Friday, April 2
Manoa, Hawaii
10:00 PM
Long Beach State University
at
Hawaii
Photo by: John Fajardo
No. 7 LBSU Men’s Volleyball Heads to Honolulu to Take on Top-Ranked Hawai’i
4/1/2021 10:39:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
The Beach and the 'Bows will face off on Friday and Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu
MATCH #5: No. 7 Long Beach State at No. 1 Hawai'i
Date: Friday, April 2
Time: 7 p.m. (HT) / 10 p.m (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawai'i
Venue: Stan Sheriff Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Live Stream: BigWest.TV
MATCH #6: No. 7 Long Beach State at No. 1 Hawai'i
Date: Saturday, April 3
Time: 7 p.m. (HT) / 10 p.m (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawai'i
Venue: Stan Sheriff Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Live Stream: BigWest.TV
COMPLETE LBSU MATCH NOTES (PDF)
No. 7 LBSU Men's Volleyball Heads to Honolulu to Take on Top-Ranked Hawai'i
The two top teams will battle for first place in the Big West Conference this weekend as No. 7 Long Beach State takes on top-ranked Hawai'i on the road. The Beach and the 'Bows will face off on Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3. First serve for both matches is set for 7 p.m. (HT)/10 p.m. (PT).
Catch All The Action
With the Beach playing both matches on the road at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawai'i, fans will be able to tune in to BigWest.TV to watch all of the action. Live stats will also 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 holds steady at the No. 7 spot in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll after having picked up a pair of victories last week against then-No. 13 UC Irvine. Hawai'i remains at No. 1 after improving to 9-0 with wins over hten- No. 12 UC San Diego last weekend.
About The Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 3-1 overall and Big West Conference record into the matches at Hawai'i.
• The Beach are looking to extend their three-match winning streak as they have earned wins over UC Santa Barbara (3-1), and a pair of victories over UC Irvine (3-1, 3-2).
• With the four-set win over UC Irvine last Friday at the Walter Pyramid, LBSU extended its home conference winning streak to 21 matches which is good for second in the Long Beach State record book.
• After an impressive reverse sweep last week at UC Irvine, LBSU swept the Big West Conference weekly awards as Spencer Olivier was named Player of the Week, Simon Andersen earned Defensive Player of the Week honors, and Clarke Godbold picked up Freshman of the Week accolades.
• Olivier earned his first-ever Big West Conference Player of the Week award after turning in a pair of career-best performances against the Anteaters. He tallied a career-high 17 kills on Friday night, then came back the following day and bested that effort with 20 kills.
• On the year, Olivier leads Long Beach State with 3.65 kills per set on .325 hitting. He also contributes 1.53 digs per set, 0.76 blocks per set, and leads the Beach with five aces (0.29 per set).
• Andersen is coming off of a career-performance at the net as he put up eight blocks at UC Irvine on Saturday. He is now averaging 1.41 blocks per set to rank second in the Big West and third in the nation. Additionally, Andersen is averaging 2.00 kills per set, while hitting a team-leading .483.
• Godbold, a true freshman from San Pedro, Calif., recorded a pair of double digit kill performances last week including a career-high 13 kills. He is now averaging 2.65 kills per set on the year, while hitting .230. He also adds 0.94 blocks per set to go along with three aces.
• Freshman setter Aidan Knipe continues to impress in his rookie season as he is averaging a nation-leading 11.93 assists per set. In addition, the versatile Knipe has collected 1.43 digs per set, 0.21 blocks per set, and 0.21 kills per set.
• Mason Briggs, a freshman libero from Valencia, Calif., continues to pace the Long Beach State defense as Briggs has logged 2.71 digs per set this season to rank second in the league and third in the nation. If that weren't enough, he has also dished out 0.65 assists per set to rank seventh in the Big West in assists per set.
Scouting Hawai'i
• Top-ranked Hawai'i is riding a nine-match winning streak after having breezed through Big West competition thus far.
• The Rainbow Warriors sit atop the Big West Conference with a perfect 4-0 league record and a 9-0 overall mark.
