Top-Seeded Long Beach State Will Face UCLA in the Final Four on Thursday

Thursday, May 5

Los Angeles, Calif.

5:00 PM

Long Beach State University

UCLA

Photo by: Nico Alba

Top-Seeded Long Beach State Will Face UCLA in the Final Four on Thursday

5/4/2022 10:12:00 AM | Men's Volleyball

The Beach and the Bruins go head-to-head on Thursday, May 5 at 5 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

MATCH #26: #2 LONG BEACH STATE vs. #3 UCLA
Date: Thursday, May 5
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Venue: Pauley Pavilion
Live Stats: NCAA.com
Live Stream: NCAA.com
Radio: 22West.com
Radio Talent: Brent Pothoven & Rigo Carbajal
Twitter: @LBSUMVB

COMPLETE LBSU NOTES (PDF)

Top-Seeded Long Beach State Will Face UCLA in the Final Four on Thursday
No. 2 Long Beach State earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and has earned a bye into the semifinals on Thursday, May 5 at 5 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, Calif. The Beach will play No. 3 UCLA in a rematch, down to the day, of the 2018 National Championship in which the Beach defeated the Bruins, 3-2, on May 5, 2018 at Pauley Pavilion.

Catch All The Action
The Final Four matches will be live steamed via NCAA.com, while the National Championship match will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Kevin Barnett and Paul Sunderland will be on the call for the championship match on Saturday, May 7 at 5 p.m.

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.

Know Before You Go
• UCLA's Pauley Pavilion has a clear bag policy. Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12"W x 12"H x 6"D are approved.
• Masks are optional inside Pauley Pavilion.

In the Rankings
• Long Beach State moved up to the No. 2 spot in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll winning the Big West Regular Season Title and falling in the Tournament Championship match last weekend.
• The Beach have received four first-place votes and have garnered 262 points.
• With the top RPI in the country for well over a month now, Long Beach State earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• UCLA dropped two spots to No. 3 in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll as the Bruins are 22-4 overall.
• This season, Long Beach State has played 10 teams that are currently nationally ranked. When playing nationally ranked teams in 2022, Long Beach State is 11-4 overall.

