Long Beach State Welcomes UC Santa Barbara, CSUN to the Walter Pyramid

Friday, October 7

Long Beach, Calif.

7:00 PM

Long Beach State University

UC Santa Barbara

Photo by: Diego Devia @Devia.Img

Long Beach State Welcomes UC Santa Barbara, CSUN to the Walter Pyramid

10/6/2022 2:13:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

The Beach and the Gauchos will play Friday night, while LBSU and CSUN play Saturday night

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

LONG BEACH (6-6, 1-3) vs. UC SANTA BARBARA (8-6, 4-0)
Date: Friday, Oct. 7
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Matt Brown
Twitter: @LBSU_WVB
Tickets: Buy Here!

LONG BEACH STATE (6-6, 1-3) vs. CSUN (6-10, 1-3)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 8
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Matt Brown
Twitter: @LBSU_WVB
Tickets: Buy Here!

COMPLETE LBSU MATCH NOTES (PDF)

Long Beach State Welcomes UC Santa Barbara, CSUN to the Walter Pyramid
The Long Beach State Women's Volleyball team looks to get back on the winning track as they host UC Santa Barbara and CSUN at the Walter Pyramid this weekend. The Beach and the Gauchos will face off on Friday, October 7 at 7 p.m, while LBSU and CSUN will go head-to-head on Saturday, October 8 at 7 p.m.

Catch All The Action
All 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 women's volleyball on Instagram and Twitter at @LongBeachWVB and @LBSU_WVB, respectively. 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.

About the Beach
• Long Beach State has dropped its last two matches to bring the Beach's overall record to 6-6, while LBSU is 1-3 in The Big West.
• The Beach are looking to get back on the winning track after having a tough week last week dropping a pair of contests to Cal State Fullerton (3-1) and Hawaii (3-1).
• So far this season, LBSU is the only Big West program to take a set off of Hawaii as the Rainbow Wahine have swept the rest of their conference opponents.
• Long Beach State is averaging 12.29 kills per set, while hitting .201 as a team on 11.27 assists per set.
• The Beach defense has been on point this season as LBSU ranks third in the league in opponent hitting percentage as the Beach has held its counterparts to a .191 attack percentage. In the backrow, LBSU averages 13.60 digs per set, while on blocking defense, the Beach averages 2.33 blocks per set.
• In his first year at the helm, Tyler Hildebrand has revamped the Beach bringing in a whole new coaching staff featuring assistant coaches Cursty Le Roux and Kim Hill, while also adding volunteer assistant coach Jordan Molina to the mix.
• The Big West Conference released the 2022 Preseason Coaches Poll and Long Beach State was picked to finish fourth behind Hawaii, UC Santa Barbara, and Cal Poly.
• Additionally, the Beach had a pair of players named to the Big West Conference Preseason Team in junior Katie Kennedy and redshirt freshman Zayna Meyer.

Scouting UC Santa Barbara
• Overall, UC Santa Barbara owns an 8-6 record. In Big West action, the Gauchos are currently undefeated at 4-0.
• The Gauchos are riding a six-match winning streak dating back to September 16. During the time frame, UCSB has swept Georgetown twice, defeated UC San Diego (3-2), UC Irvine (3-2), Cal Poly (3-1), and CSU Bakersfield (3-0).
• With a perfect 4-0 conference record, UC Santa Barbara and Hawaii sit atop of the Big West standings.
• As a team, the Gauchos are hitting .213 on 12.64 kills per set, with 11.83 assists per set.
• On the defensive end, UCSB is averaging 12.74 digs per set and 2.47 blocks per set, while posting 1.47 service aces per set.
• Tallulah Froley and Michelle Ohwobete lead the Gauchos in scoring with 2.87 and 2.79 kills per set. Froley is hitting .301 on the year, while also contributing 0.68 blocks per set and 0.49 digs per set. Meanwhile, Ohwobete averages 2.45 digs per set and 0.43 blocks per set on the year.
• Mehana Ma'a, Megan Schimoda, and Grace McIntosh have all seen action at setter this season. Ma'a leads the way with 6.00 assists per set, while Schimoda and McIntosh add 4.44 and 3.76 assists per set, respectively.
• In the backrow, Macall Peed has been solid for the Gauchos with 3.98 digs per set, while also adding 1.21 assists per set.
• Deni Wilson and Nia Correal patrol the net with 1.15 and 1.08 blocks per set, respectively. Wilson also adds 1.49 kills per set on a .267 attack percentage.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Gauchos
Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara will meet for the 114th time in program history. The series, which dates back to 1965, is led by the Beach 73-40. Last season, the two teams split the series with the Gauchos winning, 3-0, in Santa Barbara, while LBSU earned a 3-1 win at Long Beach. When playing in Long Beach, LBSU leads the series 36-12 and has won the last 11-straight home contests as the Beach have not lost to UCSB at home since 2011.

