California Baptist University
UC Irvine
OPENING TRADITION
1/7/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. ? California Baptist started the 2009 season the way it has the previous five seasons; with a match against UC Irvine.
The Lancers (0-1) pushed the sixth-ranked Anteaters (1-0) at times, but UCI came up with late runs at the right time to score the 3-0 (30-26, 30-27, 30-23) win over CBU.
Adiel Tiedjop started off the season with a match-high 15 kills, led the team with four blocks and tied for the team lead with six digs. Blair Penner was next in line with eight kills while Mike MacNeill had seven. Penner also led the way at the net with a match-high 22 assists and had a team high two aces. Tyler Krieger also had nine assists.
“We have a lot of new guys this year, but they make our defense really good this year,” said CBU head coach Ryan McGuyre. “We really didn't give ourselves chances to win because we didn't get our serves in. Last year we were stronger offensively and we don't have that the firepower this year so we have to be a little more creative in how we attack teams. If we get our serves in, we give this tougher defense a chance to work.”
Micah Tokuda also posted six digs while MacNeill had five. Garet Kreutziger also notched three blocks.
“I feel our young guys are well trained,” said McGuyre. “For as many freshmen as we had on the floor tonight, I definitely feel we are moving in the right direction. We obviously need to execute more, but we look a lot different now then how we looked in October.”
The Lancers hit just .195 (39-22-87) for the night after hitting .310 in the opening set. It was downhill from there as CBU hit .214 in the second and .067 in the third. The Lancers out dug (29-21) and out blocked (7.5-5) UCI, but the Anteaters posted a .283 hitting percentage and served three more aces (7-4).
CBU held a 10-9 lead in the opening set after a Tiedjop kill, but UCI used a 5-1 run to take a 14-11 lead. The Anteaters then took their biggest lead of the set at 24-17 on a 5-1 run. UCI then had set-point at 29-23, before a pair of errors and a kill by Penner got CBU within three at 29-26, but Austin D'Amore put the Anteaters up 1-0 in the match with a kill to close out the set.
The Lancers trailed 21-18 in the second, but used a 5-1 run that was capped by a double block by Kreutziger and Penner to give CBU a 23-22 lead. Scott Markley then gave the Lancers their biggest lead of the set at 26-23 with an ace, but UCI answered with a 7-1 run to close out the set an take a 2-0 match lead.
CBU battled again early in the final set and led 10-9, but it was the last lead it held. UCI took over the set with a 7-1 run and took any momentum the Lancers had to close out the match.
California Baptist goes from taking on No. 6 to traveling to No. 3 Pepperdine, Friday, for a 7 p.m. contest in Malibu, Calif.
