No. 4 Long Beach State Takes on No. 12 UCLA on the Road

Saturday, February 29

Los Angeles, Calif.

5 p.m.

Long Beach State University

UCLA

Photo by: John Fajardo

2/28/2020 1:59:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

The Beach face the Bruins on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Wooden Center

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

Match #10
No. 4 Long Beach State at No. 12 UCLA
Date: Saturday, Feb. 29
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Arena: Wooden Center
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
TV: Pac-12 Network
Talent: Anne Marie Anderson & Steven Elkin
Twitter: @LBSUMVB

Complete LBSU Notes (PDF)

No. 4 Long Beach State Takes on No. 12 UCLA on the Road
The No. 4 Long Beach State men's volleyball team looks to avenge its lone loss of the season on Saturday, Feb. 29 when the Beach take on No. 12 UCLA at 5 p.m. at the Wooden Center. The match will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network with Anne Marie Anderson and Steven Elkin on the call.

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 comes into the week ranked fourth in the AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll after having posted an 8-1 record on the year.

UCLA dropped four spot down to No. 12 in the national rankings after dropping a pair of matches last week to No. 3 UC Santa Barbara (3-0) and at then-No. 13 Grand Canyon (3-1).

Fifty Years of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball
The 2020 season marks the 50th year of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball as the inaugural season kicked off in 1970. In 50 years, Long Beach State has won 878 matches and boasts a winning percentage of .648. 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 in six separate years. The storied LBSU men's volleyball program has produced 65 AVCA All-Americans, more than 50 professional indoor and beach players, and 16 U.S. Olympians.

About the Beach
• No. 4 Long Beach State is coming off of a 3-0 sweep over Westcliff last week as the Beach improved to 8-1 on the year.
• This week, the Beach are looking to avenge their lone loss of the season to UCLA on February 1.
• Long Beach State has not lost back-to-back matches since 2015 when the Beach dropped a five-set contest to USC on March 20, then fell in four sets to Pepperdine on March 26.
• As a team, the Beach are hitting .317 on the year behind 12.91 kills per set and 11.57 assists per set.
• Leading the Beach offensively are outside hitters Ethan Siegfried and Spencer Olivier. Siegfried boasts 3.03 kills per set, while Olivier averages 2.91 kills per set.
• Olivier also leads the team with 14 service aces. After racking up a career-high four aces in the win over USC. Olivier's average of 0.42 aces per set ranks him fourth in the conference.
• Junior Carlos Rivera is the Beach's setter as he averages 9.94 assists per set to rank fifth in the Big West. Rivera also adds 1.89 digs per set, which is good for second on the squad. He also contributes 0.46 kills per set and 0.46 blocks per set.
• Sophomore middle blocker Shane Holdaway boasts a team-leading .473 attack percentage to rank third in the Big West and fifth in the nation.
• Defensively, Long Beach State is paced by freshman libero Mason Briggs who anchors the back row with 2.24 digs per set to rank third in the Big West.
• At the net, LBSU is averaging 2.2 blocks per set as a team as the Beach are led by redshirt sophomore Marc Moody's 0.96 blocks per set. Middle blocker Shane Holdaway is second on the team with 0.90 blocks per set.
• Long Beach State has officially changed the nickname for all sports other than baseball to Beach with the NCAA. Please do not refer to LBSU volleyball as the 49ers.

Scouting UCLA
No. 12 UCLA comes into the match against Long Beach State with a 7-7 overall record and a 2-3 MPSF mark.

The Bruins are looking to bounce back after dropping a pair of contests last week to No. 3 UC Santa Barbara (3-0) and at then-No. 13 Grand Canyon (3-1).

Cole Ketrzynski leads the Bruins with 3.20 kills per set, while hitting .296 on the year. He also adds 1.04 digs per set, 0.51 blocks per set, 0.11 assists per set, and 0.09 aces per set.

