‘Eaters strike gold against Long Beach

Steve Virgen

Terbrie Taylor is back and UC Irvine is winning volleyball matches

again. The Anteaters are also re-making school history, as well.

Coach Charlie Brande said his squad turned in its best match of

the season, as his Anteaters earned a 30-24, 26-30, 30-28, 30-25 Big

West Conference victory over visiting Long Beach State. It was the

first time the ‘Eaters defeated the 49ers at UCI since 1985 and the

first time they swept Long Beach State in a season since 1982.

“It’s a credit to these girls and their hard work,” Brande said.

Taylor, who sat out 4 1/2 matches because of a shoulder injury,

played in her second match since the setback and was instrumental in

UCI’s win. She delivered 18 kills, three aces and six block assists.

Taylor, a sophomore outside hitter, injured her shoulder when UCI

last defeated Long Beach State, a five-game thriller Oct. 11. Since

then, the Anteaters have gone 1-4, as she sat out four matches and

played sparingly in UCI’s loss to Utah State. That was the ‘Eaters’

fourth straight loss, but they won their second straight Saturday

night, while ending the 49ers three-match winning streak.

“There’s something about Long Beach State that makes us want to

play as hard as we can,” Taylor said. “And that’s the reason we came

out so hard.”

UCI’s victory proved especially sweet to the team’s junior core of

four and senior Brenda Waterman, a former Newport Harbor High

standout.

Juniors Kelly Wing, Sami Cash, Dana Kurzbard and setter Ashlie

Hain, along with Waterman were struck hard emotionally two years ago

when the 49ers beat UCI, 30-8, 30-19, 30-13 at Long Beach State.

“Long Beach beat us very badly,” Brande said. “We talked about

what we had to do make it a game with them and win. They worked very

hard to get to this point.”

Wing, who is fast becoming known as one of the top players in the

Big West, recorded 21 kills and 14 digs, while Cash had 12 kills and

eight block assists. Kurzbard contributed 12 kills and five block

assists, and Hain amassed a match-high 59 assists. Waterman produced

17 digs.

The Anteaters (14-7, 9-5 in conference) nearly swept the 49ers

(18-8, 9-5), as they moved ahead of them to take third in the Big

West standings with four conference matches remaining.

UCI displayed rhythm and took advantage of its momentum by winning

the first game rather easily. The Anteaters then opened Game 2 with

an 11-3 lead, and Long Beach State appeared to have few answers. But

the 49ers turned to seldom-used outside hitter Rosie Lewis, who came

up with five kills to lead her team to the second game victory.

Lewis finished with a career-high 14 kills. The 49ers were led by

Liz Hudson and her 22 kills.

UCI responded to its loss with a pivotal victory in Game 3. Wing

collected seven kills and Taylor added five to help lead the ‘Eaters

to the win.

In the third game, Cash recorded a kill, on an overpass to give

UCI a 29-27 lead, but the 49ers won back serve and cut the deficit to

one. However, the Anteaters ended the game when Wing finished off an

assist from Hain.

UCI returns to action Friday at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The

Mustangs are the only team the Anteaters have not beaten in Brande’s

four years with UCI.