juley and Maxine Burke. Burke's ace, which was her 14th of the season, gave the Gauchos a 25-21 win to open things up.
After getting the good start they had hoped for, the Gauchos carried their momentum into the second set. A pair of aces from Lexi Rottman sparked a 6-0 run for UCSB, their longest of the match, giving the home side a quick 9-3 lead. The Gauchos would enjoy their early cushion, as the 49ers struggled to fight their way back into the match.
After trailing the entire set, Long Beach was finally able to pull within a point at 23-22. Uninterested in letting their opponents extend the game, UCSB took care of business over the next two points as Ruddins smashed in a kill from the left side. Emilia Petrachi then closed things out with another game-clinching ace, giving her team a 25-22 win and a 2-0 lead.
Chanel Hoffman was the leader on offense through the first two sets, picking up 11 kills while hitting at a .400 clip.
"Offensively we were really in sync," Lantagne Welch said. "We were passing great and running a very fast offense and causing them problems by attacking. We were getting splits in the block and we were taking advantage of it."
The third game got off to a sloppy start for both teams. At one point, both sides combined for seven errors in a stretch of nine points. But, after a 12-12 deadlock, it was Long Beach that was able to take control as Ashley Murray went on a 3-1 run on her own to give the 49ers a 19-14 lead. The efficient hitting that the Gauchos had enjoyed through the first two sets suddenly disappeared as they ended the third with a .000 hitting percentage on their way to a decisive 25-15 loss.
For the second straight set, service and attacking errors hurt the Gauchos early as the 49ers used a 5-0 run to take a 13-8 lead. After falling behind 24-17, UCSB picked up four straight points before eventually losing the set 25-21.
"The third set I thought we took our foot off the gas a little," Lantagne Welch said. "We let them back into the match mentally I think more than anything and that's something you've got to learn from."
Trailing 11-9 in the decisive fifth set, UCSB went on a 3-0 run with kills from Ruddins and Hoffman, putting them in position to pull off the upset victory. However, the 49ers would score four of the next five points to take a 15-13 win and remain the only undefeated team in the conference.
After hitting over .300 through the first two sets, the Gauchos were unable to replicate that success for the rest of the game, hitting for just .000 and .176 in sets three and four, respectively.
UCSB picked up a big advantage in the serving game, earning nine aces compared to just two for Long Beach.
The Gauchos will be back in the Thunderdome to play Cal State Northridge tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online, over the phone at 805.893.UCSB (8272), and at the Ticketing Office in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building.
