Friday, April 16
Northridge, Calif.
7:00 PM
Long Beach State University
at
CSUN
Photo by: John Fajardo
No. 7 Long Beach State Closes out Regular Season Against CSUN
4/15/2021 10:48:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
The Beach and the Matadors face off on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.
MATCH #9: No. 7 LONG BEACH STATE at CSUN
Date: Friday, April 16
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Northridge, Calif.
Venue: The Matadome
Live Stats: GoMatadors.com
Live Stream: BigWest.TV
MATCH #10: CSUN at No. 7 LONG BEACH STATE
Date: Saturday, April 17
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Radio: 22WestMedia.com
TV: ESPN3
Talent: Matt Brown & Matt Prosser
COMPLETE LBSU MATCH NOTES (PDF)
No. 7 Long Beach State Closes out Regular Season Against CSUN
The No. 7 Long Beach State men's volleyball team will take on CSUN in the final weekend of the regular season. The Beach and the Matadors will face off on Friday, April 16 in Northridge, Calif., at 7 p.m., before closing things out on Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m., at the Walter Pyramid.
Catch All The Action
Friday's match at CSUN will be broadcast live via BigWest.TV, while Saturday's match at Long Beach State will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Matt Brown and Matt Prosser on the call. Fans can also follow live stat updates on BeachLiveStats.com and in-game twitter updates via @LBSUMVB
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
Despite picking up a pair of sweeps against then-No. 12 UC San Diego last weekend, Long Beach State dropped one spot in the national rankings to No. 7. CSUN, meanwhile, is unranked.
About The Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 5-3 overall and Big West Conference record into the matches against CSUN.
• Last weekend, the Beach snapped a two-match losing skid as they earned a pair of sweeps against then-No. 12 UC San Diego.
• LBSU has now won five of its last seven contests.
• With the three-set win over UC San Diego on Saturday, April 10 at the Walter Pyramid, LBSU extended its home conference winning streak to 22 matches which is good for second in the Long Beach State record book.
• Freshman outside hitter Clarke Godbold, the No. 1 recruit in the country, is living up to his billing as he was named Big West Freshman of the Week for the third consecutive week.
• Godbold earned the conference weekly honors after reaching averaging 3.00 kills per set on a .405 attack percentage as he led the Beach to a pair of sweeps over the Tritons.
• Spencer Olivier continues to impress offensively as he has now led the Beach in scoring in 7-of-8 matches this season
• On the year, Olivier leads the Beach with 3.91 kills per set on .287 hitting. His kills per set average is good for third in the Big West and 12th in the nation. Additionally, Olivier contributes 1.25 digs per set, 1.03 blocks per set, and is second on the squad with eight aces.
• Simon Andersen has been a force at the net all season as he owns a blocks per set average of 1.34 which ranks him second in the conference and third in the country.
• Andersen has been solid on both sides of the ball for the Beach as he also adds 1.75 kills per set on a team-leading .411 attack percentage.
• Senior setter/outside hitter Ryan Poole showed his versatility over the last five matches making his debut at setter in the third set at UC Irvine (3/27). Poole went on to earn the start at Hawaii in both matches and in the pair of sweeps against UC San Diego.
• Freshman setter Aidan Knipe got off to a hot start as he was named Big West Freshman of the Week following his collegiate debut in which he logged 57 assists and led the Beach to a .345 clip in a 3-1 victory against No. 3 UCSB. However, an injury has hampered the Beach setter over the last five matches.
• Mason Briggs, a freshman libero from Valencia, Calif., continues to pace the Long Beach State defense as Briggs has logged 2.38 digs per set this season to rank second in the league and eighth in the nation. With Briggs directing the backrow, the Beach have held opponents to a .237 hitting percentage to rank second in the Big West.
• Ethan Siegfried has earned the start in LBSU's last three matches and has done an excellent job recording a season-high 19 kills at Hawaii and serving up a career-best five aces against UC San Diego. Siegfried leads the Beach with 10 aces on the season to average 0.33 per set which ranks him in the top five in the Big West.
Scouting CSUN
• CSUN brings a 1-7 overall and Big West Conference record into the match against Long Beach State.
• The Matadors are looking to snap a six-match losing streak which dates back to March 26.
