Long Beach State University Athletics
Saturday, February 16
Long Beach, Calif.
7:00 PM
Long Beach State University
vs
UCLA
Photo by: John Fajardo
Top-Ranked Beach Set to Host No. 4 UCLA
2/15/2019 5:06:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
The Beach and the Bruins will face off on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Match #13
#1 Long Beach State vs. #4 UCLA
Date: Saturday, February 16
Time: 7:00 PM
Arena: Walter Pyramid (4,200)
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Radio: 22 West Radio
Radio Talent: Matt Brown & Bryan Fenley
Live Stream: Beach Vision
Twitter: @LBSUMVB
Instagram: @LBSUMVB
Complete LBSU Notes (PDF)
Top-Ranked Beach Set to Host No. 4 UCLA
No. 1 Long Beach State is set to face No. 4 UCLA at the Walter Pyramid on Saturday, February 16 at 7 p.m. The two teams met earlier this season and the Beach picked up a three-set sweep over the Bruins.
Catch All The Action
All Long Beach State men's volleyball home matches will be live streamed via Beach Vision. Fans can also tune into 22 West Radio to hear the match broadcasted by Matt Brown and Bryan Fenley.
Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State men's volleyball on Instagram and Twitter at @LBSUMVB. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook (Long Beach State Men's Volleyball).
You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU.Â
And don't forget our hashtags #GoBeach and #LBNation.
In the Rankings
Long Beach State remains in the No. 1 spot in the AVCA Division I-II Poll after opening the season with 12-straight victories. The Beach have been ranked No. 1 since Jan. 15, 2018.
UCLA is ranked No. 4 in the national rankings as the Bruins are 10-3 overall and 2-0 in the MPSF.
About The Beach
• No. 1 Long Beach State owns a 12-0 record and have won a program-record 32 straight home matches dating back to March 26, 2016.
• The Beach have won 11 of their 12 matches in straight sets, with their only four-set match coming against USC in LBSU's home opener.
• The Beach offense is hitting .431 on the year, which is good for second in the nation as well as in the Big West.
• Key components to Long Beach State's hot hitting come in the form of TJ DeFalco (.451), Louis Richard (.407), Nick Amado (.404), and Kyle Ensing (.352). The quartet are all ranked in the top 10 in the Big West and in the top 25 in the NCAA.
• TJ DeFalco was named Big West Conference Player of the Week after knocking down 24 kills on 33 swings, while committing just three errors on an impressive .636 attack percentage.Â
• After racking up 24 kills last week, DeFalco has amassed 1,425 in his career and slid into ninth all-time at Long Beach State. Joining DeFalco on the career kills list is Ensing who ranks 16th with 1,183 kills in his time at LBSU.
• The Beach have been dominant from the end line all season as they have racked up a total of 79 aces to average 2.14 per set which leads the nation.
• Senior setter Josh Tuaniga has been a major contributor on the court dishing out 10.85 assists per set to rank fourth in the nation and third in the Big West. As a team, the Beach own an assists per set average of 12.65 which is good for third in the league and fourth in the NCAA.
• Dating back to April 20, 2018, Long Beach State is on an 16-match winning streak.
Scouting the Bruins
No. 4 UCLA comes into the match against the Beach with a 10-3 overall record. The Bruins are 2-0 in MPSF action after having picked up wins over then-No. 9 Stanford (3-2) and then-No. 7 BYU (3-1).Â
Until a five-set loss to No. 6 UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday, the Bruins were riding a five-match winning streak.
UCLA's Brandon Rattray leads the team with 3.56 kills per set on .330 hitting. He also adds 1.32 digs per set and 0.44 blocks per set.Â
Micah Ma'a is the Bruins' setter as he averages 9.71 assists per set. Ma'a has helped pilot UCLA to a .335 attack percentage on the year. While Ma'a paces the offense, he also is solid defensively leading the Bruins with 1.83 digs per set.
At the net, Daenan Gyimah has posted a team-best 34 total blocks to average 0.72 blocks per set. Gyimah also owns 2.85 kills per set to rank second on the squad with a team-leading .533 (134-21-212) attack percentage.
