Long Beach State Women’s Volleyball Travels To Cal State Bakersfield, CSUN

Friday, October 6

Bakersfield, Calif.

7:00 PM

Long Beach State University

Cal State Bakersfield

Photo by: John Fajardo

Long Beach State Women’s Volleyball Travels To Cal State Bakersfield, CSUN

10/5/2023 6:17:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

LBSU Match Notes

The Beach and the Roadrunners square off on Friday night, before LBSU faces CSUN on Saturday afternoon

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

LONG BEACH STATE (9-5, 3-1 Big West) at CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD (5-11, 1-3 Big West)
Date: Friday, October 6
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Bakersfield, Calif.
Venue: Icardo Center
Live Stats: GoRunners.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @LBSUWVB

LONG BEACH STATE (9-5, 3-1 Big West) at CSUN (2-13, 0-4 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 7
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Northridge, Calif.
Venue: Premier America Credit Union Arena
Live Stats: GoMatadors.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @LBSUWVB

Long Beach State Women's Volleyball Travels to Cal State Bakersfield, CSUN
After a four-match homestand to open Big West action, the Long Beach State Women's Volleyball team hits the road to take on Cal State Bakersfield and CSUN. The Beach and the Roadrunners will go head-to-head on Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Icardo Center. The next day, LBSU and CSUN will battle it out at Premier America Credit Union Arena in Northridge, Calif., at 4 p.m.

Catch All The Action
All regular season Long Beach State home matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+ this season. Both road matches this weekend will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ for $9.99 per month ($99.99 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 $12.99 per month (Hulu with ads). Fans can also follow the match on live stats at BeachLiveStats.com.

Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State women's volleyball on Instagram and Twitter at @LBSUWVB. Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics via Twitter. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU.

In The Rankings
• Long Beach State is 9-5 on the year and 3-1 in Big West play. The Beach are not currently ranked in the AVCA/Taraflex Division I Poll. LBSU boasts an RPI of 31, which leads The Big West. In conference standings, the Beach are tied for third place.
• Cal State Bakersfield, which is 5-11 overall and 1-3 in Big West action, is not ranked nor receiving votes in the AVCA/Taraflex Division I Poll. The Roadrunners are currently seventh in The Big West standings.
• CSUN, which brings a 2-13 overall record and an 0-4 conference mark into the week, is not ranked or receiving votes.The Matadors are tied for ninth in conference standings.

About the Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 9-5 overall record, and a 3-1 Big West mark, into the week. The Beach have won six of their last seven contests.
• During the preseason, the Beach picked up key wins over then-No. 1 Texas, Indiana, and Arizona. LBSU took down the defending National Champion Longhorns in four sets at the Walter Pyramid to open the season. The Beach also picked up a 3-1 win over Indiana marking the program's first win over a Big Ten opponent since 2015. Most recently, Long Beach swept Arizona on the road, which was the first road sweep over a Pac-12 opponent since 1992.
• In addition to the big preseason victories, Long Beach State is coming off of a long-waited win over Hawaii. The Beach downed the Rainbow Wahine in three sets last week to snap an 11-match losing streak, dating back to 2016, against the Bows. The sweep was LBSU's first such win over Hawaii since 1997.
• As a team, Long Beach State ranks second in The Big West in kills (13.36) and assists (12.34) per set. Those marks are also good for 53rd and 57th, respectively, in the nation.
• After sweeping UC San Diego and Hawaii last week, Long Beach State boasted three Big West Players of the Week in Natalie Glenn (Offensive), Savana Chacon (Defensive), and Zayna Meyer (Setter).
• Meyer has paced the Beach, distributing 10.10 assists per set to rank second in The Big West and in the Top 50 in the nation. On the year, Meyer has contributed on all sides of the ball with 2.60 digs per set, 0.84 kills per set, 0.54 blocks per set, and 0.32 aces per set. She leads the team with seven double-doubles on the year.
• Junior outside hitter Elise Agi is the team's leader in scoring as she averages 3.26 kills per set. Agi has led the Beach in kills on seven separate occasions this season, including a career-high 19-kill performance against New Mexico State. She has also registered five double-doubles on the season.
• Chacon, the team's libero, anchors the backrow with 4.12 digs per set which is good for third in The Big West. She also adds 1.26 assists per set. Chacon has led the Beach in digs 11 times this season and has recorded 13 double-digit dig performances.
• At the net, Long Beach is led by junior middle blocker Kameron Bacon who has put up 52 blocks (5 solos, 47 assists) this year to average 1.16 blocks per set which is good for fifth in the conference. Bacon has led the Beach in blocking 10 times this season.
• Glenn is the team's second leading scorer as she averages 3.00 kills per set on a .261 attack percentage. She also addes 1.51 digs per set, 0.57 blocks per set, and leads the Beach with 0.37 aces per set, which is good for fourth in the league. She has racked up five double-figure kill performances, including a career-high 21-kill showing against Cal Poly. Glenn has led the Beach in kills three times this season.
• Long Beach State will host the inaugural Big West Women's Volleyball Championships this season, which will take place at the Walter Pyramid November 22, 24, and 25. The winner of the championship will earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
• This season, Long Beach State has been chosen to finish third in The Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Beach garnered 82 points and one first-place vote coming in just one point behind second place UC Santa Barbara. Hawaii, which collected 100 points and 10 first-place votes, was chosen as the preseason favorite.