• CSUN's lone win this season came at the hands of UC Irvine as the Matadors earned a four-set win in Northridge, Calif., on March 21.
• Leading the way offensively for the Matadors is Daniel Wetter as he is averaging 2.66 kills per set on a .422 attach percentage.
• Wetter also leads the Matadors at the net with 0.66 blocks per set as he has posted a total 19 blocks on the year (2 solo blocks, 16 blocks assists).
• Setter Kyle Merchen has dished out a total of 264 assists per set to average 9.10 assists per set. With Merchen directing the offense, CSUN is hitting .236 on the year. He also adds 1.55 digs per set which is second on the team.
• Sean Mitchell leads the Matadors in the back row with 2.00 digs per set, while adding 12 assists.
• As a team, CSUN averages 11.55 kills per set on 10.52 assists per set.
• Defensively, the Matadors have put up 1.47 blocks per set and 7.28 digs per set.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Matadors
Long Beach State and CSUN will meet for the 84th and 85th time in program history. The Beach leads the all-time series 50-33 and has won the last seven contests. The Matadors are looking for their first win over LBSU since 2016 when they defeated the Beach in five sets at the Matadome.
Fantastic Freshmen
For the fourth-straight week, a Long Beach State freshman has taken home the Big West Conference Freshman of the Week honor. Freshman setter Aidan Knipe kicked off the run after an impressive collegiate debut in which he distributed a career-high 57 assists and led LBSU to a .345 attack percentage against No. 3 UC Santa Barbara. Following Knipe's honor, freshman outside hitter Clarke Godbold earned the weekly accolades for the last three weeks in a row after reaching double-figure kills in six of his last seven matches including registering a career-best 13 kills on two occasions. With three consecutive Big West Freshman of the Week honors, Godbold ties the Big West Conference Men's Volleyball Freshman of the Week record.
Hitting The Spot
Junior middle blocker Simon Andersen is leading the Beach with a .411 attack percentage this season. The product out of Middlefart, Denmark has knocked down 56 kills on 112 swings, while committing just 10 attack errors. His hitting percentage ranks him fourth in the conference and 12th 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 76 digs to average 2.38 digs per set which ranks him second in the Big West Conference and eighth in the nation. Briggs has logged three double-digit dig performances this season and has led LBSU in digs in 6-of-8 matches.
Block Party
Junior middle blocker Simon Andersen has been a force at the net thus far. At Hawai'i, he put up a career-best 11 blocks to lead the Beach. His double-figure blocking effort marked the first time since 2015 a Long Beach State player has recorded 10-plus blocks in a single match. On the year, Andersen has accumulated a team-leading 43 blocks (4 solo blocks, 39 block assists) to average 1.34 blocks per set. That output ranks him second in the Big West and third in the country.
Setting the Bar
Freshman setter Aidan Knipe started the season as the Beach's setter and after his first two weekends on the job, was leading the nation in assists per set, had a Big West Freshman of the Week honor under his belt, and had distributed a career-high 57 assists. However, Knipe suffered an injury and was sidelined mid-way through the match at UC Irvine. Enter Ryan Poole. Poole is a 6-foot-5 outside hitter from Enfield, England who stepped up and filled the setter role in Knipe's absence. With Poole setting for the first time in his career, he has shown his versatility and talent dishing out a career-best 55 assists and leading LBSU to a .307 attack percentage in a five-set loss to No. 1 Hawai'i. So far this season, Knipe is averaging 7.83 assists per set, while Poole is averaging 5.86 assists per set to rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in the conference.
Aces Wild
Senior outside hitter Ethan Siegfried has seen action in every match this season and has started in four. Last weekend at UC San Diego, Siegfried had a career-night from the service line as he notched a career-best five aces to lead the Beach to a sweep of the Tritons. Siegfried now leads the Beach with 10 aces on the year to average 0.33 aces per set to rank in the top five in the Big West. Additionally, the Honolulu, Hawaii native averages 1.70 kills per set, 1.13 digs per set, 0.23 blocks per set, and is hitting .255 on the year.
Up Next
Long Beach State will head back to Honolulu, Hawai'i to compete in the Big West Conference Tournament. The tournament is set to begin on Thursday, April 22 and conclude on Saturday, April 24. The Beach own a 3-1 record in the Big West Tournament and won the inaugural championship match in 2018 with a 3-0 sweep of Hawai'i.
