Monday, January 17
Long Beach, Calif.
7:00 PM
Long Beach State University
vs
Erskine
Photo by: John Fajardo
No. 5 LBSU Men’s Volleyball Set to Host Erskine on Monday Night
1/16/2022 3:13:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
The Beach welcome Erskine to town for a Monday night match up at the Walter Pyramid
MATCH #2: No. 5 LONG BEACH STATE vs. ERSKINE
Date: Monday, January 17
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: The Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Matt Brown & Tyler Kulakowski
Twitter: @LBSUMVB
Ticket Website: www.LongBeachState.com
COMPLETE LBSU MATCH NOTES (PDF)
No. 5 LBSU Men's Volleyball Set to Host Erskine on Monday Night
The No. 5 Long Beach State Men's Volleyball team will host Erskine on Monday, January 17 at the Walter Pyramid. First serve is set for 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Matt Brown and LBSU men's volleyball alum Tyler Kulakowski.
Catch All The Action
Long Beach State home matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ for $5.99 per month ($59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com, or on the ESPN App. It is also available as part of the Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney +,ESPN+, and Hulu for $13.99 per month (Hulu with ads) or $19.99 per month (Hulu without ads). Fans can also follow stats updates on BeachLiveStats.com.
Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State Men's Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram at @LBSUMVB. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics on Twitter. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU. And don't forget our hashtag #GoBeach.
COVID-19 Notes
• Long Beach State's season opener was delayed due to COVID-19 protocols.
• Mask mandates remain in place in the Walter Pyramid and are anticipated to last throughout the season. Additionally, State of California regulations mandate all spectators for events inside the Walter Pyramid must provide either proof of vaccination (14+ days after last shot) or a negative COVID-19 test result (within 24 hours for a lab antigen test and 48 hours for a PCR test). That policy will be in place until further notice.
• If you are coming to the Walter Pyramid this season, please allow for extra time to enter the venue due to COVID-19 protocols as well as parking. Parking payment can be done in two ways, either at the parking machines on site or via the Parkmobile App.
In the Rankings
• Long Beach State opened the season ranked fifth in the nation.
• Ten of the Beach's opponents this season are among the Top 15 teams nationally ranked.
• Additionally, LBSU will play three teams the year who are currently receiving votes.
• This week's opponent, Erskine, is not nationally ranked.
About The Beach
• Long Beach State kicked off the 2022 campaign with a 3-0 sweep over Harvard on Saturday night at the Walter Pyramid.
• The Beach were dominant in the season opener as they hit .413, while serving up eight aces in the match.
• Sophomore Clarke Godbold got the start on the right side and slammed a career-high 14 kills on a whopping .579 attack percentage. The San Pedro, Calif., native also added a pair of aces and a dig in the contest.
• Freshman outside hitter Alex Nikolov had an outstanding collegiate debut as the Sofia, Bulgaria native served up a career-high four aces to go along with eight kills on a .385 attack percentage, six digs, two assists, and a block.
• Sophomore setter Aidan Knipe directed the Beach to a strong offensive showing in the season opener as he distributed 32 assists to average 10.67 assists per set.
• Junior outside hitter Spencer Olivier tallied eight kills and five digs, while junior middle Shane Holdaway added four kills and one block.
• Sophomore libero Mason Briggs was solid as he kept the Beach defense steady. He finished the match with three digs.
• Junior middle Grant Marocchi earned the start for the Beach and finished the contest with three kills, three digs, and two blocks.
• 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 men's volleyball as the 49ers.
Scouting Erskine
• Erskine comes into the Walter Pyramid looking for its first win of the 2022 season as the Flying Fleet are 0-4.
• The Fleet opened the season with a 3-2 loss against Lancaster Bible College at home. Since then, they've been on the road and have fallen twice to No. 3 Pepperdine and No. 12 USC in straight sets.
• Kacper Rybarczyk is the team's leading scorer as he averages 3.78 kills per set on a .243 clip. He also contributes 0.67 digs per set.
• Juan Alcoba and Michael Moscatelli split setter duties with Alcoba averaging 8.13 assists per set and Moscatelli chipping in 8.00.
• Alex Ruiz paces the back row for the Fleet with 2.10 digs per set.
