Four Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball Players Earn Big West All-Conference Recognition

Mason Briggs, Clarke Godbold, Alex Nikolov, Spencer Olivier

Four Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball Players Earn Big West All-Conference Recognition

4/20/2022 3:00:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Mason Briggs, Clarke Godbold, and Alex Nikolov were named to the All-Big West First Team, while Spencer Olivier earned Honorable Mention status

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

2022 Big West All-Conference Teams (PDF)

IRVINE, Calif. – The Big West Conference announced the 2022 Men's Volleyball All-Conference and All-Freshman Teams on Wednesday afternoon, and Long Beach State had four players selected. Mason Briggs, Clarke Godbold, and Alex Nikolov garnered First Team All-Big West accolades, while Spencer Olivier earned an Honorable Mention selection. Nikolov was also named to the All-Freshman Team.

The Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Freshman of the Year awards will be announced in a separate release following the 2022 Big West Men's Volleyball Conference Tournament, which will be held April 21-23 at the Stan Sheriff Center in Hawaii. The three major awards will be announced on Tuesday, April 26.

Briggs was named to the All-Big West First Team for the first time in his career after having been a two-time Honorable Mention selection the last two seasons. The sophomore libero has been an integral part to Long Beach State's success as he paces the defense with 2.58 digs per set, which leads the Big West and ranks him sixth in the country. Briggs has led the Beach in digs 18 times this season and has logged 11 double-digit dig performances. Earlier this season, he turned in a career-showing with 19 digs in a 3-1 win over then-No. 7 Lewis on the road.

Godbold earned All-Big West First Team honors after being named to the All-Freshman Team a year ago. This season, the 6-foot-5 outside hitter moved to opposite and started 21 matches there en route to leading the Beach in blocking, while ranking third on the squad in kills per set and hitting percentage. The sophomore from San Pedro, Calif., has racked up 0.98 blocks per set this year to rank fifth in the conference and 17th in the nation. His 2.83 kills per set are good for 11th in the Big West, while his attack percentage of .291 ranks him seventh. He has led LBSU in blocking eight times this season, while leading the Beach in kills twice. He has recorded 14 double-figure kill performances this year, including a career-high 17 kills in a sweep of then-No. 2 UCLA.

Nikolov, a true freshman, had a breakout rookie season in 2022 which garnered him All-Big West First Team and All-Freshman Team honors. The outside hitter from Sofia, Bulgaria leads the nation in aces per set as he averages 0.62 per set. He also leads both LBSU and the Big West in kills per set with 4.43, a mark that is good for third in the country. The 6-foot-8 Nikolov also leads the team in hitting percentage with a .380 clip, which ranks him second in the league and 17th in the NCAA. This season, Nikolov has led Long Beach State in kills 20 times, while recording 21 double-digit kill performances. He has registered six 20-plus kill showings, including a 21-kill effort at CSUN to close the regular season. Nikolov has also recorded a pair of double-doubles as he recorded 14 kills and 11 digs against Concordia, before logging 18 kills and a career-best 12 digs against then-No. 4 Hawaii. He has recorded a career-high 24 kills on two separate occasions. At the service line, Nikolov served up a career-high six aces in a 3-2 win at then-No. 10 UC San Diego.

Olivier rounds out the Long Beach State honorees with his second-career All-Big West Honorable Mention selection. He earned Honorable Mention status previously in 2020, before being named to the First Team in 2021. The junior outside hitter is Long Beach State's second leading scorer as he averages 3.41 kills per set, which ranks him eighth in the league and 31st in the nation. His hitting percentage of .341 is good for fourth in the Big West and 25th in the country, while he ranks in the Top 10 in the conference with 1.52 digs per set. Olivier has led LBSU in kills five times this season, while recording 21 double-digit kill performances, and one 20-plus kill showing as he registered a season-high 21 kills against No. 4 Hawaii. He has also recorded a double-double on two separate occasions, first, against then-No. 7 USC (12 kills, 10 digs), then against NJIT (14 kills, 14 digs).