About The Beach
• No. 2 Long Beach State brings a 20-5 overall record into NCAA Tournament Semifinals. LBSU is the No. 1 overall seed after earning an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
• The Beach will make their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance, and fifth NCAA Final Four showing in six seasons.
• LBSU won the Big West Regular season title after completing league action with an 8-2 record en route to capturing their fourth regular season championship in five seasons.
• In the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Preseason Coaches Poll, the Beach were chosen fourth, garnering three first-place votes.
• The Beach had five players named NVA/AVCA All-Americans in Alex Nikolov and Mason Briggs, who collected First Team honors, Clarke Godbold who took home Second Team accolades, and Spencer Olivier and Aidan Knipe who earned Honorable Mention status.
• Alex Nikolov also earned AVCA Newcomer of the Year accolades.
• 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.
• Nikolov also garnered Big West Conference Freshman of the Year. LBSU has now had a player names Big West Freshman of the Year in each of the last three seasons. Overall, the Beach have had seven players earn conference Freshman of the Year honors, with four MPSF honorees and three Big West selections.
• This season, the Beach have been dominant offensively hitting .351 on the season. That clip leads the Big West and is good for second 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 (13.06), and assists per set (12.29).
• Leading the Beach's offense is sophomore setter Aidan Knipe who is third in the nation in assists per set with 11.08, which leads the Big West. Knipe has piloted the Beach to a .300 attack percentage or higher in 18-of-24 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 4.60 kills per set which leads the conference and ranks him third in the nation. Meanwhile Olivier's 3.31 kills per set are good for eighth in the league and 35th 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 12 double-digit dig performances this season and 22 in his collegiate career. He is averaging 2.63 digs per set to lead the Big West and rank fifth nationally.
• At the net, Clarke Godbold is averaging 0.93 blocks per set which ranks him 22nd in the nation and sixth in the Big West. Junior middle blocker Shane Holdaway's 0.89 blocks per set is good for eighth in the conference, while Simon Torwie's 0.82 blocks per set rank him in the Top 10 in the conference.
• Godbold has been a solid contributor all season as he is the team's third leading scorer with 2.84 kills per set while hitting .288 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 3.31 kills per set. Olivier is hitting .331 on the year and is also averaging 1.46 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 UCLA
• No. 3 UCLA defeated No. 5 Pepperdine in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament to improve to 22-5 overall and advance to the Final Four.
• The Bruins finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the country, but dropped a 3-2 decision to then-No. 13 Stanford in the MPSF Semifinals.
• UCLA earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament and are hosting the event at Pauley Pavilion for the 16th time in program history.
• This season, UCLA is making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2018 when the Bruins lost in the National Championship match to Long Beach State at Pauley Pavilion.
• Overall, UCLA has won 19 National Titles in men's volleyball, their last coming in 2006 when they swept Penn State in State College, Pa.
• After a 3-1 win over Pepperdine in the NCAA Tournament Opening Round, the Bruins have now won 10 of their last 11 matches.
• Five Bruins earned NVA/AVCA All-American Honors as Ethan Champlin, Merrick McHenry, and Miles Partain were named to the First Team, while Guy Genis and Kevin Kobrine were selected to the Second Team.
• UCLA Assistant Coach John Hawkes was named AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year.
• Seven Bruins earned All-MPSF honors as setter artain was named MPSF Player of the Year and middle blocker Genis was named MPSF Freshman of the Year. Paratain was also an MPSF All-First Team selection, while Genis was named to the Second Team.
• The All-MPSF First Team selections also included outside hitter Kobrine, middle blocker McKenry, and outside hitter Champlin, while opposite Ido David and outside hitter Grant Sloane were named to the All-Freshman Team.
• Leading the UCLA offense are Champlin and Kobrine whose 2.57 and 2.54 kills per set, respectively top the squad. Champlin also leads the team with 34 aces on the year.
• Partain has dished out a total of 1,000 assists this season to average 10.31 assists per set. He also adds 1.59 digs per set, 0.64 blocks per set, 0.75 kills per set, and 22 aces.
• Defensively, McKenry and Genis leads the team at the net with 1.01 and 10.99 blocks per set, respectively.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Bruins
Long Beach State and UCLA will meet for the 98th time in program history. In a series dating back to 1970, the Bruins hold the edge with an all-time record of 53-44. Earlier this season, the two squads split the series as the Beach swept the Bruins at the Walter Pyramid on Feb. 11, before UCLA downed LBSU, 3-2, on Feb. 19 at the John Wooden Center. When playing each other in the NCAA Tournament, the two teams are 1-1. UCLA defeated Long Beach, 3-0, in the Finals in 1970 to win the National Title in Los Angeles, Calif. Forty-eight years later, Long Beach State took down UCLA in a five-set battle at Pauley Pavilion in 2018 as the Beach won their second NCAA Title and first in 27 years.

Rookie of the Year
The Big West Conference announced the winners of its three major awards on Tuesday morning, and Long Beach State's Alex Nikolov took home Conference Freshman of the Year.

Long Beach State has now had a player named Big West Freshman of the Year in each of the last three seasons. Overall, the Beach have had seven players earn conference Freshman of the Year honors with four MPSF honorees and three Big West selections.

Nikolov, a true freshman outside hitter, has had a phenomenal freshman campaign thus far that, just last week, earned him Big West All-First Team accolades as well as a nod to the All-Freshman Team. He leads the nation in service aces per set as he averages 0.61 with a total of 57 aces this season which is the most aces ever tallied by a freshman at Long Beach State. Nikolov served up a career-high six aces in a single match at then-No. 10 UC San Diego. That total is tied for third most in LBSU single-match history.

The Sofia, Bulgaria native has dominated offensively as his 4.60 kills per set leads the Big West and ranks third in the nation. Last week at the Big West Conference Tournament, Nikolov slammed a career-high 28 kills in a four-set win over then-No. 14 UC Irvine. He has now recorded seven 20-plus kill performances this season.

