Top-Seeded Long Beach State Set for Big West Tournament Semifinals

Friday, April 22

Manoa, Hawaii

7:30 PM

Long Beach State University

UC Irvine

Photo by: John Fajardo

Top-Seeded Long Beach State Set for Big West Tournament Semifinals

4/21/2022 4:51:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

The Beach will take on the winner of the (4) UC San Diego/ (5) UC Irvine match on Friday, April 22

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

MATCH #24: No. 1 seed LONG BEACH STATE vs. No. 4 seed UC SAN DIEGO / No. 5 seed UC IRVINE
Date: Friday, April 22
Time: 4:30 p.m. (HT) / 7:30 p.m. (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawai'i
Venue: Stan Sheriff Center
Live Stats: BigWest.org
TV (islands): Spectrum Sports
TV (mainland): ESPN+
TV Talent: Kanoa Leahey & Chris McLachlin
Twitter: @LBSUMVB

COMPLETE LBSU MATCH NOTES (PDF)

Top-Seeded Long Beach State Set for Big West Tournament Semifinals
Long Beach State earned the No. 1 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament after winning the regular season with a 19-4 overall record and an 8-2 conference mark. With the top seed, LBSU has earned a bye into the semifinals. The Beach will play the winner of match 1, No. 4 seed UC San Diego vs. No. 5 seed UC Irvine, on Friday, April 22 at 4:30 p.m. (HT) / 7:30 p.m. (PT).

Catch All The Action
All Big West Conference Tournament matches will be broadcast on the islands on Spectrum Sports, while fans on the mainland can watch 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
• COVID-19 protocols will be dictated by Big West Championship host institution's policies.
• COVID-19 vaccination or negative test is NOT required
• Masks and face coverings are optional

In the Rankings
• Long Beach State has held steady at the No. 3 spot in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll after finishing the regular season with a pair of wins over CSUN, en route to claiming the No. 1 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament.
• The Beach have received one first-place vote as they sit in third with 252 total points.
• UC San Diego is ranked ninth in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll. The Tritons are the No. 4 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament.
• UC Irvine is ranked 14th in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll. The Anteaters are the No. 5 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament.
• Ten of the Beach's opponents this season are among the Top 15 teams nationally ranked.
• When playing nationally ranked teams this season, Long Beach State is 11-3 overall.

About The Beach
• No. 3 Long Beach State concluded the regular season with a 19-4 overall record. The Beach won the Big West regular season title with an 8-2 league mark, which earned them the No. 1 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament.
• Long Beach State will be making its fourth Big West Tournament appearance in as many years. Overall, LBSU is 4-2 when playing in the Big West Tournament. The Beach won the inaugural Big West Tournament in 2018 clinching an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
• Prior to the Big West sponsoring men's volleyball in 2018, Long Beach State was part of the MPSF. In the MPSF, the Beach made 21 tournament appearances and owned a record of 18-21. LBSU won the final MPSF Conference Tournament in 2017.
• Having won the 2022 Big West Regular Season Title, Long Beach State has now won four regular season titles in five seasons.
• In the Big West preseason poll, Long Beach State was picked to win the conference along with Hawaii. Both teams earned three first-place votes for a total of 21 points.
• In the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Preseason Coaches Poll, the Beach were chosen fourth, garnering three first-place votes.
• Long Beach State had four players named to the Big West All-Conference Team as sophomore libero Mason Briggs, sophomore opposite Clarke Godbold, and freshman outside hitter Alex Nikolov were named to the First Team, and redshirt junior outside hitter Spencer Olivier earned Honorable Mention status. Nikolov was also named to the All-Freshman Team.
• This season, the Beach have been dominant offensively hitting .351 on the season. That clip leads the Big West and is good for third in the nation.
• As a team, the Beach lead the Big West Conference in three statistical categories. In addition to hitting percentage (.351), LBSU also leads the league in kills per set (12.90), and assists per set (12.10).
• Leading the Beach's offense is sophomore setter Aidan Knipe who is third in the nation in assists per set with 10.98, which leads the Big West. Knipe has piloted the Beach to a .300 attack percentage or higher in 17-of-22 matches he's played in this season.
• Knipe does a good job distributing the ball to both outsides, Alex Nikolov and Spencer Olivier. Both of them rank in the Top 10 in the Big West in kills per set, attack percentage, and points per set.
• Nikolov leads the way with 4.43 kills per set which leads the conference and ranks him third in the nation. Meanwhile Olivier's 3.41 kills per set are good for eighth in the league and 31st in the country.
• Sophomore libero Mason Briggs had a career day against No. 7 Lewis as he logged a career-best 19 digs to help lead the defensive charge. Briggs has logged 11 double-digit dig performances this season and 21 in his collegiate career. He is averaging 2.58 digs per set to lead the Big West and rank sixth nationally.
• At the net, Clarke Godbold is averaging 0.98 blocks per set which ranks him 17th in the nation and sixth in the Big West. Junior middle blocker Shane Holdaway's 0.94 blocks per set is good for seventh in the conference, while Simon Torwie's 0.88 blocks per set are good for eighth in the conference.
• Godbold has been a solid contributor all season as he is the team's third leading scorer with 2.83 kills per set while hitting .291 to rank in the Top 15 in the Big West in both categories.
• Junior outside hitter Spencer Olivier has also been a key component for the Beach this season. He is the team's second leading scorer with 3.41 kills per set. Olivier is hitting .341 on the year and is also averaging 1.52 digs per set as he ranks among the Top 10 in each of those conference statistical categories.
• 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 UC San Diego
• UC San Diego finished the regular season with a 13-10 overall record. The Tritons are 5-5 in league action as they have earned the No. 4 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament.
• The Tritons come into the Big West Tournament hitting .281, while averaging 12.82 kills per set. Defensively, UCSD is averaging 9.13 digs per set and 1.76 blocks per set.
• Leading the way for UC San Diego is Kyle McCauley who leads the squad with 4.09 kills per set, while hitting .267. He also adds 1.60 digs per set and 0.48 blocks per set to go along with a team-best 44 service aces.
• At setter, Blake Crisp has distributed 10.19 assists per set, while leading the Tritons to a .281 attack percentage. Crisp also contributes 1.29 digs per set on the year.
• In the back court, Matt Palma anchors the defense as he has logged 220 digs on the year to average 2.42 digs per set.
• At the net, UC San Diego is led by Shane Benetz who has racked up 78 total blocks (15 solo, 63 assists) as he averaged 1.07 blocks per set. Benetz also adds 1.62 kills per set, while hitting a team-leading .421 attack percentage.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Tritons
Long Beach State and UC San Diego will meet for the 78th time in program history. The Beach lead the all-time series 71-6, however, in their last meeting, the Tritons defeated the Beac in five sets, marking UCSD's first win over LBSU since 2012. Earlier this season, Long Beach State and UC San Diego split the series as the Beach won in three at the Walter Pyramid and the Tritons won in five at RIMAC Arena.