Date: Friday, April 16
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Northridge, Calif.
Venue: The Matadome
Live Stats: GoMatadors.com
Live Stream: BigWest.TV
MATCH #10: CSUN at No. 7 LONG BEACH STATE
Date: Saturday, April 17
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Radio: 22WestMedia.com
TV: ESPN3
Talent: Matt Brown & Matt Prosser
COMPLETE LBSU MATCH NOTES (PDF)
No. 7 Long Beach State Closes out Regular Season Against CSUN
The No. 7 Long Beach State men's volleyball team will take on CSUN in the final weekend of the regular season. The Beach and the Matadors will face off on Friday, April 16 in Northridge, Calif., at 7 p.m., before closing things out on Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m., at the Walter Pyramid.
Catch All The Action
Friday's match at CSUN will be broadcast live via BigWest.TV, while Saturday's match at Long Beach State will be broadcast on ESPN3 with Matt Brown and Matt Prosser on the call. Fans can also follow live stat updates on BeachLiveStats.com and in-game twitter updates via @LBSUMVB
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
Despite picking up a pair of sweeps against then-No. 12 UC San Diego last weekend, Long Beach State dropped one spot in the national rankings to No. 7. CSUN, meanwhile, is unranked.
About The Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 5-3 overall and Big West Conference record into the matches against CSUN.
• Last weekend, the Beach snapped a two-match losing skid as they earned a pair of sweeps against then-No. 12 UC San Diego.
• LBSU has now won five of its last seven contests.
• With the three-set win over UC San Diego on Saturday, April 10 at the Walter Pyramid, LBSU extended its home conference winning streak to 22 matches which is good for second in the Long Beach State record book.
• Freshman outside hitter Clarke Godbold, the No. 1 recruit in the country, is living up to his billing as he was named Big West Freshman of the Week for the third consecutive week.
• Godbold earned the conference weekly honors after reaching averaging 3.00 kills per set on a .405 attack percentage as he led the Beach to a pair of sweeps over the Tritons.
• Spencer Olivier continues to impress offensively as he has now led the Beach in scoring in 7-of-8 matches this season
• On the year, Olivier leads the Beach with 3.91 kills per set on .287 hitting. His kills per set average is good for third in the Big West and 12th in the nation. Additionally, Olivier contributes 1.25 digs per set, 1.03 blocks per set, and is second on the squad with eight aces.
• Simon Andersen has been a force at the net all season as he owns a blocks per set average of 1.34 which ranks him second in the conference and third in the country.
• Andersen has been solid on both sides of the ball for the Beach as he also adds 1.75 kills per set on a team-leading .411 attack percentage.
• Senior setter/outside hitter Ryan Poole showed his versatility over the last five matches making his debut at setter in the third set at UC Irvine (3/27). Poole went on to earn the start at Hawaii in both matches and in the pair of sweeps against UC San Diego.
• Freshman setter Aidan Knipe got off to a hot start as he was named Big West Freshman of the Week following his collegiate debut in which he logged 57 assists and led the Beach to a .345 clip in a 3-1 victory against No. 3 UCSB. However, an injury has hampered the Beach setter over the last five matches.
• Mason Briggs, a freshman libero from Valencia, Calif., continues to pace the Long Beach State defense as Briggs has logged 2.38 digs per set this season to rank second in the league and eighth in the nation. With Briggs directing the backrow, the Beach have held opponents to a .237 hitting percentage to rank second in the Big West.
• Ethan Siegfried has earned the start in LBSU's last three matches and has done an excellent job recording a season-high 19 kills at Hawaii and serving up a career-best five aces against UC San Diego. Siegfried leads the Beach with 10 aces on the season to average 0.33 per set which ranks him in the top five in the Big West.
Scouting CSUN
• CSUN brings a 1-7 overall and Big West Conference record into the match against Long Beach State.
• The Matadors are looking to snap a six-match losing streak which dates back to March 26.
• CSUN's lone win this season came at the hands of UC Irvine as the Matadors earned a four-set win in Northridge, Calif., on March 21.