Additionally, his hitting percentage of .385 also leads the Beach, while ranking second in the league and 16th in the country. Through 25 matches, Nikolov has hit .300 or higher in 20 contests this season with his highest output of .667 coming against then-No. 10 UC San Diego as he knocked down 13 kills on 18 swings, while committing just one attack error.

Nikolov's efficiency this season has been outstanding as he also leads the conference in attacks per set, with 8.81, while ranking in the Top 10 in the nation. Furthermore, his points per sets average of 5.56 tops the Big West and is good for second in the NCAA.

The 6-foot-8 Nikolov has led Long Beach State in kills in 22-of-25 matches, while recording double-figure kills on 23 occasions. Nikolov has also recorded a pair of double-doubles in his rookie season 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.

Nikolov dominated the Big West Conference Freshman of the Week awards, collecting the honors an unprecedented eight times. He also took home the Conference Player of the Week honor twice (Jan. 24 and April 4) as he was just one of four players to win that award multiple times in 2022 and the only freshman to do so on more than one occasion. Lastly, Nikolov garnered national honors taking home the AVCA Player of the Week award on Jan. 25, just two weeks after his collegiate debut.

Nikolov joins the likes of previous Long Beach State conference Freshman of the Year honorees Scott Touzinsky (MPSF Co-Freshman of the Year in 2001), Tyler Hildebrand (MPSF Freshman of the Year in 2003), Mike Klipsch (MPSF Freshman of the Year in 2008), TJ DeFalco (MPSF Freshman of the Year in 2016), Mason Briggs (Co-Big West Freshman of the Year in 2020), and Clarke Godbold (Big West Freshman of the Year in 2021).

All-American Accolades
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced the 2022 NVAAVCA Division I-II Men's Volleyball All-America Teams on Monday, and Long Beach State earned five selections. Freshman Alex Nikolov was named Newcomer of the Year, as well as to the All-America First Team along with sophomore Mason Briggs, while Clarke Godbold earned All-America Second Team Honors. Rounding out the group, Aidan Knipe and Spencer Olivier garnered All-America Honorable Mention status.

Nikolov, a true freshman, continues to rake in the awards. After having been named Big West Freshman of the Year as well as to the All-Big West First Team and All-Freshman Team, Nikolov can now add AVCA Newcomer of the Year and NVA/AVCA First Team All-American to his resume. The 6-foot-8 outside hitter has had an outstanding rookie season that has led Long Beach State into the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed.

The Sofia, Bulgaria native leads the nation in service aces per set as he averages 0.61 with a total of 57 aces this season, marking the most aces ever recorded by a freshman at Long Beach State and just three shy of the program single-season record. Additionally, Nikolov has dominated offensively with 4.60 kills per set which leads the Big West and ranks him third in the nation. He owns a hitting percentage of .385, which also leads the Beach, while ranking him second in the league, and 16th in the country. He has led the Beach in kills 22 times, while recording double-figure kills on 23 occasions, and has registered seven 20-plus kill performances. Nikolov has recorded a pair of double-doubles as he tallied 14 kills and 11 digs against Concordia, before logging 18 kills and a career-best 12 digs against then-No. 4 Hawaii.

Briggs joins Nikolov on the AVCA All-American First Team as the sophomore libero was also named to the Big West All-First Team. The product out of Valencia, Calif., has been a key component to Long Beach State's success as he paces the defense with 2.63 digs per set, which leads the Big West and ranks him in the Top 5 in the country. Briggs has led the Beach in digs 19 times this season and has logged 12 double-digit dig performances.

Godbold collected AVCA All-American Second Team accolades as he turned in a solid sophomore campaign that saw him named to the Big West All-First Team. The 6-foot-5 opposite has been a stalwart at the net this season leading the squad in blocks with 0.93 per set, which ranks in the Top 10 in the Big West and in the Top 25 in the nation. In addition to his strong blocking defense, Godbold has also contributed offensively as he ranks third on the team in kills per set (2.84) and hitting percentage (.288). He has led LBSU in blocking eight times this season, while leading the Beach in kills twice. He has recorded 15 double-figure kill performances, including a career-high 17 kills in a sweep of then-No. 2 UCLA.

