LONG BEACH, Calif. – For the second time in the past two seasons, Duke and Long Beach State battled to five sets with the 49ers able to defeat the Blue Devils 3-2 (25-20, 15-25, 25-11, 23-25, 8-15) Friday evening at Walter Pyramid.
Duke (4-3) led 2-1 overall and held a 21-19 advantage in the fourth before Long Beach State (4-3) stormed back. LBSU used a 6-1 run to close out the fourth and scored eight of the fifth set’s first 11 points to take command of the match late.
Freshman outside hitter Jamie Stivers turned in a double-double, accounting for a career-high 17 kills to go along with 12 digs.