• This season, the 'Bows have only played two contests inside the Stan Sheriff Center thus far. In those matches, Hawai'i defeated UC then-No. 12 San Diego, 3-1, last Friday, before sweeping the Tritons on Saturday.
• UH is led offensively by Rado Parapunov's 4.33 kills per set. Parapunov is hitting .409 on the year, while also putting up 1.10 blocks per set, and averaging 1.80 digs per set.
• Jakob Thelle is the 'Bows' setter as he averages 10.33 assists per set and has led Hawai'i to a team attack percentage of .379.
• At libero, Gage Worsley sets the tone for the defense with 2.17 digs per set.
• Patrick Gasman is the squad's leading blocker as he averages 1.57 blocks per set, which is also tops in the conference. He also leads the team with a .509 attack percentage, while contributing 2.25 kills per set.
• As a team, Hawai'i is averaging 14.03 kills per set on 12.60 assists per set.
• Defensively, the Bows average 8.87 digs per set and 2.90 blocks per set.
The Series: The Beach vs. The 'Bows
Long Beach State and Hawai'i will face off for the first time since the 2019 NCAA National Championship in which the Beach downed the 'Bows in four sets to win back-to-back titles. In the closely knit all-time series, LBSU leads 48-43. The Beach have won 10 of the last 12 meetings with the 'Bows, however, when playing in Honolulu, Hawai'i leads the series 23-17.
Sweep It Up
Long Beach State swept the Big West Conference Men's Volleyball Player of the Week awards as Spencer Olivier was named Offensive Player of the Week, while Simon Andersen claimed Defensive Player of the Week accolades, and Clarke Godbold earned Freshman of the Week honors.
Olivier earned the Player of the Week honor for the first time in his career after he turned in a stellar performance to lead the Beach last weekend. The 6-foot-6 outside hitter logged a career-best 17 kills versus then-No. 13 UC Irvine on Friday night, before coming back and besting that output with 20 kills on against the Anteaters on Saturday.
In two matches, Olivier tallied 37 kills to average 4.11 kills per set on a .419 attack percentage (37-11-62). The Tustin, Calif., native was productive on both sides of the ball as he added 1.11 digs per set and 0.78 blocks per set in a pair of victories for the Beach.
Andersen, meanwhile, picked up Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career after having picked up seven Freshman of the Week awards in 2018. The junior middle blocker led the Beach at the net with six blocks in a four-set win over UCI on Friday and followed that performance up with a career-high eight blocks on the road at Irvine on Saturday. His solid blocking defense kept the Anteaters' off balance as UCI hit just .187 over two matches.
On the week, the 6-foot-8 Andersen averaged 1.56 blocks per set, while also contributing 2.00 kills per set. He hit an impressive .531 as he knocked down a total of 18 kills on 32 swings with just one attack error.
Godbold picked up Freshman Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career as the rookie outside hitter finished the weekend with an all-around solid performance. The 6-foot-5 Godbold knocked down a total of 23 kills, including a career-best 13, as he reached double digits in both matches. He hit .295 (23-5-61) to help pace the Beach offense.
Defensively, Godbold added to LBSU's blocking scheme as he put up nine blocks, including a career-best six at UC Irvine on Saturday, to average 1.00 blocks per set. He also added 1.67 digs per set and served up a pair of aces.
Long Beach State swept the Big West Conference Men's Volleyball Weekly awards for the first time since January 15, 2018.
Starting Off Strong
Redshirt freshman setter Aidan Knipe kicked off his collegiate career with a strong showing against No. 3 UC Santa Barbara which culminated in the Huntington Beach, Calif., native being named Big West Freshman of the Week. Knipe has continued that solid start as he currently leads the nation with 11.93 assists per set. With Knipe directing the offense, the Beach has hit over .300 in each of their last three contests. Additionally,
Double-Double Toil And Trouble
Three Beach players notched double-doubles in Long Beach State's season-opening weekend. Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Spencer Olivier led the way with a career-effort as he registered 16 kills and 15 digs. Following Olivier's lead, freshmen Clarke Godbold and Simon Torwie recorded double-doubles of their own as Godbold finished Sunday's match with 13 kills and 10 digs, while Torwie concluded the game with 11 kills and 11 digs.