Series vs. UCLA
Long Beach State and UCLA will go head-to-head for the 93rd time in program history. The Bruins lead the all-time series 51-41, however, the Beach have won the last five meetings, including a 3-0 sweep over UCLA last month at Pauley Pavilion.Â
Record Setters
After picking up a pair of wins last week at the Walter Pyramid, Long Beach State won its 32nd straight home contest to tie the program record. The Beach have not lost a match inside the Pyramid since March 26, 2016 when they dropped a 3-0 decision to then-No. 2 UCLA.Â
Aces Wild
Seniors TJ DeFalco, Kyle Ensing and Josh Tuaniga have all etched their names into the Long Beach State Record Book in one statistical category - career service aces. DeFalco leads the way with 146 in his career to rank second all-time. He is just 12 aces away from tying assistant coach Scott Touzinsky for first all-time with 158. Ensing, meanwhile, leads the Beach with 22 aces on the year to bring his career total to 107 which is good for seventh all-time at LBSU. Not to be outdone by his teammates, Tuaniga has racked up 92 aces in his collegiate career to rank ninth in the Long Beach State annals.
Movin' On Up
DeFalco and Ensing have also made their way into the LBSU career record book with 1,425 and 1,183 kills, respectively. DeFalco moved into the ninth spot all-time after collecting 24 kills last week. Meanwhile, Ensing moved into 16th place all-time with 1,183 and is 15 kills shy of moving into the top 15.
Helping Himself to the Top 10
Josh Tuaniga's name can also be found in multiple places in the Long Beach State record book. The senior setter lid into fifth all-time with 3,894 career assists. He is 106 helpers away from reaching the 4,000 mark and becoming just one of five Long Beach State players to ever accumulate 4,000 or more career assists.
Can You Dig It?
TJ DeFalco has collected 61 digs this season to bring his career mark to 668. He is just 13 digs shy of breaking onto the top 10 all-time at Long Beach State and tying LBSU standout Brett Schroeder's 681. DeFalco is currently second on the team as he averages 1.65 digs per set.
Tops in the Nation
Long Beach State leads the NCAA with 2.14 service aces per set after racking up 79 over 12 matches. The Beach boast a pair of players who rank in the top 10 in the nation in aces per set. Kyle Ensing leads the way with 0.61 which is good for fourth in the country amd tops in the Big West, while TJ DeFalco is eighth in the NCAA with 0.54 aces per set, which is good for second in the league.Â
Hitting the Spot
After leading the nation in hitting in each of the last two years, the Long Beach State offense picked up right where it left off. The Beach are hitting .431 on the year and are currently ranked second in both the NCAA and the Big West. LBSU has three players ranked in the top 25 in the nation. TJ DeFalco's attack percentage of .451 is seventh in the country and fourth in the league, Louis Richard is hitting .407 which is good for seventh in the conference and 12th in the nation. Kyle Ensing's .352 hitting percentage ranks him 10th in the league and 25th in the NCAA.
Legacy: Long Beach State
In December, the Big West Conference announced its plan to roll out LEGACY: Long Beach State, a five-episode docuseries. The series offers the never-before-seen inner workings of the National Champion Long Beach State men's volleyball team, while chronicling the 2019 campaign.
The first episode of LEGACY premiered on Dec. 27 and focused on the team's first official practice and featured a sit-down interview with senior middle blocker Nick Amado.
Episode two of LEGACY is set to be released in February and will focus on the team's Jan. 19 contest at UCLA in a rematch of the 2018 National Championship. The second episode will also include an interview with senior outside hitter TJ DeFalco.Â
Check out LongBeachState.com and the BigWest.org to catch all of the action.
The Future of LBSU Men's Volleyball
Long Beach State men's volleyball head coach Alan Knipe has announced the signing of six incoming freshman and one sophomore transfer for the 2020 season. The highly-touted recruiting class consists of libero Mason Briggs, middle blockers Aidan Grosz and Grant Marocchi, outside hitters Nate Harlan, Zach Schneider, and Karl Stenlund, as well as setter, Aidan Knipe.
