Long Beach State Will Face Top-Seeded UC Santa Barbara In The Outrigger Big West Championship Semifinals On Friday

LONG BEACH STATE (20-9) vs. UC SANTA BARBARA (27-3)
Date: Friday, Nov. 24
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BigWest.org/championshipwvball
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Rob Espero & Madison Fitzpatrick
Sideline Reporter: Chloe Clark
Twitter/X: @LBSUWVB

Long Beach State Will Face Top-Seeded UC Santa Barbara In The Outrigger Big West Championship Semifinals On Friday
The No. 4 seed Long Beach State Women's Volleyball team advanced to The Outrigger Big West Championship Semifinals and will face top-seeded UC Santa Barbara. The Beach and the Gauchos will meet on Friday, Nov. 24 at 4 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid. The winner will go on to The Big West Championship match and face the winner of the No. 2 seed Hawaii/No. 3 seed Cal Poly contest on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 5 p.m.

Catch All The Action
All Outrigger Big West Championship matches 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 matches on live stats at BigWest.org/championshipwvball.

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 20-9 on the year and finished Big West action with a 13-5 record. The Beach are not currently ranked in the AVCA/Taraflex Division I Poll. LBSU owns an RPI of 70, which is third in The Big West. In the conference standings, the Beach finished fourth and go into The Outrigger Big West Championship as the No. 4 seed.
• UC Santa Barbara, which is 27-3 overall and 17-1 in Big West action, is not ranked in the AVCA/Taraflex Division I Poll, but the Gauchos are receiving votes. UCSB, which boasts an RPI of 34, heads into The Outrigger Big West Championship as the No. 1 seed.

About the Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 20-9 overall record, and a 13-5 Big West mark into the Semifinals of The Outrigger Big West Women's Volleyball Championship.
• The Beach advanced to the semifinals after defeating No. 5 seed UC Irvine in a thrilling five-set contest on Wednesday night.
• With their win over the Anteaters on Wednesday, Long Beach State recorded its first 20-win season since 2016, which marked the program's 35th 20-plus win season in LBSU Women's Volleyball history.
• 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 earned a long-waited win over Hawaii. The Beach downed the Rainbow Wahine in three sets 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.
• On Tuesday, The Big West announced the All-Conference award winners and Long Beach State had five all-conference selections. It marks the first time since 2018 the Beach landed five on the All-Conference team.
• Headlining the All-Conference squad was redshirt sophomore setter Zayna Meyer who was named Big West Setter of the Year, while also earning a nod to the First Team. Meyer became the first LBSU player to win a major Big West All-Conference award since 2014.
• Joining Meyer on the All-Conference Team were teammates Katie Kennedy (1st Team), Elise Agi (2nd Team), Natalie Glenn (2nd Team), and Kameron Bacon (Honorable Mention).
• As a team, Long Beach State leads The Big West in hitting percentage (.250) and service aces per set (1.79). The Beach ranks second in the conference in assists per set (12.30), kills per set (13.48), and opponent hitting percentage (.172).
• Junior outside hitter Elise Agi had a monster match when the Beach played Cal State Bakersfield on October 6. She was incredible as she knocked down a career-high 28 kills, while hitting a career-best .431 (28-6-51). She added seven digs and two aces to help the Beach defeat the Roadrunners in five sets. Agi is the Beach's leading scorer as she is averaging 3.60 kills per set on the year, which is good for fourth in The Big West. She also contributes 2.19 digs per set and is second on the team with 0.39 aces per set. Her aces per sets average ranks her second in the conference.
• Redshirt sophomore setter Zayna Meyer has paced the Beach to a .250 attack percentage to lead The Big West, distributing 10.10 assists per set to rank second in The Big West and in the Top 60 in the nation. On the year, Meyer has contributed on all sides of the ball with 2.48 digs per set, 0.91 kills per set, 0.54 blocks per set, and 0.32 aces per set. She leads the team with 13 double-doubles on the year.
• Katie Kennedy has been solid all season, but has really heated up in conference action. Overall, she is hitting a team-leading .352 which is good for second in The Big West. However, in conference matches only, she is hitting .400 to lead the league. In addition to her efficient output, Kennedy is third on the squad with 2.39 kills per set, while also contributing 0.84 blocks per set and 0.36 digs per set.
• Natalie Glenn has been unstoppable at the service line as of late. The junior outside hitter leads The Big West and ranks 31st in the nation with 0.46 aces per set. Additionally, she is the team's second-leading scorer as she averages 2.72 kills per set on a .296 attack percentage. She also adds 1.43 digs per set and 0.62 blocks per set. She has racked up 10 double-figure kill performances, including a career-high 21-kill showing against Cal Poly.
• Savana Chacon, the team's libero, anchors the backrow with 3.63 digs per set which is good for seventh in The Big West. She also adds 1.13 assists per set. Chacon has led the Beach in digs 19 times this season and has recorded 20 double-digit dig performances.
• At the net, Long Beach is led by junior middle blocker Kameron Bacon who has put up 115 blocks (14 solos, 101 assists) this year to average 1.14 blocks per set which is good for third in the conference. Bacon has led the Beach in blocking 18 times this season. Earlier this season, she boasted a career-best 9-block showing at UC Riverside on October 26.
• Freshman outside hitter Livi Narancich made her collegiate debut and helped the Beach earn a pair of sweeps over CSUN and Cal State Bakersfield. The product out of San Marcos, Calif., has now made four starts and is averaging 2.29 kills per set on a .357 attack percentage, while also chipping in 1.14 digs per set and 0.57 blocks per set.
• 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 UC Santa Barbara
• UC Santa Barbara comes into The Outrigger Big West Championship with a 27-3 overall record. The Gauchos finished the regular season with a Big West record of 17-1 to earn the No. 1 seed into the tournament.
• UCSB closed the regular season on a seven-match winning streak.
• The Gauchos' lone loss in Big West action came on October 27 at UC Irvine, when the Anteaters edged UCSB, 3-1 [19-25, 25-23, 24-26, 22-25] in Irvine, Calif.
• As a team, the Gauchos are hitting .233, while averaging 12.93 kills per set on 11.82 assists per set.
• Defensively, UC Santa Barbara has logged 15.48 digs per set in the backrow, while posting 2.79 blocks per set at the net. At the service line, the Gauchos are averaging 1.63 aces per set.
• Michelle Ohwobete, The Big West Player of the Year, leads the team with 3.61 kills per set on a .249 attack percentage. She also adds 2.34 digs per set, 0.57 blocks per set, and 36 aces on the season.
• UC Santa Barbara runs a 6-2 offense Grace McIntosh and Michelle Zhao splitting setter duties. McIntosh leads the way with 5.88 assists per set, while Zhao chips in 3.85.
• Anchoring the Gauchos' defense is Big West Libero of the Year, Macall Peed. Peed has racked up more than 500 digs in the backrow to average 4.59 digs per set.
• On blocking defense, the duo of Andi Kreiling and Grace Wuischpard patrol the net. Kreiling leads the way with 1.27 blocks per set, while Wuischpard adds 1.09 blocks per set.
• Briana McKnight is the Gauchos' service ace leader as she has served up 40 aces this season to average 0.36 per set. She also adds 2.50 kills per set, 2.95 digs per set, and 0.74 blocks per set for UCSB.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Gauchos
Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara will face each other for the 118th time in program history. In a series that dates back to 1965, the Beach hold the all-time series lead 74-43. However, the Gauchos have won their last three meetings, including two this season. Long Beach State, meanwhile, is looking for its first victory over UCSB since October 7, 2022 when the Beach downed the Gauchos, 3-1, at the Walter Pyramid. When playing each other in Long Beach, Calif., LBSU leads the series 37-12.

