Kyle Ensing Garners Big West Conference Player of the Year, Knipe Named Coach of the Year
4/15/2019 12:30:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
Long Beach State nets five Big West All-Conference selections
LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Big West Conference announced the men's volleyball all-conference selections on Monday afternoon and for the second time in as many years, Long Beach State claimed two of the league's three major awards. Senior opposite Kyle Ensing was named Big West Conference Player of the Year, while head coach Alan Knipe was selected as Coach of the Year. Overall, the Beach garnered five all-conference selections.
In addition to being named Player of the Year, Ensing also earned All-Big West First Team accolades along with seniors Nick Amado, TJ DeFalco, and Josh Tuaniga. Sophomore Simon Andersen rounded out the LBSU all-conference selections with an Honorable Mention nod.
Knipe, who is in his 16th year at the helm of the Long Beach State men's volleyball program, led the team to its second Big West Conference regular season title after the squad closed out the year with a perfect 10-0 conference record and a 25-1 overall mark.
Under Knipe's guidance, Long Beach State has won a program-record 41 consecutive home contests as the Beach have not dropped match inside the Walter Pyramid in more than three years. This season, Knipe has led the Beach to 12 victories over ranked opponents, including a 5-0 record against top-five ranked opponents.
Ensing garnered Big West Conference Player of the Year honors and his second All-Big West First Team nod after turning in an outstanding senior campaign. The Valencia, Calif., native closed out the regular season with 304 kills, 104 digs, 55 total blocks, 45 service aces, and a .356 attack percentage. His aces per set average of 0.52 is good for seventh in the country, while his hitting percentage and kills per set average of 3.53 rank 19th in the NCAA. Ensing leads the team with 377.5 points for a 4.39 points per set mark which ranks 13th in the nation and fourth in the conference.
The 6-foot-7 opposite has racked up a team-leading 17 double-figure kills contests this season, while leading the Beach in kills on 14 occasions. Ensing has also led the team in digs on four occasions, and blocks three times.
A force on both sides of the ball, Ensing led Long Beach State to a five-set win over then-No. 3 UC Santa Barbara with a career-best 27 kills last month and posted a career-high eight blocks in the Beach's sweep of then-No. 11 CSUN to open league play earlier this season.
Ensing has also written himself into the Long Beach State record book as he has accumulated 1,363 career kills to rank 11th all-time. Meanwhile his 130 career aces tie him for fourth in LBSU men's volleyball program history.
Amado took home his second All-Big West First Team selection after leading the Beach with 0.96 blocks per set to rank fourth in the league and 26th in the nation. The 6-foot-6 middle blocker totaled 78 total blocks after tying his career-high with nine blocks against then No. 11 CSUN last month. In addition to his solid blocking defense, Amado has registered 1.83 kills per set on .527 hitting.
DeFalco claimed his second All-Big West First Team nod as the senior outside hitter concluded the regular season with 3.44 kills per set to rank second on the team and in the top 25 in the nation. His aces per set average of 0.53 leads the Beach and is fifth in the country, while his hitting percentage of .392 is good for third in the Big West and 12th in the NCAA.
Tuaniga joined Ensing, Amado and DeFalco on the All-Big West First Team for the second time in his career as the senior setter dished out 10.76 assists to lead the Beach offense to a .414 attack percentage which ranks second in the country. Tuaniga is hitting .674 on the year as he has knocked down 64 kills on 92 swings with just two errors. He has also added 1.60 digs per set, 0.37 blocks per set, and 0.27 aces per set.
Rounding out Long Beach State's All-Big West Conference selections is Andersen who earned Honorable Mention honors for the second time in his career. The 6-foot-8 middle blocker averaged 0.73 blocks per set to go along with 1.60 kills per set with a .556 clip. He tied his career-high with 11 kills against then-No. 7 UC Irvine earlier this season and posted a season-high five blocks on two occasions.
Long Beach State will be back in action on Friday, April 19 as the No. 1 seed in the Big West Men's Volleyball Tournament. The Beach will play the winner of the No. 4 UC Santa Barbara/No. 5 CSUN match at 8 p.m. (PT) at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In addition to being named Player of the Year, Ensing also earned All-Big West First Team accolades along with seniors Nick Amado, TJ DeFalco, and Josh Tuaniga. Sophomore Simon Andersen rounded out the LBSU all-conference selections with an Honorable Mention nod.
Knipe, who is in his 16th year at the helm of the Long Beach State men's volleyball program, led the team to its second Big West Conference regular season title after the squad closed out the year with a perfect 10-0 conference record and a 25-1 overall mark.
Under Knipe's guidance, Long Beach State has won a program-record 41 consecutive home contests as the Beach have not dropped match inside the Walter Pyramid in more than three years. This season, Knipe has led the Beach to 12 victories over ranked opponents, including a 5-0 record against top-five ranked opponents.
Ensing garnered Big West Conference Player of the Year honors and his second All-Big West First Team nod after turning in an outstanding senior campaign. The Valencia, Calif., native closed out the regular season with 304 kills, 104 digs, 55 total blocks, 45 service aces, and a .356 attack percentage. His aces per set average of 0.52 is good for seventh in the country, while his hitting percentage and kills per set average of 3.53 rank 19th in the NCAA. Ensing leads the team with 377.5 points for a 4.39 points per set mark which ranks 13th in the nation and fourth in the conference.
The 6-foot-7 opposite has racked up a team-leading 17 double-figure kills contests this season, while leading the Beach in kills on 14 occasions. Ensing has also led the team in digs on four occasions, and blocks three times.
A force on both sides of the ball, Ensing led Long Beach State to a five-set win over then-No. 3 UC Santa Barbara with a career-best 27 kills last month and posted a career-high eight blocks in the Beach's sweep of then-No. 11 CSUN to open league play earlier this season.
Ensing has also written himself into the Long Beach State record book as he has accumulated 1,363 career kills to rank 11th all-time. Meanwhile his 130 career aces tie him for fourth in LBSU men's volleyball program history.
Amado took home his second All-Big West First Team selection after leading the Beach with 0.96 blocks per set to rank fourth in the league and 26th in the nation. The 6-foot-6 middle blocker totaled 78 total blocks after tying his career-high with nine blocks against then No. 11 CSUN last month. In addition to his solid blocking defense, Amado has registered 1.83 kills per set on .527 hitting.
DeFalco claimed his second All-Big West First Team nod as the senior outside hitter concluded the regular season with 3.44 kills per set to rank second on the team and in the top 25 in the nation. His aces per set average of 0.53 leads the Beach and is fifth in the country, while his hitting percentage of .392 is good for third in the Big West and 12th in the NCAA.
Tuaniga joined Ensing, Amado and DeFalco on the All-Big West First Team for the second time in his career as the senior setter dished out 10.76 assists to lead the Beach offense to a .414 attack percentage which ranks second in the country. Tuaniga is hitting .674 on the year as he has knocked down 64 kills on 92 swings with just two errors. He has also added 1.60 digs per set, 0.37 blocks per set, and 0.27 aces per set.
Rounding out Long Beach State's All-Big West Conference selections is Andersen who earned Honorable Mention honors for the second time in his career. The 6-foot-8 middle blocker averaged 0.73 blocks per set to go along with 1.60 kills per set with a .556 clip. He tied his career-high with 11 kills against then-No. 7 UC Irvine earlier this season and posted a season-high five blocks on two occasions.
Long Beach State will be back in action on Friday, April 19 as the No. 1 seed in the Big West Men's Volleyball Tournament. The Beach will play the winner of the No. 4 UC Santa Barbara/No. 5 CSUN match at 8 p.m. (PT) at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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