Saturday, May 7
Los Angeles, Calif.
5:00 PM
Long Beach State University
vs
Hawaii
Photo by: John Fajardo
Top-Seeded Long Beach State Set for National Championship Battle Against Hawai’i on Saturday
5/6/2022 4:56:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
Long Beach State looks to capture its fourth NCAA Championship and third title in four seasons
MATCH #27: No. 2 LONG BEACH STATE vs. No. 1 HAWAI'I
Date: Saturday, May 7
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Venue: Pauley Pavilion
Live Stats: NCAA.com
TV: ESPN2
TV Talent: Paul Sunderland & Kevin Barnett
Radio: 22West.com
Radio Talent: Brent Pothoven & Rigo Carbajal
Twitter: @LBSUMVB
COMPLETE LBSU NOTES (PDF)
Top-Seeded Long Beach State Set for National Championship Battle Against Hawai'i on Saturday
For the fourth time in as many seasons, the NCAA Tournament Champion will come out of the Big West Conference as Long Beach State and Hawaii go head-to-head in the NCAA National Championship match on Saturday, May 7 at 5 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion. The Beach, which are nationally ranked at No. 2, are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, while Hawaii is ranked No. 1 in the NVA/ACVA National Rankings.
Catch All The Action
The National Championship match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 with Kevin Barnett and Paul Sunderland on the call.
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 after winning the Big West Regular Season Title.
• 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.
• Hawaii, which won the Big West Conference Tournament, is ranked No. 1 in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll. The Rainbow Warriors earned 11 first-place votes for a total of 274 points.
• 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 21-5 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 made their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance, and fifth NCAA Final Four showing in six seasons, with an incredible comeback victory over No. 3 UCLA in the semifinals to punch their ticket to the Title Match.
• 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.
• Freshman phenom Alex Nikolov was named AVCA National Player of the Year on Wednesday as he became the first-ever freshman to ever win that award.
• The Beach had five players named NVA/AVCA All-Americans in 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 .353 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 (.353), LBSU also leads the league in kills per set (12.90), and assists per set (12.14).
• Leading the Beach's offense is sophomore setter Aidan Knipe who is third in the nation in assists per set with 10.88, which leads the Big West. Knipe has piloted the Beach to a .300 attack percentage or higher in 19-of-25 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 4.57 kills per set which leads the conference and ranks him third in the nation. Meanwhile Olivier's 3.23 kills per set are good for ninth in the league and 43rd 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 2.54 digs per set to lead the Big West and rank fifth nationally.
• At the net, Clarke Godbold is averaging 0.90 blocks per set which ranks him 29th in the nation and seventh in the Big West. Junior middle blocker Shane Holdaway's 0.83 blocks per set is good for eighth in the conference as the team averages 2.60 blocks per set to come in second in the league.
• Godbold has been a solid contributor all season as he is the team's third leading scorer with 2.81 kills per set while hitting .298 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 3.23 kills per set. Olivier is hitting .327 on the year and is also averaging 1.41 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 Hawai'i
• No. 1 Hawaii edged No. 2 seed Ball State in a five-set contest in the NCAA Final Four to advance to the National Championship match.
• The Rainbow Warriors are the defending 2021 NCAA National Champions as they head into the Finals on an eight-match winning streak. The Bows have not lost a match since dropping back-to-back contests at Long Beach State on April 1 and 2.
• UH is 26-5 overall and is making its third-straight NCAA Championship match appearance, and fourth in program history.
• Overall, Hawaii is making its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and fifth under head coach Charlie Wade. The Bows are 9-6 when playing in the NCAA Tournament.
• Three Bows were named to the NVA/AVCA All-America Team including Jakob Thelle, who garnered First Team honors, as well as Spyros Chakas and Guilherme Voss who earned Second Team accolades, while Dimitrios Mouchlias was an Honorable Mention selection.
• Thelle was named the Big West Player of the Year, while also being named MVP of the Big West Conference Tournament.
• A total of four Bows earned All-Big West Conference honors. In addition to Thelle, Chakas, Voss, and Mouchlias all earned all-conference honors.
• Mouchlias and Chakas lead Hawaii's offensive attack with 3.59 and 3.30 kills per set, respectively. Mouchlias also adds 1.27 digs per set, and 0.90 blocks per set, while Chakas leads the team with 47 aces to go along with 1.33 digs per set and 0.63 blocks per set.
• Thelle is the Bows' setter. He is fourth in the Big West with 9.99 assists per set and has piloted Hawaii to a team attack percentage of .337, which ranks them second in the league.
• On the defensive end, Brett Sheward leads the back row with 222 digs to average 2.09 digs per set.