Scouting UC Irvine
• UC Irvine closed out the regular season with a 10-15 overall record and a 3-7 Big West Conference mark. The Anteaters are the No. 5 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament.
• The Anteaters dropped a pair of contests to Hawaii to end the regular season as UCI fell in straight sets on Friday, April 15, before dropping a hard-fought five-setter on Saturday.
• Francesco Sani leads the offensive attack for UC Irvine with 4.08 kills per set, while hitting 266. He also has recorded 093 digs per set and 0.57 blocks per set, and is second on the squad with 33 aces.
• UC Irvine has utilized three setters this season in Patrick Vorenkamp (9.84 assists per set), Dylan Zhai (9.16 assists per set), and Brian Garcia (8.65 assists per set). The three setters have led the Anteaters to a .268 team hitting percentage.
• Defensively, Cole Power and Hilir Henno lead the team with 1.87 and 1.73 digs per set, respectively. Henno also leads the team in aces with 41, while adding 3.44 kills per set, and 1.06 blocks per set, which leads the team.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Anteaters
Long Beach State and Irvine will face each other for the 76th time in program history. Overall, the Beach lead the all-time series 51-24. Earlier this season, the two team split the series as UC Irvine defeated LBSU, 3-2, at the Bren Events Center, before the Beach came back and swept the Anteaters the next night at the Walter Pyramid.

All-Conference Honors
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).

The Best in the (Big) West
Alex Nikolov, Aidan Knipe, and Mason Briggs all lead the Big West in at least one statistical category. Nikolov sets the standard in kills per set (4.43), points per set (5.38), and aces per set (0.62), while Knipe leads the way in assists per set (10.98), and Briggs is the league's leading libero with 2.58 digs per set. The trio ranks in the Top 10 in the nation in each of those categories as well.

Doing It Right on the Right Side
Clarke Godbold has earned the start at the right side and is currently the Beach's third leading scorer with 2.83 kills per set on a .291 attack percentage. In addition to his solid offensive contributions, Godbold also leads the team on the defensive end with 0.98 blocks per set. Godbold has recorded double-digit kills 14 times this season and has led Long Beach State in blocks eight times. In the match against No. 2 UCLA on February 11, Godbold registered a career-high 17 kills on a .571 attack percentage in the Beach's sweep of the Bruins.

Aces Wild
Long Beach State has racked up a total of 130 aces thus far to average 1.51 aces per set which ranks the Beach second in the Big West Conference and in the Top 15 nationally. Individually, Alex Nikolov leads Long Beach State at the service line as the freshman from Sofia, Bulgaria has totaled 53 aces on the year to average 0.62 per set. That average sets the standard in the Big West and leads the nation. Against then-No. 10 UC San Diego, Nikolov served up a new career-high six aces.

Setting the Tone
Sophomore setter Aidan Knipe has set the offensive tone for the Beach thus far as Long Beach State has hit over .300 in 17-of-22 matches when Knipe is setting. As a team, the Beach are hitting .351 which leads the Big West and ranks them third in the country. Knipe, meanwhile, has distributed 10.98 assists per set this season to lead the Big West Conference and rank third in the NCAA.

Alex The Great
Freshman outside hitter Alex Nikolov had a monster collegiate debut and has not let up since. He is currently leading the squad with 4.43 kills per set, while hitting .380, and leading the team with 0.62 aces per set. In the NCAA, Nikolov ranks third in kills per set, 17th in hitting percentage, and leads the country in service aces per set. The Sofia, Bulgaria native has recorded a career-high 24 kills twice this season. Against UC San Diego, he hit a career-best .667 as he went 13-1-18. For his efforts, Nikolov has been named Off the Block Freshman of the Week, Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Week, Big West Conference Freshman of the Week on eight separate occasions, and AVCA National Player of the Week.

Block Party
Long Beach State has been a solid force at the net this season as the Beach average 2.73 blocks per set. That average leads is good for second in the league and second in the nation. Leading the Beach at the net this season is Clarke Godbold who is averaging 0.98 blocks per set to come in 17th in the country. Behind him, Shane Holdaway adds 0.94 blocks per set to rank 22nd in the country, while Simon Torwie ranks 30th in the country with 0.88 blocks per set. The trio all rank in the Top 10 in the Big West Conference.

Next Up
With a win in the Big West Tournament Semifinals, Long Beach State will advance to the Big West Tournament Championship match which will be played on Saturday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. (HT) / 10:30 p.m. (HT).