20/20 Vision
Spencer Olivier, Long Beach State's leading scorer, recorded a career-high 20 kills last weekend in a five-set victory at UC Irvine. The 6-foot-6 outside hitter has led the Beach in kills in each match this season. He is averaging a team-best 3.65 kills per set which is good for fourth in the Big West and 22nd in the nation. Additionally, his .325 attack percentage ranks him 31st in the country.
Hitting The Spot
Junior middle blocker Simon Andersen is leading the Beach with a .483 attack percentage this season. The product out of Middlefart, Denmark has knocked down 34 kills on 60 swings, while committing just five attack errors. His hitting percentage ranks him second in the conference and fourth in the nation.
Can You Dig It?
Freshman libero Mason Briggs has done an excellent job pacing the Long Beach State defense this season. The Valencia, Calif., native has racked up a total of 46 digs to average 2.71 digs per set which leads the Big West Conference and ranks third in the nation.
Block Party
Junior middle blocker Simon Andersen has been a force at the net thus far. Last weekend at UC Irvine, he put up a career-best eight blocks to lead the Beach and limit the Anteaters to a .183 attack percentage. On the year, Andersen has accumulated a team-leading 24 blocks (3 solo blocks, 21 block assists) to average 1.41 blocks per set. That output is second in the Big West and third in the country.
The Best In The Big West
Long Beach State has only been in action for four matches this season, but has gotten off to a solid start. The Beach are leading the Big West Conference in digs with 10.59 per set and opponent hitting percentage as LBSU has held opponents to a .214 attack percentage. As a team, the Beach are ranked in the top three in every statistical category.
Individually, freshmen Mason Briggs and Aidan Knipe lead the league in digs per set (2.71) and assists per set (11.93), respectively.
Up Next
Long Beach State will return to southern California to take on No. 13 UC San Diego next weekend. The Beach and the Tritons will face off on Friday, April 9 at 4 p.m., in La Jolla, Calif., before battling it out inside the Walter Pyramid on Saturday, April 10 at 4 p.m.
Date: Friday, April 2
Time: 7 p.m. (HT) / 10 p.m (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawai'i
Venue: Stan Sheriff Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Live Stream: BigWest.TV
MATCH #6: No. 7 Long Beach State at No. 1 Hawai'i
Date: Saturday, April 3
Time: 7 p.m. (HT) / 10 p.m (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawai'i
Venue: Stan Sheriff Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Live Stream: BigWest.TV
COMPLETE LBSU MATCH NOTES (PDF)
No. 7 LBSU Men's Volleyball Heads to Honolulu to Take on Top-Ranked Hawai'i
The two top teams will battle for first place in the Big West Conference this weekend as No. 7 Long Beach State takes on top-ranked Hawai'i on the road. The Beach and the 'Bows will face off on Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3. First serve for both matches is set for 7 p.m. (HT)/10 p.m. (PT).
Catch All The Action
With the Beach playing both matches on the road at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawai'i, fans will be able to tune in to BigWest.TV to watch all of the action. Live stats will also 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 holds steady at the No. 7 spot in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll after having picked up a pair of victories last week against then-No. 13 UC Irvine. Hawai'i remains at No. 1 after improving to 9-0 with wins over hten- No. 12 UC San Diego last weekend.
About The Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 3-1 overall and Big West Conference record into the matches at Hawai'i.
• The Beach are looking to extend their three-match winning streak as they have earned wins over UC Santa Barbara (3-1), and a pair of victories over UC Irvine (3-1, 3-2).
• With the four-set win over UC Irvine last Friday at the Walter Pyramid, LBSU extended its home conference winning streak to 21 matches which is good for second in the Long Beach State record book.
• After an impressive reverse sweep last week at UC Irvine, LBSU swept the Big West Conference weekly awards as Spencer Olivier was named Player of the Week, Simon Andersen earned Defensive Player of the Week honors, and Clarke Godbold picked up Freshman of the Week accolades.
