Box Score 

JAMAICA, N.Y. - For the second time in four days the Fairfield volleyball fought hard against a nationally ranked opponent, but could not pull out the victory. This time the Stags fell to No. 24 Long Beach State, 3-0 (22-30, 25-30, 28-30) tonight at the St. John's Invitational.

Junior Karlie Urbaniak (Canton, Minn./Mabel-Canton) led the way for the Stags with nine kills while sophomore Katie Mann (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines) and freshman Lauren Wagner (Eagan, Minn./Cretin-Derham) each had seven kills. Senior Kelly Oliver (San Diego, Calif./La Jolla) had seven digs and five kills. Rookie Lauren Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) posted 12 digs.

Setter Ashley Hanohano (Hilo, Hawaii, St. Joseph) had 12 assists and two aces while sophomore Barbie Thistle (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield) posted 13 assists and three aces.

With the Beach (1-2) hanging on to a 12-11 lead after a Hanohano ace in game one, Long Beach began to gain some breathing room behind a 10-5 run. Kills by Mann and Wagner pulled the Stags within 21-18 but the Beach was able to control the rest of the way.

Long Beach began the scoring in game two, but a big block by Hughes and Mann pulled the Stags within 7-5. After Long Beach pushed their lead to four points, Fairfield posted three unanswered points to make the score 10-9. The Stags continued to fight, pulling within 12-11 on a tip by Hanohano that dropped in the middle of a collapsing Beach defense. Fairfield continued to hang in the game moving with 15-14 on an ace by Thistle. The Stags then tied the score 16-16 on a kill by Oliver and pushed their lead to two points on an ace by Hughes. Long Beach State responded by going on top 20-18, but a kill by Wagner pulled Fairfield within a point. After a net violation by the Beach tied the score, 20-20, Long Beach used a 6-2 burst to make the score 26-22. Hughes stopped the run with a big kill to the middle but the Beach held Fairfield off to take the 30-25 victory.

Fairfield opened the final stanza with an early 6-4 lead, but Long Beach State used a quick 7-0 run to take the lead and prompt a Fairfield timeout. The Beach continued the attack out of the break pushing their lead to 17-11. The Stags clawed back as Thistle brought Fairfield within 22-20 with an ace. The Stags then pulled with in a point on a Beach attack error. Oliver tied the score 24-24 with a kill to the back row but Alexis Krines stopped the run with a kill of her own. Hanohano delivered an ace to tie the score 26-26 and shifted momentum to the Stags. Fairfield went up 28-26 on a kill to the right side by Urbaniak but the Beach stopped the run with a kill by Ashley Lee and tied the score with an ace by Sarah Hudson and went on to take the match.

Fairfield (0-6) will continue action at the St. John's Invitational tomorrow, September 1, against the host Red Storm at noon and NJIT at 5 p.m. The St. John's match will be streamed live, visit http://www.redstormsports.com/ for more information.