• At the net, Shayo Asiru and Jon Fuller have each tallied six blocks on the year to lead the Fleet.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Flying Fleet
Long Beach State and Erskine will meet for just the second time in program history. Their first meeting came on May 3, 2016 at the NCAA Tournament when the Beach earned a 3-0 victory over the Flying Fleet in the play-in game, advancing to the Final Four.
Godbold's Game
Clarke Godbold had quite the game in Long Beach State's season-opening victory over Harvard. The sophomore earned the start on the right side and slammed a career-high 14 kills to lead the Beach. His strong offensive showings was also highlighted by an impressive .579 attack percentage as he knocked down those 14 kills on 19 swings, while committing just three errors. In addition, Godbold also added two aces and a dig in an all-around on-point performance. Godbold is currently leading the Big West in kills per set with 4.67, while coming in second in hitting percentage (.579), and fourth in aces per set (0.67).
Aces Wild
Long Beach State tallied a total of eight service aces against Harvard in the season opener as LBSU showed off its strong serve and pass game. Leading the way for the Beach was Alex Nikolov served up a career-high four aces. Meanwhile Clarke Godbold added two aces, while Spencer Olivier and Calvin Sanborn each recorded an ace. As a team, Long Beach State leads the Big West with 2.67 service aces per set.
Setting the Tone
Sophomore setter Aidan Knipe set the offensive tone for the Beach in the 2022 season opener as he dished out 32 assists to average 10.67 assists per set, while directing the LBSU offense to a hot .413 attack percentage. Knipe's assists average currently ranks him third in the Big West.
Alex The Great
Freshman outside hitter Alex Nikolov had a monster collegiate debut on Saturday night against Harvard. The product out of Sofia, Bulgaria was hot as he recorded a career-high four aces to go along with eight kills, six digs, two assists, and on blocks. He also finished the match hitting a solid .385. Nikolov's average of 1.33 aces per set is good for second in the Big West, while he also ranks fourth in attack percentage (.385), and sixth in digs per set (2.00).
Next Up
Long Beach State will travel to the Windy City for the squad's first road trip of the season. The Beach will face off against No. 9 Lewis on Friday, January 21 at 5 p.m. (PT), before taking on No. 8 Loyola Chicago on Saturday, January 22 at 5 p.m. (PT).
Date: Monday, January 17
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: The Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Matt Brown & Tyler Kulakowski
Twitter: @LBSUMVB
Ticket Website: www.LongBeachState.com
COMPLETE LBSU MATCH NOTES (PDF)
No. 5 LBSU Men's Volleyball Set to Host Erskine on Monday Night
The No. 5 Long Beach State Men's Volleyball team will host Erskine on Monday, January 17 at the Walter Pyramid. First serve is set for 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Matt Brown and LBSU men's volleyball alum Tyler Kulakowski.
Catch All The Action
Long Beach State home matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ for $5.99 per month ($59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com, or on the ESPN App. It is also available as part of the Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney +,ESPN+, and Hulu for $13.99 per month (Hulu with ads) or $19.99 per month (Hulu without ads). Fans can also follow stats updates on BeachLiveStats.com.
Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State Men's Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram at @LBSUMVB. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics on Twitter. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU. And don't forget our hashtag #GoBeach.
COVID-19 Notes
• Long Beach State's season opener was delayed due to COVID-19 protocols.
• Mask mandates remain in place in the Walter Pyramid and are anticipated to last throughout the season. Additionally, State of California regulations mandate all spectators for events inside the Walter Pyramid must provide either proof of vaccination (14+ days after last shot) or a negative COVID-19 test result (within 24 hours for a lab antigen test and 48 hours for a PCR test). That policy will be in place until further notice.
• If you are coming to the Walter Pyramid this season, please allow for extra time to enter the venue due to COVID-19 protocols as well as parking. Parking payment can be done in two ways, either at the parking machines on site or via the Parkmobile App.
In the Rankings
• Long Beach State opened the season ranked fifth in the nation.
• Ten of the Beach's opponents this season are among the Top 15 teams nationally ranked.
• Additionally, LBSU will play three teams the year who are currently receiving votes.
• This week's opponent, Erskine, is not nationally ranked.