• At the net, Voss has been a stalwart posting 129 total blocks to average a league-leading 1.36 blocks per set.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Bows
Long Beach State and Hawaii will meet for the 97th time in program history. In the series, which dates back to 1981, the Beach hold a slight edge over the Bows with a 50-46 overall record. This season, the conference foes faced off three times with Long Beach defeating UH in a pair of four-set matches on April 1 and 2, respectively, at the Walter Pyramid. However, in the third meeting, the Bows earned a sweep over the Beach in Honolulu. Saturday will be just the second time Long Beach State and Hawaii went head-to-head in an NCAA Tournament match. The first and last time the two squads squared off was on May 4, 2019 when Long Beach State earned a four-set win over Hawaii to win the NCAA National Championship at the Walter Pyramid.
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 both Player and 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 became the first player to ever win the AVCA National Player of the Year award as a freshman.
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 (4.57), points per set (5.51), and aces per set (0.59), while Knipe leads the way in assists per set (10.88), and Briggs is the league's leading libero with 2.54 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 2.81 kills per set on a .298 attack percentage. In addition to his solid offensive contributions, Godbold also leads the team on the defensive end with 0.90 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 145 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 58 aces on the year to average 0.59 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 58 aces is the most ever among freshman in a single-season at Long Beach State. Overall, he is just two 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 19-of-25 matches when Knipe is setting. As a team, the Beach are hitting .353 which leads the Big West and ranks them second in the country. Knipe, meanwhile, has distributed 10.88 assists per set this season to lead the Big West Conference and rank third in the NCAA.
Block Party
Long Beach State has been a solid force at the net this season as the Beach average 2.60 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 0.90 blocks per set to come in 29th in the country. Behind him, Shane Holdaway adds 0.83 blocks per set to rank 40th in the country. The duo all rank in the Top 10 in the Big West Conference.
Wall of Honor
The Long Beach State men's volleyball program will be inducting three new members into the Wall of Honor. This year's class consists of former players Taylor Crabb, Andreas Koch, and Dustin Watten.
The major criteria for the Wall of Honor, as outlined by the committee, are as follows: the player must have represented Long Beach State Men's Volleyball with unparalleled success or achievement and truly embodied the passion, commitment, and loyalty that encompass a Long Beach State Men's Volleyball player.
Both on and off the court, these three individuals have demonstrated a commitment to the program that has far exceeded expectations and has helped the Beach establish itself as one of the premier volleyball programs in the country over the last several decades.
Date: Saturday, May 7
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Venue: Pauley Pavilion
Live Stats: NCAA.com
TV: ESPN2
TV Talent: Paul Sunderland & Kevin Barnett
Radio: 22West.com
Radio Talent: Brent Pothoven & Rigo Carbajal
Twitter: @LBSUMVB
COMPLETE LBSU NOTES (PDF)
Top-Seeded Long Beach State Set for National Championship Battle Against Hawai'i on Saturday
For the fourth time in as many seasons, the NCAA Tournament Champion will come out of the Big West Conference as Long Beach State and Hawaii go head-to-head in the NCAA National Championship match on Saturday, May 7 at 5 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion. The Beach, which are nationally ranked at No. 2, are the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, while Hawaii is ranked No. 1 in the NVA/ACVA National Rankings.
Catch All The Action
The National Championship match will be broadcast live on ESPN2 with Kevin Barnett and Paul Sunderland on the call.
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 after winning the Big West Regular Season Title.
• 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.
• Hawaii, which won the Big West Conference Tournament, is ranked No. 1 in the NVA/AVCA Division I-II Coaches Poll. The Rainbow Warriors earned 11 first-place votes for a total of 274 points.
• 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 21-5 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 made their 12th NCAA Tournament appearance, and fifth NCAA Final Four showing in six seasons, with an incredible comeback victory over No. 3 UCLA in the semifinals to punch their ticket to the Title Match.
• 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.
• Freshman phenom Alex Nikolov was named AVCA National Player of the Year on Wednesday as he became the first-ever freshman to ever win that award.
• The Beach had five players named NVA/AVCA All-Americans in 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 .353 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 (.353), LBSU also leads the league in kills per set (12.90), and assists per set (12.14).
• Leading the Beach's offense is sophomore setter Aidan Knipe who is third in the nation in assists per set with 10.88, which leads the Big West. Knipe has piloted the Beach to a .300 attack percentage or higher in 19-of-25 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 4.57 kills per set which leads the conference and ranks him third in the nation. Meanwhile Olivier's 3.23 kills per set are good for ninth in the league and 43rd 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 2.54 digs per set to lead the Big West and rank fifth nationally.
• At the net, Clarke Godbold is averaging 0.90 blocks per set which ranks him 29th in the nation and seventh in the Big West. Junior middle blocker Shane Holdaway's 0.83 blocks per set is good for eighth in the conference as the team averages 2.60 blocks per set to come in second in the league.