Scouting CSUN
• CSUN brings a 6-10 overall record into the week. The Matadors are 1-3 in Big West Conference action this season.
• The Matadors' lone win in Big West Conference action was a 3-0 sweep against CSU Bakersfield on September 30.
• CSUN has struggled as of late having dropped four of their last five contests.
• The Matadors are averaging 11.78 kills per set on 10.73 assists per set, while hitting .192.
• Defensively, CSUN is averaging 14.70 digs per set, 2.20 blocks per set, and 1.35 service aces per set.
• Nicole Nevarez is the Matadors' leading scorer as she is averaging 3.00 kills per set, while hitting .228. She also adds 2.77 digs per set to go along with 0.68 blocks per set.
• Carisa Barron, Emily Sparks, and Kaia Kanan have all seen action at setter this season. Barron leads the way with 5.42 assists per set, while Sparks adds 3.88 assists per set, and Kanan contributes 3.36 assists per set.
• Defensively, Breanna Mitchell leads the back row with 4.53 digs per set, while Lauryn Anderson posts 0.95 blocks per set at the net.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Matadors
Long Beach State and CSUN will meet for the 84th time in program history. The series dates back to 1964 and the Beach lead 59-24. Long Beach State has won the last seven matches with the Matadors, as CSUN is looking for its first win over LBSU since 2017.

Beach Player Notes
• Redshirt freshman Zayna Meyer has been very efficient since making her collegiate debut. She has recorded a team-leading six double-doubles and has led the Beach in blocks on six separate occasions. On the year, she is averaging 9.52 assists per set, which leads the Big West. She also adds 2.52 digs per set, 0.90 blocks per set, and has notched nine aces, all while hitting .257.
• Morgan Chacon, a redshirt junior outside hitter, is leading the Beach with 3.46 kills per set, a mark that is good for fourth in the Big West. Chacon had an outstanding output at the service line at Cal Poly as she tied her career-high with six aces. This season, she is averaging 2.04 digs per set, 0.44 blocks per set, and 0.27 aces per set.
• Jaylen Jordan got the start versus Hawaii and tallied a career-high 14 kills to bring her season average to 2.65 kills per set. She is also averaging 2.20 digs per set and 0.60 blocks per set.
• Sophomore middle blocker Kameron Bacon has started in five matches this season including the last four. She is averaging 0.97 blocks per set, while adding 1.16 kills per set and posting a .248 attack percentage.
• Tia Chavira, one of LBSU's team captains, has come off the bench three times this season and played in seven sets for the Beach. Although her stats numbers aren't overpowering, she is a difference maker both on and off the court with her solid leadership skills.
• Savana Chacon, a sophomore defensive specialist, has been an asset to the Beach coming off the bench in each set this season. She leads the Beach in service aces as she has racked up 23 to average 0.48 which ranks her second in the conference. Chacon also averages 2.04 digs per set as she provides solid defense in the backrow.
• Kailia Lopez has been a key component to Long Beach State this season. The sophomore has come off the bench in 37 sets this year and is averaging 0.30 digs per set to go along with 0.08 aces per set.
• Katie Kennedy, another of LBSU's team captains, has shown her versatility this season as the 6-foot-1 junior has seen action at both middle blocker and opposite. She is averaging 2.27 kills per set and 0.86 blocks per set.
• Senior libero Dylan Dela Cruz kicked off her final year in Black and Gold with a career-high 24 digs against Oregon State. Since then, she has paced the Beach backrow averaging 3.77 digs per set to rank fourth in the Big West. She has also logged 11 double-digit dig performances including three 20-plus dig showings.
• Victoria O'Sullivan has played in 21 sets for the Beach this season and has started in six matches. She had a solid outing at No. 2 Nebraska as she led the Beach hitting .308 with six kills. Her 2.05 kills per set are good for third on the squad, while she is hitting .209 on the year. Additionally, she has posted 0.33 digs per set and 0.29 blocks per set.
• Sophomore defensive specialist Jenna Giambi has returned to the Beach and has done a solid job coming off the bench in six sets this season. She is averaging 0.67 digs per set thus far.
• Senior middle blocker Callie Schwarzenbach has been a force on both sides of the ball this season. Her 1.08 blocks per set lead the Beach and rank her eighth in The Big West. Meanwhile, she leads the team with a .349 attack percentage to rank fourth in the league. At Cal State Fullerton, she racked up a career-high 17 kills to bring her season average to 1.63 kills per set.
• Natalie Glenn is a sophomore outside hitter and is currently the Beach's second leading scorer with 2.46 kills per set. She contributes on both sides of the ball adding 2.14 digs per set and 0.46 blocks per set.

