Thursday, January 9
Santa Barbara, Calif.
8:00 PM
Long Beach State University
vs
Benedictine University Mesa
Photo by: Mason Boroff
No. 4 Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball Opens the Season at the UCSB Asics Invitational
1/8/2020 6:26:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
The Beach take on Benedictine Mesa, McKendree, and Concordia at the UCSB Asics Invitational which runs Thursday - Saturday
UCSB ASICS TOURNAMENT
Match #1
Long Beach State vs. Benedictine Mesa
Date: Thursday, Jan. 9
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Match #2
Long Beach State vs. McKendree
Date: Friday, Jan. 10
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Match #3
Long Beach State vs. Concordia
Date: Saturday, Jan. 11
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Arena: Rob Gym
Location: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Twitter: @LBSUMVB
Complete LBSU Notes (PDF)
No. 4 Long Beach State Men's Volleyball Opens the Season at the UCSB Asics Invitational
The No. 4 Long Beach State men's volleyball opens the 2020 season at the UC Santa Barbara Asics Invitational. The Beach will start the season against Benedictine Mesa on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m., before taking on McKendree on Friday, Jan. 10 at 3 p.m., and closing out the season-opening tournament against Concordia on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 5:30 p.m. All matches will be played at Robertson Gymnasium on the campus of UC Santa Barbara. Live stats for all matches will be available via StatBroadcast.com.
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).
Fans can 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.
And don't forget our hashtags #GoBeach #LBNation.
In the Rankings
Long Beach State was ranked fourth in the AVCA Division I-II Preseason Coaches Poll after having lost five starters from the 2019 NCAA National Championship team.
Benedictine and McKendree are not ranked, and Concordia comes into the UCSB Asics Invitational receiving votes.
Fifty Years of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball
The 2020 season marks the 50th season of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball as the inaugural season kicked off in 1970. In 50 years, Long Beach State has won 870 matches and boasts a winning percentage of .646. The Beach have won three NCAA National Titles (1991, 2018, 2019), made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, have garnered six National Players of the Year, and have seen two coaches named National Coach of the Year six separate years. The storied LBSU men's volleyball program has produced 24 AVCA First Team All-Americans, more than 50 professional indoor and beach players, and 10 U.S. Olympians.
About the Beach
• After losing five starters from the 2019 squad to graduation, the 2020 Long Beach State Men's Volleyball Team will have a fresh new look.
• The Beach return juniors Simon Andersen (middle blocker), Ethan Siegfried (outside hitter) and Carlos Rivera (setter). Andersen and Siegfried each started at their respective positions a year ago, and Rivera saw a substantial amount of playing time off the bench.
• LBSU also welcomes back junior outside hitter Ryan Poole along with sophomores Alexander Anastassiades (opposite), Shane Holdaway (middle blocker), Marc Moody (middle blocker), and Spencer Olivier (outside hitter) who all look to make an immediate impact for the Beach in 2020.
• Joining the core group of players on the court this season are freshmen Mason Briggs (libero) and Nate Harlan (outside hitter/opposite), as well as junior college transfers sophomore Grant Marocchi (middle blocker) and junior Matt Johnson (libero).
• A year after redshirting in 2019, outside hitters Dawson Fugate and Mitchell Bollinger also look get some time on the court.
• Leading the Beach in his 17th season at the helm is three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, Alan Knipe, who owns a 334-147 overall record for a winning percentage of .692. Knipe's winning percentage is tops among all seven Long Beach State head coaches.
Scouting Benedictine Mesa
Benedictine Mesa is coming off of a historic 2019 season in which the Redhawks put together a 26-4 record and won the 2019 NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship for the first time in school history.
This season, Benedictine Mesa is looking to fill the voids left by three All-Americans and four starters.
Returning for the Redhawaks are senior outside hitter Bobby Henige, a First Team All-American, as well as senior right side Wyatt Henson and junior outside hitter Charles Pollnow.
The Redhawks have a young roster as they welcome freshmen Landon Fuller (outside hitter), Dapre Rogers (right side), John Dawson (middle blockers) and Trace Moser (setter).
Additionally, Benedictine Mesa will look to transfer Grant DeGrasse to anchor the defense.
The Series: The Beach vs. Redhawks
Long Beach State and Benedictine Mesa will meet for the first time in program history.
Scouting McKendree
McKendree opens the 2020 season at the UCSB Asics Invitational and is in its seventh year of competition and sixth in the MIVA.
Last season, the Bearcats posted their best finish in program history with a 13-13 overall record and a 7-7 mark in MIVA competition.
The Bearcats return senior opposite Zach Schnittker, junior middle blocker Wyatt Dimke, sophomore setter Ryan Serrano, and junior outside hitter Patrick Ross. Schnittker, Dimke, and Serrano all earned all-conference accolades as Dimke was selected to the first team, Schnittker was named to the second team, and Serrano took home MIVA Freshman of the Year honors.
The Series: The Beach vs. the Bearcats
Long Beach State and McKendree will meet for just the fourth time in program history. The Beach lead the all-time series 3-0 and have won each of the matches in straight sets.
