From Reports By Roger Kirk of LBSU Sports Information Dept.

The 49ers completed their most dominant offensive effort of the season, hitting .450 as a team in a 25-14, 25-18, 25-13 win over UC Riverside. With the win, No. 25 Long Beach improves to 23-4 on the year and 12-2 in Big West play.  They now sit atop the Big West, with their destiny in their own hands.

Nicole Vargas guided a balanced 49er offense by having a great night, totaling 45 assists while adding five kills. Caitlin Ledoux led the team with 14 kills in .545 hitting, though Vargas, Quincy Verdin, and Brittney Herzog all hit .500 or better on the evening in the blowout win.

A slow start in the first set didn’t hold the 49ers for long, as three Highlander errors helped put The Beach ahead 9-6. Long Beach State continued to press the advantage, moving ahead 16-9 after a Herzog and Cat Highmark block, and the 49ers would take a 25-14 win.

Sets two and three followed much of the same form, as the 49ers responded defensively with digs while continuing to hit at a high rate. The 49ers never lost the lead in the second set, despite UC Riverside keeping that set the closest, and Long Beach State moved out to an early 14-7 lead in the third set which translated into a 25-18 win.

All five of Long Beach State’s primary offensive attackers hit over .300 in the match, and Ledoux and Verdin both hit double-digit kills in the short match. Senior libero Iris Murray led the 49ers with 12 digs, and Lauren Minkel added 10 digs.

With the win, the 49ers are assured of at least a share of the Big West title with two conference games remaining. Long Beach State finishes their conference schedule against Cal State Northridge and Cal State Fullerton next week, and then returns home for their regular season finale against No. 16 Colorado State on Nov. 29.