Knipe earned AVCA All-American Honorable Mention status after posting an outstanding sophomore season in which he has piloted Long Beach State to a .351 team attack percentage, which leads the Big West and ranks second in the NCAA. Knipe has done an excellent job distributing the ball as he has registered 11.08 assists per set to lead the league and rank third in the country. With Knipe leading the way, Long Beach State has hit .300 or higher in 18-of-24 matches. When hitting over .300, the Beach are a perfect 18-0 on the year. Earlier this season, Knipe dished out a career-high 58 assists against then-No. 6 UC Santa Barbara. He recorded a double-double, the first of his collegiate career, against Concordia with 42 assists and 10 digs.

Rounding out the Long Beach All-Americans is Olivier who garnered an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention selection. He was also named All-Big West Honorable Mention this season as well. The junior outside hitter is the Beach's second leading scorer as he averages 3.31 kills per set, which ranks him eighth in the conference and 35th in the nation. His attack percentage of .331 is good for eighth in the Big West and 27th in the country, while he ranks in the Top 10 in the conference with 3.79 points per set. Olivier has led the Beach in kills four times this season, while recording 17 double-digit kill performances, and one 20-plus kill showing. He has recorded a double-double on two separate occasions, first, against then-No. 7 USC with 12 kills and 10 digs, then against NJIT with 14 kills and 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 (4.60), points per set (5.56), and aces per set (0.61), while Knipe leads the way in assists per set (11.08), and Briggs is the league's leading libero with 2.63 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 2.84 kills per set on a .288 attack percentage. In addition to his solid offensive contributions, Godbold also leads the team on the defensive end with 0.92 blocks per set. Godbold has recorded double-digit kills 15 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 138 aces thus far to average 1.48 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 57 aces on the year to average 0.61 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. His 57 aces is the most ever among freshman in a single-season at Long Beach State. Overall, he is just three aces shy of tying the all-time program record of 60 in a single-season which was set in 2008 by Paul Lotman.

Can You Dig It?
Sophomore libero Mason Briggs has proved himself as arguably one of the best liberos in the country. The NVA/AVCA First Team All-American leads the Beach defense with 245 total digs to average 2.63 digs per set. That digs per ser average leads the Big West and ranks him fifth in the nation. Briggs' total of 245 digs is just 39 digs shy of breaking into the LBSU single-season Top 5. Additionally, he has logged 12 double-figure dig performances this season which is just two 10-plus dig showings shy of cracking the single-season Top 5.

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 18-of-24 matches when Knipe is setting. As a team, the Beach are hitting .351 which leads the Big West and ranks them second in the country. Knipe, meanwhile, has distributed 11.08 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 4.60 kills per set, while hitting .385, and leading the team with 0.61 aces per set. In the NCAA, Nikolov ranks third in kills per set, 16th in hitting percentage, and leads the country in service aces per set. The Sofia, Bulgaria native is coming off of a career-performance against No. 14 UC Irvine in the Big West Tournament Semifinals in which he tallied 28 kills on a .558 attack percentage. 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, AVCA National Player of the Week, and most recently Big West Conference Freshman of the Year.

Block Party
Long Beach State has been a solid force at the net this season as the Beach average 2.65 blocks per set. That average leads is good for second in the league and third in the nation. Leading the Beach at the net this season is Clarke Godbold who is averaging 0.92 blocks per set to come in 22nd in the country. Behind him, Shane Holdaway adds 0.89 blocks per set to rank 30th in the country, while Simon Torwie ranks 44th in the NCAA with 0.82 blocks per set. The trio all rank in the Top 10 in the Big West Conference.

Next Up
With a victory in the NCAA Final Four over UCLA, Long Beach State will advance to the Championship match on Saturday, May 7 at 5 p.m. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN2.