Despite outshooting both of their power five conference opponents, the Long Beach State women’s soccer team dropped a pair of matches to ranked teams last week. The 49ers (3-3) lost at No. 23 Texas on Thursday, and to No. 17 Auburn on Sunday. All three LBSU losses this season have come against ranked opponents in one-goal games.
“It’s a game of inches,” LBSU coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. “We will stay on message, and the message is to continue to respond. I’m very proud of how this group has responded. We’re definitely growing and getting better.”
Senior Ashley Gonzales scored the equalizer at Texas, her second of the season, but the Longhorns netted the game winner just after the hour mark. LBSU put five shots on target, while Texas scored twice on three shots on goal. Goalkeeper Imani McDonald returned (foot) and made one save.
LBSU outshot Auburn 14-7 at George Allen Field on Sunday, but the Tigers’ ninth minute goal proved to be the difference. Gonzales and Taylor Bistline led the 49ers with three shots each. McDonald made two saves.
“That was a cruel game,” Ingrassia said. “We spent the majority of the game attacking, and creating some golden chances. We were just unlucky in front of the net.”
LBSU returns to George Allen Field for the fourth time this season on Friday at 7 p.m. to face St. John’s. The Red Storm (3-3) lost close games with Syracuse and Tennessee last month. Zsani Kajan has scored six of St. John’s 12 goals this year.
Women’s Volleyball
LBSU (4-4) edged Texas Tech at Walter Pyramid on Monday morning 25-17, 20-25, 25-16, 18-25, 15-13. Hailey Harward had a team-high 16 kills, 15 digs and a career-high seven service aces for The Beach. The junior is averaging 3.27 kills per set.
Junior YiZhi Xue collected a season-high seven blocks in the middle. In two matches last week, Xue had 27 kills (1.93 per set) on .420 hitting and 16 blocks.
Freshman Kashauna Williams was in on six blocks against Texas Tech, and freshman setter Carley Aigner-Swesey finished with 45 assists.
LBSU is in Maryland this weekend for two games as part of the Towson Invitational. The Beach will face Princeton on Thursday, and Towson on Friday in the first matchs ever against both universities. Princeton (3-0) has wins over Northwestern, Stephen F. Austin and Colgate.
Men’s Water Polo
The 49ers (3-1) opened the season with three wins at the Triton Invitational in San Diego last weekend. The marquee victory came in the last game of the event as No. 6 LBSU edged No. 9 UC Irvine 9-8 in overtime. Freshman Jonathan Wong scored three goals in the match, including the game-winner in the third overtime period.
LBSU is in Redlands this weekend for two games as part of the Inland Empire Classic.
Cross Country
Seniors Trevor Stangle and Mikayla Florez were the top finishers in the first event of the season at the Mark Covert Classic.
