LBSU star sophomore setter Madi Maxwell leads The Beach to a 3-0 sweep over UC Irvine with her second triple-double of the season on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Walter Pyramid. Diego Perez | Long Beach Current

Long Beach State women’s volleyball (17-6) took down conference rival UC Irvine (10-14)  in straight sets in the latest chapter of the “Black and Blue Rivalry Series” behind sophomore setter and two-time Big West Setter of the Week Madi Maxwell’s triple-double on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Walter Pyramid.

“[Maxwell] did a great job of balancing [the offense], and our offense did a good job of finding those holes in a very solid UCI defense,” LBSU head coach Natalie Reagan said.

After recording the first triple-double for LBSU since 2012 just two games ago against Cal State Bakersfield, Maxwell repeated her all-around stellar performance with 10 kills, 11 digs and 27 assists to power The Beach to a win on Saturday. 

Entering Saturday’s game, UCI boasted an impressive defense, holding opponents to a hitting percentage of .183, the third best rank in the Big West, and 2.5 blocks per set, which ranks fourth in the conference. 

Despite that, LBSU’s fearsome offensive attack was able to post a .270 hitting percentage against UCI, and had 17 blocks compared to the Anteaters’ eight.

“Irvine is a great blocking team, and the fact that we out-blocked them is great for us,” Reagan said.

LBSU’s offense was headed by a balanced approach. 

The Beach celebrate an ace from sophomore setter Madi Maxwell (center), who racked up 10 kills, 11 digs and 27 assists in LBSU’s 3-0 victory over UC Irvine on Saturday, Nov. 1. Diego Perez | Long Beach Current

The senior middle blocker duo of Nieko Thomas and Rhiann Sheffie led the way with 10 and nine kills each, while freshman opposite hitter and five-time Big West Freshman of the Week Logan King and freshman middle blocker Sidney Hamaker both chipped in with seven kills a piece. 

“I think we all leaned on each other today, it’s just a chain reaction,” Thomas said.

The first set began with back-and-forth play, as Sheffie led the way for The Beach early while the Anteaters spread the offense around, with three players scoring multiple kills within their first 10 points. 

Thomas caught fire with four kills in her first five attacks, prompting a UCI timeout at 15-10.

The Beach rode that momentum and extended the lead to 21-13 behind two kills and two blocks by Maxwell, as LBSU would go on to close to the set 25-15. 

The Anteaters started the second set strong with three kills in a row from graduate middle blocker Sydnee Rowe, but Thomas and King fired back with two kills of their own to tie up the game at 5-5.

Despite the continued dominance from LBSU’s middles, as Thomas recorded three blocks in the set, Rowe kept the Anteaters in the set with five of her team-high ten kills. 

A 3-0 run from UCI forced a timeout from Reagan, but it failed to stop the bleeding.

UCI remained red hot and extended its run to tie it at 22-22, until Sheffie shut them down with a kill and a block.

Maxwell ended the set with a kill as the crowd erupted after a hard-fought, 25-23 set two win.

LBSU junior defensive specialist Laurel Barsocchini racked up seven digs in The Beach’s sweep of the Anteaters at the Walter Pyramid on Saturday, Nov. 1. Diego Perez | Long Beach Current

Kills by King and junior outside hitter Anabel Kotzakov got The Beach off to a quick 4-1 lead in the third set.

King and Hamaker added two more kills each en route to a six-point LBSU lead.

UCI senior outside hitter Kendra Duffey’s two kills in-a-row gave UCI life, and helped cut the lead to 12-10.

Back-and-forth play on both sides kept the score close, but two more kills by Kotzakov kept The Beach in the lead at 18-16. 

Two kills by Maxwell and two service aces in-a-row by freshman libero Izzy Mahaffey gave LBSU a 23-19 lead near the end of the third set.

The Beach closed out the third and final set, 25-22, with Maxwell’s 10th kill of the game to seal the win and her triple-double.

LBSU will face a major test in its next outing, as it visits Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the number two-ranked team in the Big West, on Friday, Nov. 7.