Photo by: John Fajardo
Beach Volleyball Welcomes 11 Newcomers for the 2023 Season
10/19/2022 1:26:00 PM | Women's Beach Volleyball
The recruiting class features four transfers and seven freshmen.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Long Beach State Beach Volleyball team welcomes in 11 newcomers in their 2023 recruiting class, made up of four transfers and seven freshmen. Head Coach Mike Campbell made the official announcement on Wednesday.
"I am extremely excited about the possibilities this recruiting class brings to LBSU," said Head Coach Mike Campbell. "I am very grateful for the support of our indoor head coach Tyler and our program's abilities to share combo athletes. This has opened some recruiting possibilities that we have not utilized in several years. From the veteran experience of our graduate students and transfers to our young but very talented freshman, this group of athletes has a little bit of everything. I look forward to their immediate impact within our program."
Morgan Chacon | Redshirt Junior | 5-11 | Florida State
Chacon transferred to LBSU from Florida State where she played indoor volleyball. She is also one of three athletes on the Beach roster to be competing in both indoor and beach seasons. With the Seminoles, she earned back-to-back All-AVCA East Region honors in her sophomore and junior seasons. She was also a two-time All-ACC Second Team selection before transferring as well.
Natalie Glenn | Sophomore | 5-10 | Minnesota
Glenn is another Power 5 transfer, coming to LBSU from Minnesota. As an indoor player, was limited to 10 matches, one of which included helping the Gophers upset Oregon in a top 15 victory. A Texas native, she was a Second Team Under Armour All-American and earned multiple All-American honors from PrepVolleyball.com and MaxPreps. She was also a member of the 18U TAV National Championship Team and a USA Volleyball National Training Team selection.
Maggie Walters | Grad Student | 5-9 | UCLA
Walters comes to Long Beach State for her master's after three years of beach volleyball at UCLA. With the Bruins, she played in just one match last year picking up the victory against No. 19 Stanford. As an indoor player in high school, she was the Santa Cruz Coast League MVP as a senior as well as earning the Offensive Player of the Year and the Freshman of the Year in her career.
Megan Widener | Sophomore | 5-11 | Hawai'i
Widener switches Big West institutions, coming to Long Beach after spending her freshman year at the University of Hawai'i. She was the only freshman to appear in the Rainbow Wahine starting lineup during the 2021 season, totaling 21 victories including seven over ranked opponents. Prior to UH, she was a team captain for Tamarack where she was a 2021 AVCA High School All-American and earned a spot on the JVA Best of the Beach Class.
Mahala Esser | Freshman | 5-9 | Ashburn, Va.
Esser joins the Beach family after two years with the Tamarack Beach Volleyball Club and three years of indoor volleyball at Sage Creek High School. In her indoor career, she was a First Team All-Region selection twice. A multi-sport athlete, she was also an All-State selection in track and field as well.
Malia Gementera | Freshman | 5-6 | Chula Vista, Calif.
Gementera comes to the Beach after a tremendous club career with Wave Beach Volleyball. A second team AVCA All-American honoree, she was a medalist at the 2022 AAU Nationals, CBVA Women's Open, and 2021 AAU Junior Olympic Games. She also earned JVA Best of the Beach honors last year. As an indoor player at Eastlake High School, she was a three-time All-League selection helping her team to four consecutive league championships.
Taylor Hagenah | Freshman | 5-11 | Oceanside, Calif.
Hagenah begins her collegiate career after a very decorated career with Tamarack. An AVCA First Team Junior All-American selection, she won the 2022 ISF World High School Championships representing USA in France along with the 2021 U18 AVP West Coast Championships and 2020 Scottsdale Beach Fest u16 Championship. She also earned MVP recognition in two BVCA club events in 2021 and was the Best Offensive Player in 2020. A three-time JVA Watchlist honoree, she also had consecutive Best in the Beach selections in 2021 and 2022.
Olivia Narancich | Freshman | 6-0 | San Marcos, Calif.
Narancich joins the Long Beach State roster after seven years with So-Cal Volleyball Club where she served as a multi-year team captain. In her beach career, she earned American bids twice as well as a bid for USA Nationals. Also a four-year indoor player at San Marcos High School, she earned All-League and Second Team All-CIF honors in her senior year.
Gabby Reinking | Freshman | 5-6 | Fountain Valley, Calif.
Reinking joins the Beach family after a decorated club career with Club H and Seal Beach Volleyball Club. A veteran of 40+ CBVA tournaments, she totaled 33 top five finishes, including six championships in the last five years. Of those six, she won the 18s Division of the CBVA Tour Stop in Huntington and the Women's Open CBVA in Santa Monica. For the last four years, she also played in the AAU Junior Olympic Qualifiers.
Kate Stoughton | Freshman | 5-8 | Brick, N.J.
Stoughton comes to Long Beach from across the country where she played with the Stars and Stripes Beach Volleyball Club in New Jersey. She is already reeling in accolades earning an AVCA Junior All-American Honorable Mention leading into her debut season. The winner of the Bronze Division of the 2019 u16 BVCA National Championships, she was also the Shore Conference Player of the Year in indoor as well as earning All-State and All-League in all four years of her high school career.
Julia Westby | Freshman | 5-10 | Oceanside, Calif.
