LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Long Beach State men's volleyball team kicked off the 2012 season with a 3-0 victory over the University of British Columbia in an exhibition match Tuesday evening at the Walter Pyramid.

Game scores were 25-21, 25-16, 25-18.

Robert Bennett (5th, Vancouver) paced UBC with ten kills, while hitting .500 (10-2-16).

Srdjan Nadazdin led LBSU with 12 kills and 11 digs, while classmate Jim Baughman finished with 10 kills and eight digs.

LBSU took an early 6-1 lead after a Nadazdin kill, but UBC proceeded to go on a 7-2 run to tie it up at 8-8.

The two teams traded points before the Thunderbirds scored five unanswered to pull ahead, 16-13 but the home team went on an 8-3 run to take the lead for good, eventually taking the opening set 25-21.

Long Beach State used a couple of big runs to run away with a 25-16 victory in the second set.

The 49ers trailed by two in the early going before using a 7-1 spurt, capped by a Nadazdin kill, to go up, 11-7.

UBC came within two, but sparked by three consecutive service aces from Brad Hemmerling, LBSU went on an 8-2 run to close out the set.

The 49ers carried their momentum over to set three where they took an early 11-4 advantage on a cross court kill from Nadazdin. Long Beach State went up by as many as 10 en route to the 25-18 win.

After four matches against some of the top volleyball programs in the NCAA, UBC will return home to prepare for a four-game home stand beginning on Jan. 13 against Thompson Rivers.

- with files from Long Beach State Athletics