Setter Mads Kyed Jensen has paced the offense to a .318 attack percentage as he has distributed 374 assists for an average of 7.48 assists per set. He also leads the team with a .509 attack percentage (67-9-114) and 30 aces.

Defensively, UCLA is led by libero Cole Power who averages 1.47 digs per set in the back row. Meanwhile, Daenan Gymiah patrols the net with 0.94 blocks per set.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Bruins
Long Beach State and UCLA will meet for the 95th time in program history and for the second time this season. In the all-time series, the Bruins hold the edge 52-42. The two teams faced off earlier this season on Feb. 1 at the Walter Pyramid and UCLA emerged victorious, 3-1. Prior to the setback, LBSU had defeated UCLA in the last six meetings.

Can You Dig It?
Long Beach State is averaging 9.71 digs per set this season to rank second in the Big West and sixth in the nation. The Beach have two players ranked in the top 10 in the Big West in digs per set as freshman libero Mason Briggs averages 2.24 digs per set to rank third in the league and 15th in the nation. Behind Briggs, junior setter Carlos Rivera contributes 1.89 digs per set to rank ninth in the Big West.

Block Party
The Beach posted a season-high 16.0 total team blocks in a four-set win over USC on Jan. 17, then followed that performance with a 10.5 blocking effort against then-No. 9 Pepperdine. As a team, the Beach are averaging 2.2 blocks per set to rank fifth in the Big West and 17th in the nation. Middle blocker Marc Moody leads the way with 0.96 blocks per set, while middle blocker Shane Holdaway adds 0.90 blocks per set, and opposite Simon Andersen posts 0.71 blocks per set. The trio rank in the top 15 in the Big West.

Killin' It
As a team, Long Beach State is hitting .317 on the year and are led by junior outside hitter Ethan Siegfried who averages 3.03 kills per set. Siegfried has led the Beach in kills three times this season, and has posted two double-figure kill performances including a career-high 21-kill effort against Concordia on Jan. 11.

Hitting the Spot
Leading the way for the Beach's offensive attack is sophomore middle blocker Shane Holdaway who boasts a .473 attack percentage as he has knocked down 65 kills on 110 swings with just 13 errors. His hitting percentage ranks third in the Big West and fifth in the nation. Long Beach State has a total of five players hitting over .300 as Marc Moody (.423), Ryan Poole (.377), Simon Andersen (.339), and Carlos Rivera (.324) each join Holdaway in the over .300 club.

Setting the Bar
Junior Carlos Rivera stepped into the setter role and has piloted the Beach to seven victories and a .317 attack percentage. In just eight matches, the Toa Alta, Puerto Rico native has dished out 348 assists to average 9.94 assists per set which ranks fifth in the Big West and 12th in the nation. Additionally, Rivera adds 1.89 digs per set, 0.46 kills per set, and 0.46 blocks per set.

Double-Double Toil and Trouble
In eight matches thus far, Long Beach State has seen three players record a double-double. Leading the way for the Beach is junior setter Carlos Rivera who has notched three this season. Meanwhile both Ethan Siegfried and Spencer Olivier have each recorded two double-doubles.

20/20 Vision
Junior outside hitter Ethan Siegfried posted a career-high 21 kills in Long Beach State's five-set win over Concordia. Siegfried's effort marked the first 20-plus kill showing of his career. Currently, he is the only Beach player to reach at least 20 kills this season.

Wall of Honor Inductees
In a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball becoming an NCAA sanctioned sport, the Beach will be inducting three new members to the Wall of Honor. Matt Gage, Bill Imwalle, and Buzz Swarts, who each played on the inaugural LBSU men's volleyball squad, will be inducted on Monday, March 2 at the Wall of Honor dinner following the sixth annual Randy Sandefur Memorial Golf Tournament at Big Rec Golf Course.