Setting the Tone
Redshirt freshman setter Zayna Meyer has done a solid job this season setting the offensive tone for the Beach. She has accumulated 457 assists to average 9.57 assists per set, which leads the Big West Conference. As a team, LBSU is hitting .201 thanks Meyer's efforts. While she does an excellent job at setter, the Wheaton, Ill., native also contributes 2.52 digs per set, 0.90 kills per set, and 0.90 blocks per set, while hitting .257.

Aces Wild
Long Beach State opened Big West Conference action with a solid showing at the service line. The Beach tallied 19 aces over the first two matches to average 2.71 aces per set. Leading the way for LBSU at Cal Poly and CSU Bakersfield were the Chacon sisters as Morgan served up nine aces to average 1.29 per set and Savana posted six to average 0.86 per set. Six of Morgan's aces came at Cal Poly on Friday night as she tied her career high with half a dozen aces in a single match. On the season, the Beach are averaging 1.33 aces per set as Savana leads the way with 23 to average 0.48 aces per set which is good for second in The Big West Conference.

Block Party
This season Long Beach State has been solid at the net as the Beach are averaging 2.33 blocks per set. Leading the way, for LBSU in blocking defense is senior middle blocker Callie Schwarzenbach who ranks eighth in the league with 1.08 blocks per set. Coming in behind her are Kameron Bacon and Zayna Meyer who have posted 0.97 and 0.90 blocks per set, respectively. Junior Katie Kennedy also adds 0.86 blocks per set for the Beach.

Sister, Sister
For the first time in their collegiate careers, sisters Morgan and Savana Chacon are teammates as they don the Black and Gold together. Prior to joining each other at Long Beach State, Morgan, a junior outside hitter, played at Florida State, while Savana, a sophomore defensive specialist, played at Purdue. The Crown Point, Ind., natives have both been an integral part of Long Beach State's squad. Morgan is a starting outside who leads the team in kills per set (3.55), while Savana has come off the bench in every set this season and is leading the team in aces (23), while adding 2.05 digs per set.

No Relation
Despite sharing the same last name, junior defensive specialist Nicole Hoff and freshman outside hitter Tatum Hoff are not related. Nicole has been a fixture at the Beach for the last three years playing defensive specialist and libero. Meanwhile, Tatum is in her first year at LBSU after prepping at Dana Hills High School.

Family Connection
Redshirt freshman outside hitter Jaylen Jordan, freshman outside hitter Tatum Hoff, sophomore defensive specialist Jenna Giambi, and sophomore outside hitter Kailia Lopez have some strong family connections.

Jordan is the daughter of Kevin Jordan who played football at UCLA, while her mother, Jenny Johnson Jordan played volleyball. Her mother went on to play on the 2000 Beach Volleyball Olympic Team, while her father played in the NFL with both the Cardinals and the Bengals. If that weren't enough, her grandfather was 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist and UCLA track & field and basketball star, Rafer Johnson.

Hoff is the daughter of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball alum, U.S. A. Olympic Gold Medalist, and professional volleyball player Tom Hoff. The senior Hoff played two years at LBSU, then went on to enjoy a successful professional career playing overseas. A three-time Olympian (2000, 2004, 2008), Hoff was a member of the U.S. Men's National Team from 1996-2009, and helped bring home the Gold in 2008.

Giambi, meanwhile, comes from a strong pedigree of athletes as well. Her mother, Julie Giambi, played softball at Cal State Fullerton, and her uncles, Jason and Jeremy, are former Major League Baseball players. Her Uncle Jason played for the Dirtbags from 1990-92.

Lopez is also the descendant of a Dirtbag as she is the daughter of Derek Lopez who played for the Dirtbags in 1989. Additionally, her mother, Krystal Attwood, was a standout at Hawaii who went on to have a successful beach volleyball career.

Next Up
Long Beach State will take on UC San Diego and UC Irvine next week. The Beach will travel to UCSD on Friday, Oct. 14 for a 7 p.m. match, before hosting UCI at home on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m.