Scouting Cal State Bakersfield
• Cal State Bakersfield comes into the match against Long Beach State with a 5-11 overall record.
• The Roadrunners are 1-3 in Big West action this season. Their lone conference win came against CSUN to open league action on Sept. 19.
• As a team, the Runners are hitting .158 on the year with 11.29 kills per set and 10.46 assists per set.
• Defensively, Bakersfield averages 14.02 digs per set, 1.83 blocks per set, and 1.70 aces per set.
• Ava Palm is the Roadrunners' leading scorer with 2.56 kills per set on a .159 attack percentage. She also adds 2.23 digs per set and 0.52 blocks per set. She is second on the team with 18 service aces.
• At setter, Nene Hawkins paces the Bakersfield offense with 6.38 assists per set. She adds 1.98 digs per set and 14 aces on the year.
• Grace Moss is the team's libero as she anchors the backrow with 3.59 digs per set. She is also the team's leader in service aces with 18 to average 0.38 per set.
• At the net, Breklyn Pulling leads the way with 64 blocks (8 solo, 56 assists) to average 1.02 blocks per set. She also contributes 2.40 kills per set on a .275 clip.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Roadrunners
Long Beach State and Cal State Bakersfield will meet for the eighth time in program history. In the all-time series, the Beach lead the Roadrunners 5-2, and have won the last two meetings. When playing each other in Bakersfield, Calif., LBSU leads 2-1.

Scouting CSUN
• CSUN comes into the week with a 2-13 overall record and an 0-4 Big West mark.
• The Matadors are on a six-match losing streak and looking to earn their first league victory.
• CSUN's only wins of the season came at the hands of Fresno State (3-0) on August 30 and against UT Rio Grande Valley (3-0) on Sept. 15.
• As a team, the Matadors are hitting .181, while averaging 11.28 kills per set and 10.47 assists per set.
• On the defensive end, CSUN is averaging 13.02 digs per set, 2.02 blocks per set, and 1.34 aces per set.
• Carisa Barron leads the Matadors with 2.25 kills per set on a .163 attack percentage. She also adds 4.48 assists per set to lead the team, to go along with 1.67 digs per set, 0.52 blocks per set, and has served up 15 aces on the year.
• Coming in right behind Barron with 4.47 assists per set is Taylor Dunlap. She also contributes 1.00 digs per set and nine aces.
• Kelsey Knudsen holds down the backcourt with 4.02 digs per set on the year, while also posting 0.94 assists per set, and nine service aces on the season.
• Taylor Hunter leads the Matadors at the net with 1.08 blocks per set. This season, she has put up 11 solo blocks and 58 block assists to total 69. Additionally, she chips in 1.86 kills per set, while hitting .295.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Matadors
Long Beach State and CSUN will face each other for the 86th time in program history. In the all-time series, the Beach lead the way 61-24 and have won the last nine meetings against the Matadors. When playing each other in Northridge, Calif., LBSU leads 27-10.

Can You Dig It?
Junior libero Savana Chacon has recorded at least 10 digs in 13 of Long Beach State's 14 matches this seaosn. On the year, she is averaging 4.12 digs per set. Chacon kicked off the season with 14 digs against then-No. 1 Texas. She turned in her best showing with a career-high 29-dig performance against Washington on Sept. 1. Most recently, she logged 13 digs against Hawaii. In The Big West, Chacon's 4.12 digs per set average ranks her third in the league.

Killin' It
Junior Elise Agi has adjusted to transferring to Long Beach State seamlessly. She has seen action in 12 of LBSU's 14 matches, earning a start on seven separate occasions. She is currently LBSU's leading scorer with 3.26 kills per set, which ranks her fifth in The Big West. Agi recorded a career performance where she led the Beach with a career-high 19 kills, 10 digs, and five blocks in a 3-1 win over New Mexico State. This season, she has led the Beach in kills on seven separate occasions and has recorded five double-doubles.

Setting the Tone
Redshirt sophomore Zayna Meyer has been a steady force for Long Beach State throughout the season. The 6-foot-1 setter has paced the Beach offense and turned in an all-around solid showing in each outing. Her 10.10 assists per set are good for second in The Big West, while she also contributes 2.60 digs per set, 0.84 kills per set, 0.54 blocks per set, while hitting .326 on the year. She currently leads the team with seven double-doubles this season.

Career Day
Junior outside hitter Natalie Glenn turned in a career-high performance in which she knocked down 21 kills to set a new career-best against Cal Poly on Sept. 22. If that weren't enough, Glenn showed her proficiency hitting a career-high .472 (21-4-36) in the contest, while also adding a season-high eight digs and two aces. On the season, Glenn is averaging 3.00 kills per set on a .261 clip, while adding 1.51 digs per set and 0.57 blocks per set. This year, she has recorded 13 aces to average 0.37 service aces per set, which is tops on the team and fourth in The Big West.

Next Up
Long Beach State returns to the Walter Pyramid to host UC Davis and UC Riverside on Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 14, respectively. Both matches are set to start at 7 p.m., and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.