• Leading the way offensively for the Matadors is Daniel Wetter as he is averaging 2.66 kills per set on a .422 attach percentage.
• Wetter also leads the Matadors at the net with 0.66 blocks per set as he has posted a total 19 blocks on the year (2 solo blocks, 16 blocks assists).
• Setter Kyle Merchen has dished out a total of 264 assists per set to average 9.10 assists per set. With Merchen directing the offense, CSUN is hitting .236 on the year. He also adds 1.55 digs per set which is second on the team.
• Sean Mitchell leads the Matadors in the back row with 2.00 digs per set, while adding 12 assists.
• As a team, CSUN averages 11.55 kills per set on 10.52 assists per set.
• Defensively, the Matadors have put up 1.47 blocks per set and 7.28 digs per set.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Matadors
Long Beach State and CSUN will meet for the 84th and 85th time in program history. The Beach leads the all-time series 50-33 and has won the last seven contests. The Matadors are looking for their first win over LBSU since 2016 when they defeated the Beach in five sets at the Matadome.
Fantastic Freshmen
For the fourth-straight week, a Long Beach State freshman has taken home the Big West Conference Freshman of the Week honor. Freshman setter Aidan Knipe kicked off the run after an impressive collegiate debut in which he distributed a career-high 57 assists and led LBSU to a .345 attack percentage against No. 3 UC Santa Barbara. Following Knipe's honor, freshman outside hitter Clarke Godbold earned the weekly accolades for the last three weeks in a row after reaching double-figure kills in six of his last seven matches including registering a career-best 13 kills on two occasions. With three consecutive Big West Freshman of the Week honors, Godbold ties the Big West Conference Men's Volleyball Freshman of the Week record.
Hitting The Spot
Junior middle blocker Simon Andersen is leading the Beach with a .411 attack percentage this season. The product out of Middlefart, Denmark has knocked down 56 kills on 112 swings, while committing just 10 attack errors. His hitting percentage ranks him fourth in the conference and 12th 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 76 digs to average 2.38 digs per set which ranks him second in the Big West Conference and eighth in the nation. Briggs has logged three double-digit dig performances this season and has led LBSU in digs in 6-of-8 matches.
Block Party
Junior middle blocker Simon Andersen has been a force at the net thus far. At Hawai'i, he put up a career-best 11 blocks to lead the Beach. His double-figure blocking effort marked the first time since 2015 a Long Beach State player has recorded 10-plus blocks in a single match. On the year, Andersen has accumulated a team-leading 43 blocks (4 solo blocks, 39 block assists) to average 1.34 blocks per set. That output ranks him second in the Big West and third in the country.
Setting the Bar
Freshman setter Aidan Knipe started the season as the Beach's setter and after his first two weekends on the job, was leading the nation in assists per set, had a Big West Freshman of the Week honor under his belt, and had distributed a career-high 57 assists. However, Knipe suffered an injury and was sidelined mid-way through the match at UC Irvine. Enter Ryan Poole. Poole is a 6-foot-5 outside hitter from Enfield, England who stepped up and filled the setter role in Knipe's absence. With Poole setting for the first time in his career, he has shown his versatility and talent dishing out a career-best 55 assists and leading LBSU to a .307 attack percentage in a five-set loss to No. 1 Hawai'i. So far this season, Knipe is averaging 7.83 assists per set, while Poole is averaging 5.86 assists per set to rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in the conference.
Aces Wild
Senior outside hitter Ethan Siegfried has seen action in every match this season and has started in four. Last weekend at UC San Diego, Siegfried had a career-night from the service line as he notched a career-best five aces to lead the Beach to a sweep of the Tritons. Siegfried now leads the Beach with 10 aces on the year to average 0.33 aces per set to rank in the top five in the Big West. Additionally, the Honolulu, Hawaii native averages 1.70 kills per set, 1.13 digs per set, 0.23 blocks per set, and is hitting .255 on the year.
Up Next
Long Beach State will head back to Honolulu, Hawai'i to compete in the Big West Conference Tournament. The tournament is set to begin on Thursday, April 22 and conclude on Saturday, April 24. The Beach own a 3-1 record in the Big West Tournament and won the inaugural championship match in 2018 with a 3-0 sweep of Hawai'i.
Players Mentioned
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