Sixth Annual Randy Sandefur Memorial Golf Tournament to Celebrate 50 Years of Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball

Sixth Annual Randy Sandefur Memorial Golf Tournament to Celebrate 50 Years of Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball

2/13/2020 10:45:00 AM | Men's Volleyball

This year’s golf tournament and Wall of Honor dinner will recognize LBSU All-Americans, Olympians, professionals, and Championship teams over the last 50 years

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

6th Annual Randy Sandefur Memorial Golf Tournament Flyer (PDF)

REGISTER for the Golf Tournament

LONG BEACH, Calif. – In recognition of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball becoming an NCAA sanctioned sport 50 years ago, the Beach will celebrate the history of their legendary program at the sixth annual Randy Sandefur Memorial Golf Tournament and Wall of Honor dinner on Monday, March 2 at Big Rec Golf Course. During the Wall of Honor dinner, each extraordinary group – All-Americans, Olympians, professionals, and NCAA Championship teams – will be recognized as select Long Beach State alumni will address the crowd to speak about each individual group. Additionally, LBSU head coach Alan Knipe will speak on behalf of the Long Beach State Men's Volleyball program and its storied history on the evening of the event.

The annual golf tournament is named for Long Beach's State's first-ever head coach, Randy Sandefur, who led the program in the 1960s when it was a club sport into the 1970 season in which the Beach played in their inaugural NCAA season. That initial year served as a preview of what was to come as Long Beach State made a run to the NCAA Tournament after placing third in the SCIVA. The NCAA District Champions defeated Ball State and UC Santa Barbara in the NCAA Tournament to advance to the NCAA Semifinals where the Beach knocked off Ball State as LBSU advanced to the NCAA Finals where they eventually fell to UCLA.

Since that first championship season, Long Beach State has compiled an 877-477 record for a winning percentage of .648. The Beach have won three NCAA National Championships (1991, 2018, 2019), made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, have garnered seven National Players of the Year, and have seen two coaches named National Coach of the Year in six separate seasons. The storied LBSU Men's Volleyball program has gone on to produce 65 AVCA All-American selections, more than 50 professional indoor and beach players, and 16 U.S. Olympians.

With such a rich history of success, this year's Randy Sandefur Memorial Golf Tournament and Wall of Honor dinner, will not only highlight Matt Gage, Bill Imwalle, and Buzz Swarts who will be inducted into the Wall of Honor, but will also recognize these select groups throughout Long Beach State Men's Volleyball's 50-year history.

"I'm looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball as an NCAA sanctioned sport," Knipe said. "It's an opportunity for us to celebrate our rich volleyball tradition and celebrate the many incredible players and coaches who have helped create our amazing culture. This will truly be a celebration of each and every player who has worn the Black and Gold – and even the Brown and Gold. We are looking forward to seeing everyone on March 2."

Speaking on behalf of the 65 All-Americans in program history will be three-time All-American Matt Prosser. Prosser played at LBSU from 1998-01 and was part of the 1999 squad that made it to the NCAA Championship game. He finished his LBSU career with 1,147 kills to rank 19th in the record book. Overall, Long Beach State boasts 24 First Team AVCA All-Americans, 19 Second Team honorees, seven Third Team awardees, and 15 Honorable Mention selections. Seven players have been named AVCA National Player of the Year, including three-time selection, TJ DeFalco. The Beach also boast a pair of AVCA Newcomer of the Year selections, and two AVCA Coach of the Year honorees in two-time Coach of the Year Ray Ratelle, and four-time Coach of the Year Alan Knipe.

Throughout the last 50 years, Long Beach State has made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and has reached the championship game on eight occasions. Following their first NCAA Championship showing in 1970, the Beach went on to reach the finals in 1973 and 1990, before winning the program's first-ever NCAA National Championship in 1991. It would be another eight years before the Beach would return to the NCAA Title game in 1999, before making another appearance in 2004. Long Beach State returned to the national stage in 2018 and took home the program's second NCAA Championship before repeating as National Champs in 2019, marking the first time in school history a program won back-to-back NCAA National Titles. Speaking on behalf of the LBSU championship teams will be Tyler Hildebrand. A three-time AVCA All-American selection and 2006 Volleyball Magazine Player of the Year, Hildebrand played for the Beach from 2003-06, then came back to his alma mater as an assistant and associate head coach from 2013-17. He was part of the 2004 squad that made it to the NCAA National Championship and was instrumental in developing the players who would go on to win back-to-back National Titles in 2018 and 2019.

Success at Long Beach State was just the beginning for a number of student-athletes who went on to represent, not only the Beach, but their country in the U.S. Olympics. LBSU boasts 16 Olympians including three Olympic Gold Medalists in Tom Hoff, David Lee, and Scott Touzinsky who took home the Gold in 2008. Brent Hilliard was a 1992 U.S. Olympian who earned a Bronze Medal that year. Alan Knipe, who served as head coach of the 2012 U.S. Olympics, will be speaking on behalf of the Olympians at the Wall of Honor dinner. Knipe played for Long Beach State from 1990-92, then served as an assistant coach for several years, before taking the reins of the program in 2001. Knipe took a hiatus from the Beach from 2010-12 to coach the U.S. Men's National Team before guiding his squad to the quarterfinals of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Knipe is the only Long Beach State representative to have taken part in all three NCAA National Championships as he was a player on the 1991 squad before leading his team to back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019.

Lastly, Rocky Ciarelli, who played at Long Beach State from 1977-79, then went on to have a successful coaching career at the high school level, will speak on behalf of those former Long Beach State players who went on to play professionally both indoors and on the beach. LBSU has been proudly represented in the professional ranks by nearly 50 indoor players with 16 currently on professional rosters overseas. On the beach, Long Beach State has seen 16 former student-athletes play on the AVP with seven currently on active rosters.

For those wishing to see a number of these Long Beach State legends at the Randy Sandefur Memorial Golf Tournament and Wall of Honor Dinner on Monday, March 2, please register at: www.LongBeachState.com/MVBGolf. Pricing is $200 per golfer; $800 per foursome; $75 for dinner only.