2019 LBSU Men's Volleyball Promotional Schedule
• Friday, January 25 vs. USC - Championship Banner Reveal; Replica Championship Banner Giveaway
• Friday, February 16 vs. UCLA - Poster Giveaway; Postgame Autograph Session; Student Appreciation Night
• Saturday, March 9 vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) - SpongeBob Night; Beach Kids Club Bring a Friend Night
• Thursday, March 14 vs. UC Santa Barbara - St. Patty's Day Party; LB Stein Giveaway
• Friday, April 5 vs. UC San Diego - "Summer is Coming" Game of Thrones Theme Night
• Friday, April 12 vs. Hawai'i - Gold Rush (come dressed in all gold)
• Saturday, April 13 vs. Hawai'i - Senior Night
Up Next
Top-ranked Long Beach State will open Big West Conference action on Friday, March 1 against CSUN at 7 p.m. inside the Walter Pyramid.Â
#1 Long Beach State vs. #4 UCLA
Date: Saturday, February 16
Time: 7:00 PM
Arena: Walter Pyramid (4,200)
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Radio: 22 West Radio
Radio Talent: Matt Brown & Bryan Fenley
Live Stream: Beach Vision
Twitter: @LBSUMVB
Instagram: @LBSUMVB
Complete LBSU Notes (PDF)
Top-Ranked Beach Set to Host No. 4 UCLA
No. 1 Long Beach State is set to face No. 4 UCLA at the Walter Pyramid on Saturday, February 16 at 7 p.m. The two teams met earlier this season and the Beach picked up a three-set sweep over the Bruins.
Catch All The Action
All Long Beach State men's volleyball home matches will be live streamed via Beach Vision. Fans can also tune into 22 West Radio to hear the match broadcasted by Matt Brown and Bryan Fenley.
Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State men's volleyball on Instagram and Twitter at @LBSUMVB. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook (Long Beach State Men's Volleyball).
You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU.Â
And don't forget our hashtags #GoBeach and #LBNation.
In the Rankings
Long Beach State remains in the No. 1 spot in the AVCA Division I-II Poll after opening the season with 12-straight victories. The Beach have been ranked No. 1 since Jan. 15, 2018.
UCLA is ranked No. 4 in the national rankings as the Bruins are 10-3 overall and 2-0 in the MPSF.
About The Beach
• No. 1 Long Beach State owns a 12-0 record and have won a program-record 32 straight home matches dating back to March 26, 2016.
• The Beach have won 11 of their 12 matches in straight sets, with their only four-set match coming against USC in LBSU's home opener.
• The Beach offense is hitting .431 on the year, which is good for second in the nation as well as in the Big West.
• Key components to Long Beach State's hot hitting come in the form of TJ DeFalco (.451), Louis Richard (.407), Nick Amado (.404), and Kyle Ensing (.352). The quartet are all ranked in the top 10 in the Big West and in the top 25 in the NCAA.
• TJ DeFalco was named Big West Conference Player of the Week after knocking down 24 kills on 33 swings, while committing just three errors on an impressive .636 attack percentage.Â
• After racking up 24 kills last week, DeFalco has amassed 1,425 in his career and slid into ninth all-time at Long Beach State. Joining DeFalco on the career kills list is Ensing who ranks 16th with 1,183 kills in his time at LBSU.
• The Beach have been dominant from the end line all season as they have racked up a total of 79 aces to average 2.14 per set which leads the nation.
• Senior setter Josh Tuaniga has been a major contributor on the court dishing out 10.85 assists per set to rank fourth in the nation and third in the Big West. As a team, the Beach own an assists per set average of 12.65 which is good for third in the league and fourth in the NCAA.
• Dating back to April 20, 2018, Long Beach State is on an 16-match winning streak.
Scouting the Bruins
No. 4 UCLA comes into the match against the Beach with a 10-3 overall record. The Bruins are 2-0 in MPSF action after having picked up wins over then-No. 9 Stanford (3-2) and then-No. 7 BYU (3-1).Â
Until a five-set loss to No. 6 UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday, the Bruins were riding a five-match winning streak.
UCLA's Brandon Rattray leads the team with 3.56 kills per set on .330 hitting. He also adds 1.32 digs per set and 0.44 blocks per set.Â
Micah Ma'a is the Bruins' setter as he averages 9.71 assists per set. Ma'a has helped pilot UCLA to a .335 attack percentage on the year. While Ma'a paces the offense, he also is solid defensively leading the Bruins with 1.83 digs per set.
At the net, Daenan Gyimah has posted a team-best 34 total blocks to average 0.72 blocks per set. Gyimah also owns 2.85 kills per set to rank second on the squad with a team-leading .533 (134-21-212) attack percentage.