About The Beach
• Long Beach State kicked off the 2022 campaign with a 3-0 sweep over Harvard on Saturday night at the Walter Pyramid.
• The Beach were dominant in the season opener as they hit .413, while serving up eight aces in the match.
• Sophomore Clarke Godbold got the start on the right side and slammed a career-high 14 kills on a whopping .579 attack percentage. The San Pedro, Calif., native also added a pair of aces and a dig in the contest.
• Freshman outside hitter Alex Nikolov had an outstanding collegiate debut as the Sofia, Bulgaria native served up a career-high four aces to go along with eight kills on a .385 attack percentage, six digs, two assists, and a block.
• Sophomore setter Aidan Knipe directed the Beach to a strong offensive showing in the season opener as he distributed 32 assists to average 10.67 assists per set.
• Junior outside hitter Spencer Olivier tallied eight kills and five digs, while junior middle Shane Holdaway added four kills and one block.
• Sophomore libero Mason Briggs was solid as he kept the Beach defense steady. He finished the match with three digs.
• Junior middle Grant Marocchi earned the start for the Beach and finished the contest with three kills, three digs, and two blocks.
• 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 men's volleyball as the 49ers.
Scouting Erskine
• Erskine comes into the Walter Pyramid looking for its first win of the 2022 season as the Flying Fleet are 0-4.
• The Fleet opened the season with a 3-2 loss against Lancaster Bible College at home. Since then, they've been on the road and have fallen twice to No. 3 Pepperdine and No. 12 USC in straight sets.
• Kacper Rybarczyk is the team's leading scorer as he averages 3.78 kills per set on a .243 clip. He also contributes 0.67 digs per set.
• Juan Alcoba and Michael Moscatelli split setter duties with Alcoba averaging 8.13 assists per set and Moscatelli chipping in 8.00.
• Alex Ruiz paces the back row for the Fleet with 2.10 digs per set.
• At the net, Shayo Asiru and Jon Fuller have each tallied six blocks on the year to lead the Fleet.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Flying Fleet
Long Beach State and Erskine will meet for just the second time in program history. Their first meeting came on May 3, 2016 at the NCAA Tournament when the Beach earned a 3-0 victory over the Flying Fleet in the play-in game, advancing to the Final Four.
Godbold's Game
Clarke Godbold had quite the game in Long Beach State's season-opening victory over Harvard. The sophomore earned the start on the right side and slammed a career-high 14 kills to lead the Beach. His strong offensive showings was also highlighted by an impressive .579 attack percentage as he knocked down those 14 kills on 19 swings, while committing just three errors. In addition, Godbold also added two aces and a dig in an all-around on-point performance. Godbold is currently leading the Big West in kills per set with 4.67, while coming in second in hitting percentage (.579), and fourth in aces per set (0.67).
Aces Wild
Long Beach State tallied a total of eight service aces against Harvard in the season opener as LBSU showed off its strong serve and pass game. Leading the way for the Beach was Alex Nikolov served up a career-high four aces. Meanwhile Clarke Godbold added two aces, while Spencer Olivier and Calvin Sanborn each recorded an ace. As a team, Long Beach State leads the Big West with 2.67 service aces per set.
Setting the Tone
Sophomore setter Aidan Knipe set the offensive tone for the Beach in the 2022 season opener as he dished out 32 assists to average 10.67 assists per set, while directing the LBSU offense to a hot .413 attack percentage. Knipe's assists average currently ranks him third in the Big West.
Alex The Great
Freshman outside hitter Alex Nikolov had a monster collegiate debut on Saturday night against Harvard. The product out of Sofia, Bulgaria was hot as he recorded a career-high four aces to go along with eight kills, six digs, two assists, and on blocks. He also finished the match hitting a solid .385. Nikolov's average of 1.33 aces per set is good for second in the Big West, while he also ranks fourth in attack percentage (.385), and sixth in digs per set (2.00).
Next Up
Long Beach State will travel to the Windy City for the squad's first road trip of the season. The Beach will face off against No. 9 Lewis on Friday, January 21 at 5 p.m. (PT), before taking on No. 8 Loyola Chicago on Saturday, January 22 at 5 p.m. (PT).
Players Mentioned
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