Scouting Concordia
Concordia opened the 2020 season earlier in the week with a 3-1 victory over Saint Katherine. In that contest, the Eagles put 22 players on the court including 10 who made their CUI debut.
Junior Zachary Meyer and sophomore Noah Lassandro led the Eagles with six kills apiece, while freshmen McLain Mott and Christian Oviedo split setter duties.
Defensively, Addison Enriques led the back row with six digs, while Lassandro, Mason Mullins, and Gil Herold each posted three blocks in the season opener.
The Series: The Beach vs. the Eagles
Long Beach State and Concordia will face off for the fourth time in program history. The Beach have won all three previous meetings in straight sets over the last three years.
Home Sweet Home
Since 2016, Long Beach State has put together a 54-3 record inside the Walter Pyramid. That record is good for a winning percentage of .947. The Beach have not lost a home match since March 26, 2016 when they dropped a 3-0 decision to then-No. 2 UCLA. Since then, LBSU owns a program-record 43-0 record when playing at home.
CanAm Holiday Showcase
Long Beach State participated in the CanAm Holiday Showcase two weeks ago and went up against some of the top teams in Canada.
The Beach went 1-2 in Toronto, Canada as they dropped a five-set thriller to Trinity Western to open the tournament, before suffering a sweep to Alberta on Dec. 30.
Long Beach State bounced back and secured a 3-2 victory over McMaster on the final day of the tournament behind a solid showing by junior setter Carlos Rivera as he was named Player of the Game.
The CanAm Tournament was beneficial for the Beach as the young team had the opportunity to play together in competitive action in three exhibition contests.
Summer Nights
Over the summer, junior outside hitter Ethan Siegfried made the U.S. Men's Collegiate National Team and participated in the World University Games.
Additionally, freshman libero Mason Briggs joined associate head coach Nick MacRae, who served in the same capacity, at the FIVB U10 World Championships in Tunisia.
MacRae Named Boys Youth National Team Head Coach
USA Volleyball announced in November that Long Beach State associate head coach Nick MacRae will head the 2020 Boys Youth National Team. MacRae, who is in his seventh season at LBSU, began work with the squad at the 2019 Boys Holiday Training Program in San Diego at the end of December. The Boys Youth National Team will compete at the 2020 NORCECA U19 Championship as they look to qualify for the 2020 FIVB U19 World Championship.
Team of the Decade
Before the decade came to a close, the 2019 Long Beach State Men's Volleyball program was named National Team of the Decade by Off the Block. Additionally, former LBSU outside hitter, TJ DeFalco, a four-time AVCA All-American and two-time National Player of the Year, was named National Player of the Decade.
Up Next
Long Beach State will host No. 12 USC in the Beach's home opener on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid.
Match #1
Long Beach State vs. Benedictine Mesa
Date: Thursday, Jan. 9
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Match #2
Long Beach State vs. McKendree
Date: Friday, Jan. 10
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Match #3
Long Beach State vs. Concordia
Date: Saturday, Jan. 11
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Arena: Rob Gym
Location: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Twitter: @LBSUMVB
Complete LBSU Notes (PDF)
No. 4 Long Beach State Men's Volleyball Opens the Season at the UCSB Asics Invitational
The No. 4 Long Beach State men's volleyball opens the 2020 season at the UC Santa Barbara Asics Invitational. The Beach will start the season against Benedictine Mesa on Thursday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m., before taking on McKendree on Friday, Jan. 10 at 3 p.m., and closing out the season-opening tournament against Concordia on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 5:30 p.m. All matches will be played at Robertson Gymnasium on the campus of UC Santa Barbara. Live stats for all matches will be available via StatBroadcast.com.
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).
Fans can 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.
And don't forget our hashtags #GoBeach #LBNation.
In the Rankings
Long Beach State was ranked fourth in the AVCA Division I-II Preseason Coaches Poll after having lost five starters from the 2019 NCAA National Championship team.
Benedictine and McKendree are not ranked, and Concordia comes into the UCSB Asics Invitational receiving votes.
Fifty Years of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball
The 2020 season marks the 50th season of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball as the inaugural season kicked off in 1970. In 50 years, Long Beach State has won 870 matches and boasts a winning percentage of .646. The Beach have won three NCAA National Titles (1991, 2018, 2019), made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, have garnered six National Players of the Year, and have seen two coaches named National Coach of the Year six separate years. The storied LBSU men's volleyball program has produced 24 AVCA First Team All-Americans, more than 50 professional indoor and beach players, and 10 U.S. Olympians.
About the Beach
• After losing five starters from the 2019 squad to graduation, the 2020 Long Beach State Men's Volleyball Team will have a fresh new look.
• The Beach return juniors Simon Andersen (middle blocker), Ethan Siegfried (outside hitter) and Carlos Rivera (setter). Andersen and Siegfried each started at their respective positions a year ago, and Rivera saw a substantial amount of playing time off the bench.