The two major induction criteria for the Wall of Honor, as outlined by the committee are as follows: the player must have represented Long Beach State Men's Volleyball with unparalleled success or achievement and truly embodied the passion, commitment, and loyalty that encompass a Long Beach State men's volleyball player.

In addition to being part of the inaugural Long Beach State Men's Volleyball team, the trio went on to leave their mark on the sport of volleyball, particularly on the beach, for years to come. While making major strides for the sport, they continued their support and commitment to LBSU as the program grew into one of the top men's volleyball programs in the nation and captured three NCAA National Titles.

In Long Beach State's first year as an NCAA sanctioned sport the Beach 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.

Matt Gage, who played for Long Beach State from 1969-70, had a solid indoor career following his time at the Beach. After serving in the United States National Guard, he went on to record three top 10 showings at Nationals while playing for the Schlumfelders in 1971, Balboa Bay Club in 1972, and Santa Monica Y in 1973. In 1974, he went on to play in Rome and played at Nationals with former LBSU teammate Buzz Swarts.

However, where Gage really made a name for himself was on the beach. In a beach career that spanned 13 years (1970-83), Gage won an unprecedented 28 Open Victories. He played with nine different partners, including former LBSU teammates Buzz Swarts and Bill Imwalle. Following his incredible career on the Beach, Gage spent nearly 30 years running the tournament board for the AVP. A household name on the beach, Gage was inducted into the CBVA Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1994.

Bill Imwalle was a two-year starter at Long Beach State from 1969-70 and went on to have a very successful beach career. He was a three-time Santa Cruz Open Champion in 1971, 1973, and 1974 and won the Corona Del Mar Open Championship in 1976. He won the Manhattan Beach 6-man Tournament five times, and placed third in the first World Championship of Beach Volleyball in 1976, which was the largest money tournament at that time in beach volleyball history. He finished his beach career winning four tournaments, all four of which he played with his college teammate, Matt Gage.

His indoor career saw him play in the Winston Volleyball League in 1974 and the IVA Co-Ed Pro League in 1975. Imwalle continued to stay involved in the sport as his team won the 1992 National Championship 45-50s in Reno, Nev., as he was selected to the All-American squad at the 1992 Reno Nationals.

Following his successful playing career, Imwalle continued his work in volleyball as he moved into coaching the sport he loves. He spent 10 years as the head women's volleyball coach at Menlo College and retired as a four-time Conference Coach of the Year. He led Menlo to five conference championships and two NAIA National Tournament appearances and was inducted into the Menlo College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012.

Buzz Swarts, who was also part of that inaugural Long Beach State squad in 1970, made a name for himself on the beach following his collegiate career. Swarts won 10 Open Tournaments on the beach, with half of those playing with former LBSU teammate Matt Gage. Known as one of the most consistent players in the Open circuit, Swarts earned his biggest win in 1972 when he and Gage defeated Bob Clem and Larry Rundle to win the Manhattan Beach Open. Nearly four decades later, his name is still permanently engraved on the pier alongside other beach volleyball legends.

Swarts also excelled in mixed doubles and was a multiple winner of the Marine Street mixed tournament, which was the most prestigious mixed doubles tournament in California at the time.

Following an exceptional playing career, Swarts continued his involvement in the sport as he was an instrumental part in establishing the first courts on the pier in the City of Hermosa. For all of his efforts both on and off the beach, Swarts was inducted into the CBVA Hall of Fame in 2013.

Gage, Imwalle, and Swarts will be inducted in to the Wall of Honor, joining the current 32 members, on Monday, March 2 at the sixth annual Randy Sandefur Memorial Golf Tournament at Big Rec Golf Course. The Wall of Honor dinner will begin at 4:30 p.m., following the golf tournament.

To register, ($200 per golfer; $800 per foursome) or to purchase tickets for dinner ($75 – dinner only), please visit: www.longbeachstate.com/mvbgolf.

Up Next
Long Beach State returns home to host Lindenwood at the Walter Pyramid on Friday, March 6 at 7 p.m.