• Olivier earned his first-ever Big West Conference Player of the Week award after turning in a pair of career-best performances against the Anteaters. He tallied a career-high 17 kills on Friday night, then came back the following day and bested that effort with 20 kills.
• On the year, Olivier leads Long Beach State with 3.65 kills per set on .325 hitting. He also contributes 1.53 digs per set, 0.76 blocks per set, and leads the Beach with five aces (0.29 per set).
• Andersen is coming off of a career-performance at the net as he put up eight blocks at UC Irvine on Saturday. He is now averaging 1.41 blocks per set to rank second in the Big West and third in the nation. Additionally, Andersen is averaging 2.00 kills per set, while hitting a team-leading .483.
• Godbold, a true freshman from San Pedro, Calif., recorded a pair of double digit kill performances last week including a career-high 13 kills. He is now averaging 2.65 kills per set on the year, while hitting .230. He also adds 0.94 blocks per set to go along with three aces.
• Freshman setter Aidan Knipe continues to impress in his rookie season as he is averaging a nation-leading 11.93 assists per set. In addition, the versatile Knipe has collected 1.43 digs per set, 0.21 blocks per set, and 0.21 kills per set.
• Mason Briggs, a freshman libero from Valencia, Calif., continues to pace the Long Beach State defense as Briggs has logged 2.71 digs per set this season to rank second in the league and third in the nation. If that weren't enough, he has also dished out 0.65 assists per set to rank seventh in the Big West in assists per set.
Scouting Hawai'i
• Top-ranked Hawai'i is riding a nine-match winning streak after having breezed through Big West competition thus far.
• The Rainbow Warriors sit atop the Big West Conference with a perfect 4-0 league record and a 9-0 overall mark.
• This season, the 'Bows have only played two contests inside the Stan Sheriff Center thus far. In those matches, Hawai'i defeated UC then-No. 12 San Diego, 3-1, last Friday, before sweeping the Tritons on Saturday.
• UH is led offensively by Rado Parapunov's 4.33 kills per set. Parapunov is hitting .409 on the year, while also putting up 1.10 blocks per set, and averaging 1.80 digs per set.
• Jakob Thelle is the 'Bows' setter as he averages 10.33 assists per set and has led Hawai'i to a team attack percentage of .379.
• At libero, Gage Worsley sets the tone for the defense with 2.17 digs per set.
• Patrick Gasman is the squad's leading blocker as he averages 1.57 blocks per set, which is also tops in the conference. He also leads the team with a .509 attack percentage, while contributing 2.25 kills per set.
• As a team, Hawai'i is averaging 14.03 kills per set on 12.60 assists per set.
• Defensively, the Bows average 8.87 digs per set and 2.90 blocks per set.
The Series: The Beach vs. The 'Bows
Long Beach State and Hawai'i will face off for the first time since the 2019 NCAA National Championship in which the Beach downed the 'Bows in four sets to win back-to-back titles. In the closely knit all-time series, LBSU leads 48-43. The Beach have won 10 of the last 12 meetings with the 'Bows, however, when playing in Honolulu, Hawai'i leads the series 23-17.
Sweep It Up
Long Beach State swept the Big West Conference Men's Volleyball Player of the Week awards as Spencer Olivier was named Offensive Player of the Week, while Simon Andersen claimed Defensive Player of the Week accolades, and Clarke Godbold earned Freshman of the Week honors.
Olivier earned the Player of the Week honor for the first time in his career after he turned in a stellar performance to lead the Beach last weekend. The 6-foot-6 outside hitter logged a career-best 17 kills versus then-No. 13 UC Irvine on Friday night, before coming back and besting that output with 20 kills on against the Anteaters on Saturday.
In two matches, Olivier tallied 37 kills to average 4.11 kills per set on a .419 attack percentage (37-11-62). The Tustin, Calif., native was productive on both sides of the ball as he added 1.11 digs per set and 0.78 blocks per set in a pair of victories for the Beach.