• LBSU also welcomes back junior outside hitter Ryan Poole along with sophomores Alexander Anastassiades (opposite), Shane Holdaway (middle blocker), Marc Moody (middle blocker), and Spencer Olivier (outside hitter) who all look to make an immediate impact for the Beach in 2020.
• Joining the core group of players on the court this season are freshmen Mason Briggs (libero) and Nate Harlan (outside hitter/opposite), as well as junior college transfers sophomore Grant Marocchi (middle blocker) and junior Matt Johnson (libero).
• A year after redshirting in 2019, outside hitters Dawson Fugate and Mitchell Bollinger also look get some time on the court.
• Leading the Beach in his 17th season at the helm is three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, Alan Knipe, who owns a 334-147 overall record for a winning percentage of .692. Knipe's winning percentage is tops among all seven Long Beach State head coaches.
Scouting Benedictine Mesa
Benedictine Mesa is coming off of a historic 2019 season in which the Redhawks put together a 26-4 record and won the 2019 NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship for the first time in school history.
This season, Benedictine Mesa is looking to fill the voids left by three All-Americans and four starters.
Returning for the Redhawaks are senior outside hitter Bobby Henige, a First Team All-American, as well as senior right side Wyatt Henson and junior outside hitter Charles Pollnow.
The Redhawks have a young roster as they welcome freshmen Landon Fuller (outside hitter), Dapre Rogers (right side), John Dawson (middle blockers) and Trace Moser (setter).
Additionally, Benedictine Mesa will look to transfer Grant DeGrasse to anchor the defense.
The Series: The Beach vs. Redhawks
Long Beach State and Benedictine Mesa will meet for the first time in program history.
Scouting McKendree
McKendree opens the 2020 season at the UCSB Asics Invitational and is in its seventh year of competition and sixth in the MIVA.
Last season, the Bearcats posted their best finish in program history with a 13-13 overall record and a 7-7 mark in MIVA competition.
The Bearcats return senior opposite Zach Schnittker, junior middle blocker Wyatt Dimke, sophomore setter Ryan Serrano, and junior outside hitter Patrick Ross. Schnittker, Dimke, and Serrano all earned all-conference accolades as Dimke was selected to the first team, Schnittker was named to the second team, and Serrano took home MIVA Freshman of the Year honors.
The Series: The Beach vs. the Bearcats
Long Beach State and McKendree will meet for just the fourth time in program history. The Beach lead the all-time series 3-0 and have won each of the matches in straight sets.
Scouting Concordia
Concordia opened the 2020 season earlier in the week with a 3-1 victory over Saint Katherine. In that contest, the Eagles put 22 players on the court including 10 who made their CUI debut.
Junior Zachary Meyer and sophomore Noah Lassandro led the Eagles with six kills apiece, while freshmen McLain Mott and Christian Oviedo split setter duties.
Defensively, Addison Enriques led the back row with six digs, while Lassandro, Mason Mullins, and Gil Herold each posted three blocks in the season opener.
The Series: The Beach vs. the Eagles
Long Beach State and Concordia will face off for the fourth time in program history. The Beach have won all three previous meetings in straight sets over the last three years.
Home Sweet Home
Since 2016, Long Beach State has put together a 54-3 record inside the Walter Pyramid. That record is good for a winning percentage of .947. The Beach have not lost a home match since March 26, 2016 when they dropped a 3-0 decision to then-No. 2 UCLA. Since then, LBSU owns a program-record 43-0 record when playing at home.
CanAm Holiday Showcase
Long Beach State participated in the CanAm Holiday Showcase two weeks ago and went up against some of the top teams in Canada.
The Beach went 1-2 in Toronto, Canada as they dropped a five-set thriller to Trinity Western to open the tournament, before suffering a sweep to Alberta on Dec. 30.
Long Beach State bounced back and secured a 3-2 victory over McMaster on the final day of the tournament behind a solid showing by junior setter Carlos Rivera as he was named Player of the Game.
The CanAm Tournament was beneficial for the Beach as the young team had the opportunity to play together in competitive action in three exhibition contests.
Summer Nights
Over the summer, junior outside hitter Ethan Siegfried made the U.S. Men's Collegiate National Team and participated in the World University Games.
Additionally, freshman libero Mason Briggs joined associate head coach Nick MacRae, who served in the same capacity, at the FIVB U10 World Championships in Tunisia.
MacRae Named Boys Youth National Team Head Coach
USA Volleyball announced in November that Long Beach State associate head coach Nick MacRae will head the 2020 Boys Youth National Team. MacRae, who is in his seventh season at LBSU, began work with the squad at the 2019 Boys Holiday Training Program in San Diego at the end of December. The Boys Youth National Team will compete at the 2020 NORCECA U19 Championship as they look to qualify for the 2020 FIVB U19 World Championship.
Team of the Decade
Before the decade came to a close, the 2019 Long Beach State Men's Volleyball program was named National Team of the Decade by Off the Block. Additionally, former LBSU outside hitter, TJ DeFalco, a four-time AVCA All-American and two-time National Player of the Year, was named National Player of the Decade.
Up Next
Long Beach State will host No. 12 USC in the Beach's home opener on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid.
Players Mentioned
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