Can You Dig It?
Junior libero Savana Chacon has recorded at least 10 digs in 20 of Long Beach State's 29 matches this season. On the year, she is averaging 3.63 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. In The Big West, Chacon's 3.63 digs per set average ranks her seventh in the league. Most recently, she has recorded 18 digs in the last three-straight matches.

Killing Machine
Junior Elise Agi has been an asset to the Beach so far this season. In addition to being Long Beach State's leading scorer with 3.60 kills per set, she also ranks second on the team and in the conference in aces per set (0.39). Her offensive output has been solid, but on Oct. 6 at Cal State Bakersfield, she exploded with a career-high 28 kills, while hitting a career-best .431 (28-6-51). She has now recorded 19 double-figure kill performances this season, and has led LBSU in kills on 18 separate occasions. Additionally, she has tallied nine double-doubles on the year.

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 and in the Top 60 in the nation. She also contributes 2.48 digs per set, 0.91 kills per set, 0.54 blocks per set, while hitting .3235 on the year. She currently leads the team with 13 double-doubles this season.

Aces Wild
Junior outside hitter Natalie Glenn has been consistent in her serving and attacking game as of late. She leads The Big West and ranks 31st in the nation with 0.46 aces per set. She registered a career-high six aces at Cal State Bakersfield on October 6 to tie her for fifth all-time in Long Beach State's single-match record book. In addition to her powerful serve, Glenn also contributes offensively with 2.72 kills per set on a .296 hitting percentage.

Double-Double Toil and Trouble
This season, Long Beach State has had three players record at least one double-double in a match. Redshirt sophomore setter Zayna Meyer leads the way with 13 double-doubles on the year. Meanwhile, junior outside hitter Elise Agi has contributed nine double-doubles, and graduate student Hanna Lesiak has recorded one.

The Best in the (Big) West
In Big West matches this season, Long Beach State leads the conference in hitting percentage (.281) and service aces per set (1.94). The Beach has been outstanding in both categories throughout the league matches, while also coming in second in assists per set (12.47), kills per set (13.86), and third in opponent hitting percentage (.155).

Undefeated
Long Beach State has hit .300 or higher in 10 matches this season. When hitting over .300, the Beach has recorded a perfect 10-0 record. So far, LBSU has hit over .300 against Alabama State (.429), UC San Diego (.336), Cal State Bakersfield twice (.349 & .395), UC Davis (.404), UC Riverside (.381), UC Irvine (345), Cal State Fullerton (.372), UC Davis (.328), and CSUN (.311). eight of those 10 matches were won in straight sets. While 10-0 is quite a mark, even more impressive, Long Beach State is a whopping 14-0 when winning the first two sets of a match this season.

'Mid Magic
This season, Long Beach State has recorded 11 wins when playing inside the Walter Pyramid. Even more impressive, the last seven regular season matches the Beach played at home were sweeps. Overall, Long Beach State is riding a seven-match winning streak when playing at home.

Next Up
Should Long Beach State defeat UC Santa Barbara in the Semifinals of The Outrigger Big West Championship, the Beach will advance to the Finals to face the winner of the No. 2 seed Hawaii/No. 3 seed Cal Poly match. The Championship match will take place on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 5 p.m., at the Walter Pyramid.

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Long Beach State Will Face Top-Seeded UC Santa Barbara In The Outrigger Big West Championship Semifinals On Friday

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Players Mentioned

Elise Agi

Kameron Bacon

Savana Chacon

Natalie Glenn

Katie Kennedy

Hanna Lesiak

Zayna Meyer

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