Andersen, meanwhile, picked up Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career after having picked up seven Freshman of the Week awards in 2018. The junior middle blocker led the Beach at the net with six blocks in a four-set win over UCI on Friday and followed that performance up with a career-high eight blocks on the road at Irvine on Saturday. His solid blocking defense kept the Anteaters' off balance as UCI hit just .187 over two matches.
On the week, the 6-foot-8 Andersen averaged 1.56 blocks per set, while also contributing 2.00 kills per set. He hit an impressive .531 as he knocked down a total of 18 kills on 32 swings with just one attack error.
Godbold picked up Freshman Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career as the rookie outside hitter finished the weekend with an all-around solid performance. The 6-foot-5 Godbold knocked down a total of 23 kills, including a career-best 13, as he reached double digits in both matches. He hit .295 (23-5-61) to help pace the Beach offense.
Defensively, Godbold added to LBSU's blocking scheme as he put up nine blocks, including a career-best six at UC Irvine on Saturday, to average 1.00 blocks per set. He also added 1.67 digs per set and served up a pair of aces.
Long Beach State swept the Big West Conference Men's Volleyball Weekly awards for the first time since January 15, 2018.
Starting Off Strong
Redshirt freshman setter Aidan Knipe kicked off his collegiate career with a strong showing against No. 3 UC Santa Barbara which culminated in the Huntington Beach, Calif., native being named Big West Freshman of the Week. Knipe has continued that solid start as he currently leads the nation with 11.93 assists per set. With Knipe directing the offense, the Beach has hit over .300 in each of their last three contests. Additionally,
Double-Double Toil And Trouble
Three Beach players notched double-doubles in Long Beach State's season-opening weekend. Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Spencer Olivier led the way with a career-effort as he registered 16 kills and 15 digs. Following Olivier's lead, freshmen Clarke Godbold and Simon Torwie recorded double-doubles of their own as Godbold finished Sunday's match with 13 kills and 10 digs, while Torwie concluded the game with 11 kills and 11 digs.
20/20 Vision
Spencer Olivier, Long Beach State's leading scorer, recorded a career-high 20 kills last weekend in a five-set victory at UC Irvine. The 6-foot-6 outside hitter has led the Beach in kills in each match this season. He is averaging a team-best 3.65 kills per set which is good for fourth in the Big West and 22nd in the nation. Additionally, his .325 attack percentage ranks him 31st in the country.
Hitting The Spot
Junior middle blocker Simon Andersen is leading the Beach with a .483 attack percentage this season. The product out of Middlefart, Denmark has knocked down 34 kills on 60 swings, while committing just five attack errors. His hitting percentage ranks him second in the conference and fourth in the nation.
Can You Dig It?
Freshman libero Mason Briggs has done an excellent job pacing the Long Beach State defense this season. The Valencia, Calif., native has racked up a total of 46 digs to average 2.71 digs per set which leads the Big West Conference and ranks third in the nation.
Block Party
Junior middle blocker Simon Andersen has been a force at the net thus far. Last weekend at UC Irvine, he put up a career-best eight blocks to lead the Beach and limit the Anteaters to a .183 attack percentage. On the year, Andersen has accumulated a team-leading 24 blocks (3 solo blocks, 21 block assists) to average 1.41 blocks per set. That output is second in the Big West and third in the country.
The Best In The Big West
Long Beach State has only been in action for four matches this season, but has gotten off to a solid start. The Beach are leading the Big West Conference in digs with 10.59 per set and opponent hitting percentage as LBSU has held opponents to a .214 attack percentage. As a team, the Beach are ranked in the top three in every statistical category.
Individually, freshmen Mason Briggs and Aidan Knipe lead the league in digs per set (2.71) and assists per set (11.93), respectively.
Up Next
Long Beach State will return to southern California to take on No. 13 UC San Diego next weekend. The Beach and the Tritons will face off on Friday, April 9 at 4 p.m., in La Jolla, Calif., before battling it out inside the Walter Pyramid on Saturday, April 10 at 4 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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OH
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