CSUN Volleyball Team Hits Stumbling Block in Loss to Long Beach

Cal State Northridge Coach John Price banked his team’s chances of upsetting fifth-ranked Cal State Long Beach in a Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. match Friday night on good defense and solid blocking.

Unfortunately for the Matadors, Northridge’s blocking and defense failed in the crucial fifth game and CSUN fell to the 49ers at home, 15-7, 3-15, 15-12, 13-15, 9-15.

“Northridge scares me because they’re playing with so much confidence after beating Pepperdine on (the Waves’) court,” 49er Coach Ray Ratelle said before the match.

The Matadors (4-5, 2-3 in conference play) did play with confidence in the first and third games. Outside hitter Neil Coffman and middle blocker Coley Kyman keyed a six-point run in the first game to give CSUN the win despite 10 service errors.

Northridge’s self-assurance appeared to drop immensely in a 15-3 second-game loss, but Coffman and Kyman again keyed a win in the third game, with Kyman’s block providing the game-winning point.

The Matadors trailed throughout the fourth game but battled back to tie, 13-13, before Long Beach (8-2, 3-0) sealed the game with a kill by outside hitter Mark Kerins.

Seventh-ranked Northridge fell behind, 9-2, in the decisive fifth game as its defense went flat. Long Beach closed out the match on a kill by outside hitter Brent Hilliard.

Coffman led CSUN with 27 kills and Kyman added 24 kills and a team-high eight blocks. Setter Gary Reznick turned in an outstanding match with 80 assists.

Middle blocker Raphael Tulino added 21 kills for the Matadors.