Series vs. UCLA
Long Beach State and UCLA will go head-to-head for the 93rd time in program history. The Bruins lead the all-time series 51-41, however, the Beach have won the last five meetings, including a 3-0 sweep over UCLA last month at Pauley Pavilion.Â
Record Setters
After picking up a pair of wins last week at the Walter Pyramid, Long Beach State won its 32nd straight home contest to tie the program record. The Beach have not lost a match inside the Pyramid since March 26, 2016 when they dropped a 3-0 decision to then-No. 2 UCLA.Â
Aces Wild
Seniors TJ DeFalco, Kyle Ensing and Josh Tuaniga have all etched their names into the Long Beach State Record Book in one statistical category - career service aces. DeFalco leads the way with 146 in his career to rank second all-time. He is just 12 aces away from tying assistant coach Scott Touzinsky for first all-time with 158. Ensing, meanwhile, leads the Beach with 22 aces on the year to bring his career total to 107 which is good for seventh all-time at LBSU. Not to be outdone by his teammates, Tuaniga has racked up 92 aces in his collegiate career to rank ninth in the Long Beach State annals.
Movin' On Up
DeFalco and Ensing have also made their way into the LBSU career record book with 1,425 and 1,183 kills, respectively. DeFalco moved into the ninth spot all-time after collecting 24 kills last week. Meanwhile, Ensing moved into 16th place all-time with 1,183 and is 15 kills shy of moving into the top 15.
Helping Himself to the Top 10
Josh Tuaniga's name can also be found in multiple places in the Long Beach State record book. The senior setter lid into fifth all-time with 3,894 career assists. He is 106 helpers away from reaching the 4,000 mark and becoming just one of five Long Beach State players to ever accumulate 4,000 or more career assists.
Can You Dig It?
TJ DeFalco has collected 61 digs this season to bring his career mark to 668. He is just 13 digs shy of breaking onto the top 10 all-time at Long Beach State and tying LBSU standout Brett Schroeder's 681. DeFalco is currently second on the team as he averages 1.65 digs per set.
Tops in the Nation
Long Beach State leads the NCAA with 2.14 service aces per set after racking up 79 over 12 matches. The Beach boast a pair of players who rank in the top 10 in the nation in aces per set. Kyle Ensing leads the way with 0.61 which is good for fourth in the country amd tops in the Big West, while TJ DeFalco is eighth in the NCAA with 0.54 aces per set, which is good for second in the league.Â
Hitting the Spot
After leading the nation in hitting in each of the last two years, the Long Beach State offense picked up right where it left off. The Beach are hitting .431 on the year and are currently ranked second in both the NCAA and the Big West. LBSU has three players ranked in the top 25 in the nation. TJ DeFalco's attack percentage of .451 is seventh in the country and fourth in the league, Louis Richard is hitting .407 which is good for seventh in the conference and 12th in the nation. Kyle Ensing's .352 hitting percentage ranks him 10th in the league and 25th in the NCAA.
Legacy: Long Beach State
In December, the Big West Conference announced its plan to roll out LEGACY: Long Beach State, a five-episode docuseries. The series offers the never-before-seen inner workings of the National Champion Long Beach State men's volleyball team, while chronicling the 2019 campaign.
The first episode of LEGACY premiered on Dec. 27 and focused on the team's first official practice and featured a sit-down interview with senior middle blocker Nick Amado.
Episode two of LEGACY is set to be released in February and will focus on the team's Jan. 19 contest at UCLA in a rematch of the 2018 National Championship. The second episode will also include an interview with senior outside hitter TJ DeFalco.Â
Check out LongBeachState.com and the BigWest.org to catch all of the action.
The Future of LBSU Men's Volleyball
Long Beach State men's volleyball head coach Alan Knipe has announced the signing of six incoming freshman and one sophomore transfer for the 2020 season. The highly-touted recruiting class consists of libero Mason Briggs, middle blockers Aidan Grosz and Grant Marocchi, outside hitters Nate Harlan, Zach Schneider, and Karl Stenlund, as well as setter, Aidan Knipe.
2019 LBSU Men's Volleyball Promotional Schedule
• Friday, January 25 vs. USC - Championship Banner Reveal; Replica Championship Banner Giveaway
• Friday, February 16 vs. UCLA - Poster Giveaway; Postgame Autograph Session; Student Appreciation Night
• Saturday, March 9 vs. Saint Francis (Pa.) - SpongeBob Night; Beach Kids Club Bring a Friend Night
• Thursday, March 14 vs. UC Santa Barbara - St. Patty's Day Party; LB Stein Giveaway
• Friday, April 5 vs. UC San Diego - "Summer is Coming" Game of Thrones Theme Night
• Friday, April 12 vs. Hawai'i - Gold Rush (come dressed in all gold)
• Saturday, April 13 vs. Hawai'i - Senior Night
Up Next
Top-ranked Long Beach State will open Big West Conference action on Friday, March 1 against CSUN at 7 p.m. inside the Walter Pyramid.Â
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
OPP
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
S
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