• Godbold has been a solid contributor all season as he is the team's third leading scorer with 2.81 kills per set while hitting .298 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 3.23 kills per set. Olivier is hitting .327 on the year and is also averaging 1.41 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 Hawai'i
• No. 1 Hawaii edged No. 2 seed Ball State in a five-set contest in the NCAA Final Four to advance to the National Championship match.
• The Rainbow Warriors are the defending 2021 NCAA National Champions as they head into the Finals on an eight-match winning streak. The Bows have not lost a match since dropping back-to-back contests at Long Beach State on April 1 and 2.
• UH is 26-5 overall and is making its third-straight NCAA Championship match appearance, and fourth in program history.
• Overall, Hawaii is making its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and fifth under head coach Charlie Wade. The Bows are 9-6 when playing in the NCAA Tournament.
• Three Bows were named to the NVA/AVCA All-America Team including Jakob Thelle, who garnered First Team honors, as well as Spyros Chakas and Guilherme Voss who earned Second Team accolades, while Dimitrios Mouchlias was an Honorable Mention selection.
• Thelle was named the Big West Player of the Year, while also being named MVP of the Big West Conference Tournament.
• A total of four Bows earned All-Big West Conference honors. In addition to Thelle, Chakas, Voss, and Mouchlias all earned all-conference honors.
• Mouchlias and Chakas lead Hawaii's offensive attack with 3.59 and 3.30 kills per set, respectively. Mouchlias also adds 1.27 digs per set, and 0.90 blocks per set, while Chakas leads the team with 47 aces to go along with 1.33 digs per set and 0.63 blocks per set.
• Thelle is the Bows' setter. He is fourth in the Big West with 9.99 assists per set and has piloted Hawaii to a team attack percentage of .337, which ranks them second in the league.
• On the defensive end, Brett Sheward leads the back row with 222 digs to average 2.09 digs per set.
• At the net, Voss has been a stalwart posting 129 total blocks to average a league-leading 1.36 blocks per set.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Bows
Long Beach State and Hawaii will meet for the 97th time in program history. In the series, which dates back to 1981, the Beach hold a slight edge over the Bows with a 50-46 overall record. This season, the conference foes faced off three times with Long Beach defeating UH in a pair of four-set matches on April 1 and 2, respectively, at the Walter Pyramid. However, in the third meeting, the Bows earned a sweep over the Beach in Honolulu. Saturday will be just the second time Long Beach State and Hawaii went head-to-head in an NCAA Tournament match. The first and last time the two squads squared off was on May 4, 2019 when Long Beach State earned a four-set win over Hawaii to win the NCAA National Championship at the Walter Pyramid.
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 both Player and 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 became the first player to ever win the AVCA National Player of the Year award as a freshman.
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 (4.57), points per set (5.51), and aces per set (0.59), while Knipe leads the way in assists per set (10.88), and Briggs is the league's leading libero with 2.54 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 2.81 kills per set on a .298 attack percentage. In addition to his solid offensive contributions, Godbold also leads the team on the defensive end with 0.90 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 145 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 58 aces on the year to average 0.59 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 58 aces is the most ever among freshman in a single-season at Long Beach State. Overall, he is just two 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 19-of-25 matches when Knipe is setting. As a team, the Beach are hitting .353 which leads the Big West and ranks them second in the country. Knipe, meanwhile, has distributed 10.88 assists per set this season to lead the Big West Conference and rank third in the NCAA.
Block Party
Long Beach State has been a solid force at the net this season as the Beach average 2.60 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 0.90 blocks per set to come in 29th in the country. Behind him, Shane Holdaway adds 0.83 blocks per set to rank 40th in the country. The duo all rank in the Top 10 in the Big West Conference.
Wall of Honor
The Long Beach State men's volleyball program will be inducting three new members into the Wall of Honor. This year's class consists of former players Taylor Crabb, Andreas Koch, and Dustin Watten.
The major criteria for the Wall of Honor, as outlined by the committee, are as follows: the player must have represented Long Beach State Men's Volleyball with unparalleled success or achievement and truly embodied the passion, commitment, and loyalty that encompass a Long Beach State Men's Volleyball player.
Both on and off the court, these three individuals have demonstrated a commitment to the program that has far exceeded expectations and has helped the Beach establish itself as one of the premier volleyball programs in the country over the last several decades.
Players Mentioned
L
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
MB
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's VolleyballNCAA National Collegiate Championship Post Match Press Conference (Finals)- #1 UCLA
Sunday, May 05
NCAA National Collegiate Championship Post-Match Press Conference (Finals) #2 Long Beach State
Sunday, May 05
#1 UCLA Practice Day 2024 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Press Conference
Friday, May 03
#2 Long Beach State Practice Day 2024 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Press Conference
Friday, May 03