Westby joins Long Beach State after two years with Tamarack Beach Volleyball Club and four years of indoor at Classical Academy. During her indoor career, she was a three-time First Team All-Pacific League selection for three straight years from sophomore to senior year.
"I am extremely excited about the possibilities this recruiting class brings to LBSU," said Head Coach Mike Campbell. "I am very grateful for the support of our indoor head coach Tyler and our program's abilities to share combo athletes. This has opened some recruiting possibilities that we have not utilized in several years. From the veteran experience of our graduate students and transfers to our young but very talented freshman, this group of athletes has a little bit of everything. I look forward to their immediate impact within our program."
Morgan Chacon | Redshirt Junior | 5-11 | Florida State
Chacon transferred to LBSU from Florida State where she played indoor volleyball. She is also one of three athletes on the Beach roster to be competing in both indoor and beach seasons. With the Seminoles, she earned back-to-back All-AVCA East Region honors in her sophomore and junior seasons. She was also a two-time All-ACC Second Team selection before transferring as well.
Natalie Glenn | Sophomore | 5-10 | Minnesota
Glenn is another Power 5 transfer, coming to LBSU from Minnesota. As an indoor player, was limited to 10 matches, one of which included helping the Gophers upset Oregon in a top 15 victory. A Texas native, she was a Second Team Under Armour All-American and earned multiple All-American honors from PrepVolleyball.com and MaxPreps. She was also a member of the 18U TAV National Championship Team and a USA Volleyball National Training Team selection.
Maggie Walters | Grad Student | 5-9 | UCLA
Walters comes to Long Beach State for her master's after three years of beach volleyball at UCLA. With the Bruins, she played in just one match last year picking up the victory against No. 19 Stanford. As an indoor player in high school, she was the Santa Cruz Coast League MVP as a senior as well as earning the Offensive Player of the Year and the Freshman of the Year in her career.
Megan Widener | Sophomore | 5-11 | Hawai'i
Widener switches Big West institutions, coming to Long Beach after spending her freshman year at the University of Hawai'i. She was the only freshman to appear in the Rainbow Wahine starting lineup during the 2021 season, totaling 21 victories including seven over ranked opponents. Prior to UH, she was a team captain for Tamarack where she was a 2021 AVCA High School All-American and earned a spot on the JVA Best of the Beach Class.
Mahala Esser | Freshman | 5-9 | Ashburn, Va.
Esser joins the Beach family after two years with the Tamarack Beach Volleyball Club and three years of indoor volleyball at Sage Creek High School. In her indoor career, she was a First Team All-Region selection twice. A multi-sport athlete, she was also an All-State selection in track and field as well.
Malia Gementera | Freshman | 5-6 | Chula Vista, Calif.
Gementera comes to the Beach after a tremendous club career with Wave Beach Volleyball. A second team AVCA All-American honoree, she was a medalist at the 2022 AAU Nationals, CBVA Women's Open, and 2021 AAU Junior Olympic Games. She also earned JVA Best of the Beach honors last year. As an indoor player at Eastlake High School, she was a three-time All-League selection helping her team to four consecutive league championships.
Taylor Hagenah | Freshman | 5-11 | Oceanside, Calif.
Hagenah begins her collegiate career after a very decorated career with Tamarack. An AVCA First Team Junior All-American selection, she won the 2022 ISF World High School Championships representing USA in France along with the 2021 U18 AVP West Coast Championships and 2020 Scottsdale Beach Fest u16 Championship. She also earned MVP recognition in two BVCA club events in 2021 and was the Best Offensive Player in 2020. A three-time JVA Watchlist honoree, she also had consecutive Best in the Beach selections in 2021 and 2022.
Olivia Narancich | Freshman | 6-0 | San Marcos, Calif.
Narancich joins the Long Beach State roster after seven years with So-Cal Volleyball Club where she served as a multi-year team captain. In her beach career, she earned American bids twice as well as a bid for USA Nationals. Also a four-year indoor player at San Marcos High School, she earned All-League and Second Team All-CIF honors in her senior year.
Gabby Reinking | Freshman | 5-6 | Fountain Valley, Calif.
Reinking joins the Beach family after a decorated club career with Club H and Seal Beach Volleyball Club. A veteran of 40+ CBVA tournaments, she totaled 33 top five finishes, including six championships in the last five years. Of those six, she won the 18s Division of the CBVA Tour Stop in Huntington and the Women's Open CBVA in Santa Monica. For the last four years, she also played in the AAU Junior Olympic Qualifiers.
Kate Stoughton | Freshman | 5-8 | Brick, N.J.
Stoughton comes to Long Beach from across the country where she played with the Stars and Stripes Beach Volleyball Club in New Jersey. She is already reeling in accolades earning an AVCA Junior All-American Honorable Mention leading into her debut season. The winner of the Bronze Division of the 2019 u16 BVCA National Championships, she was also the Shore Conference Player of the Year in indoor as well as earning All-State and All-League in all four years of her high school career.
Julia Westby | Freshman | 5-10 | Oceanside, Calif.
Westby joins Long Beach State after two years with Tamarack Beach Volleyball Club and four years of indoor at Classical Academy. During her indoor career, she was a three-time First Team All-Pacific League selection for three straight years from sophomore to senior year.
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