The fifth-ranked Cal State Northridge men’s volleyball team won its third match in a row with a three-game sweep over Quincy 30-24, 30-19 and 30-24 at the Matadome March 7.
In game one, the Hawks had an early 3-2 lead and the game stayed close through most of it. The Matadors cut the lead to one kill by senior Cary Hanson and took a substantial 20-17 lead on a sophomore Travis Bluemling kill. Quincy cut the lead to 24-23 but CSUN scored six of the next seven points and took the first game.
With a small 5-4 lead in game two, the Matadors scored seven of the next nine points to open a 12-6 lead. CSUN’s lead grew to 18-11 after a huge block by junior Dan Rhodes, senior Matt Ballante and sophomore Issac Kneubhal that propelled CSUN to the easy win.
Game three was similar to game two with the Matadors holding an early 10-6 lead. CSUN, however, would never trail in the game and won it 30-24, and the match.
Brian Waite had a match-high 12 kills while Rhodes added 10 kills and eight blocks. Bluemling had 43 assists and nine digs. With the win, the Matadors improved its record to 11-7 overall.
In the second of the three matches, the Matadors dominated UC San Diego 30-28, 30-21 and 30-18 in a 3-0 sweep March 4 at the Matadome.
In game one, the Matadors had the early 8-5, but lost it at 12-11. The Matadors, however, took the lead back at 14-13 after UCSD’s Garret Smith hit out. The Tritons did not give up as they reclaimed the lead at 19-18 after Mike Reuter and Smith teamed together to block freshman Eric Vance.
UCSD opened its biggest lead at 22-20 before CSUN scored three in a row to take a one-point lead. The Matadors built the lead to 27-24 before the Tritons tied the game again at 28. Ballante got a kill to give the Matadors a 29-28 lead and teamed up on a block with Rhodes to give the Matadors a 30-28 win.
In game two, CSUN held an 8-7 lead before the Matadors scored nine of the next 12 points to open up a 17-10 lead, winning the game 30-20 win.
Game three was similar to game two. The Matadors had a big 10-4 lead and won the game easily 30-18 and the match.
Vance had a match-high 19 kills, six digs, three blocks and an ace while hitting .464. Senior Brian White added 10 kills and six assists and Hanson contributed with seven kills. Bluemling posted 40 assists, four blogs and three digs for CSUN, which hit .326 as a team.
In the first of three matches, the Matadors upset fifth-ranked Long Beach State in five games 32-30, 30-28, 21-30, 17-30 and 15-12 March 3 at the Matadome.
Even though CSUN won the first two games, they were not easy tests. The Matadors took a 5-4 lead in game one and held onto it until the 49ers took the 22-21 lead. It did not take CSUN long to take back the lead at 24-23. The game was tied three more times, the last at 30-30 before CSUN got a kill from Rhodes. Then Waite and Bluemling teamed up for a block, which gave the Matadors the win.
Even though game two was close, CSUN did not trail at any point of the game. The Matadors went up 10-7 on a Vance kill and led 27-23. Long Beach tied the game six times and got within a point three times, but CSUN took game two 30-28.
In games three and four, it was the 49ers who did not trail in either game. In game three, Long Beach led by as much as 10 and won 30-21. In game four, the 49ers sprinted to a 9-0 lead and CSUN never got close, losing by 12.
In the fifth and decisive game, the 49ers took a brief 4-3 lead on a Lotman kill. CSUN, however, received a kill from Waite, along with a Long Beach error, giving the Matadors a 6-4 lead. The 49ers would get as close as one point three times, but the Matadors built a 14-12 lead and won the match on a Bluemling, Bellante block to win the game and take the series 3-2.
Waite had 11 kills, eight blocks and three aces, while hitting .381. Vance had a team-high 23 kills while Rhodes added 16 and six digs. Bluemling posted 53 assists, eight digs and five blocks.
Justin Satzman can be reached at sports_sundial@csun.edu.
