Long Beach State Set to Face UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly On The Road

Friday, November 10

Santa Barbara, Calif.

7:00 PM

Long Beach State University

UC Santa Barbara

Photo by: John Fajardo

Long Beach State Set to Face UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly On The Road

11/9/2023 11:51:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

LBSU WVB Match Notes

The Beach will face UC Santa Barbara on Friday before taking on Cal Poly on Saturday in the penultimate weekend of the regular season

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

LONG BEACH STATE (18-6, 12-2 Big West) at UC Santa Barbara (23-3, 13-1 Big West)
Date: Friday, Nov. 10
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Venue: The Thunderdome
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @LBSUWVB

LONG BEACH STATE (18-6, 12-2 Big West) at CAL POLY (16-10, 10-4 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 11
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Venue: Mott Athletic Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @LBSUWVB

Long Beach State Set to Face UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly On The Road
The Long Beach State Women's Volleyball team takes its eight-matching winning streak on the road to face two of the league's top four opponents. The Beach, which sit in second place in The Big West standings, will face conference leader UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Nov. 10. The 7 p.m. match up at the Thunderdome will be a high-stakes contest as the Gauchos hold a one-match lead over the Beach in the conference standings. If that weren't enough, Long Beach State will then take on Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Mustangs are currently tied for third place and looking to move up in the conference standings.

Catch All The Action
Both Long Beach State road 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 StatBroadcast.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 18-6 on the year and 12-2 in Big West play. The Beach are not currently ranked in the AVCA/Taraflex Division I Poll. LBSU boasts an RPI of 70, which is third in The Big West. In the conference standings, the Beach are in second place.
• UC Santa Barbara, which is 23-3 overall and 13-1 in Big West action, is not ranked, but is receiving votes in the AVCA/Taraflex Division I Poll. The Gauchos sit in first place in The Big West standings and are one match ahead of the second place Beach with four matches remaining in the regular season.
• Cal Poly, which brings a 16-10 overall record and a 10-4 conference mark into the week, is not ranked or receiving votes.The Mustangs are tied for third in the conference standings with four matches left to play in the regular season.

About the Beach
• Long Beach State brings an 18-6 overall record, and a 12-2 Big West mark, into the week. The Beach are on an eight-match winning streak and have won 11 of their last 12 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 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.
• As a team, Long Beach State leads The Big West in hitting percentage (.253) and service aces per set (1.78). The Beach ranks second in the conference in assists per set (12.44), kills per set (13.57), and opponent hitting percentage (.168).
• 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 3.39 kills per set on the year, which is good for fourth in The Big West. She also contributes 2.21 digs per set and is second on the team with 0.47 aces per set. Her aces per sets average ranks her fourth in the conference.
• Redshirt sophomore setter Zayna Meyer has paced the Beach to a .253 attack percentage to lead The Big West, distributing 10.20 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 2.40 digs per set, 0.91 kills per set, 0.56 blocks per set, and 0.30 aces per set. She leads the team with 10 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 .383 which is good for second in The Big West and 40th in the nation. However, in conference matches only, she is hitting an amazing .476 to lead the league. In addition to her efficient output, Kennedy is third on the squad with 2.45 kills per set, while also contributing 0.80 blocks per set and 0.31 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 19th in the nation with 0.51 aces per set. Additionally, she is the team's second-leading scorer as she averages 2.74 kills per set on a .293 attack percentage. She also adds 1.55 digs per set and 0.62 blocks per set. She has racked up eight double-figure kill performances, including a career-high 21-kill showing against Cal Poly.
• Savana Chacon, the team's libero, anchors the backrow with 3.69 digs per set which is good for sixth in The Big West. She also adds 1.16 assists per set. Chacon has led the Beach in digs 16 times this season and has recorded 17 double-digit dig performances.
• At the net, Long Beach is led by junior middle blocker Kameron Bacon who has put up 101 blocks (12 solos, 89 assists) this year to average 1.25 blocks per set which is good for third in the conference. Bacon has led the Beach in blocking 17 times this season and is coming off of a career-best 9-block showing at UC Riverside on October 26.
• Freshman outside hitter Livi Narancich made her collegiate debut last week and earned a pair of starts over CSUN and Cal State Bakersfield. The product out of San Marcos, Calif., made the most of her time on the court as she averaged 2.83 kills per set on a .484 attack percentage (17-2-31), while also chipping in 1.00 digs per set and 0.33 blocks per set. Her solid performance last week, earned her Big West Freshman of the Week honors.
• 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 match against the Beach with a 23-3 overall record. The Gauchos are 13-1 to lead The Big West.
• UCSB has won their last three-straight matches and have won 14 of their last 15. Their lone loss during that stretch came at UC Irvine, when the Gauchos dropped a four-set decision to the Anteaters.
• As a team, the Gauchos are hitting .233, while averaging 11.70 kills per set on 11.70 assists per set.
• Defensively, UC Santa Barbara has logged 15.32 digs per set in the backrow, while posting 2.79 blocks per set at the net. At the service line, the Gauchos are averaging 1.66 aces per set.
• Michelle Ohwobete is the Gauchos' leading scorer as she averages 3.68 kills per set on a .254 clip. She also adds 2.30 digs per set, 0.58 blocks per set, and has totaled 33 aces on the year.
• At setter, UCSB is led by Grace McIntosh who is averaging 5.79 assists per set. She has split time with Michelle Zhao (3.78 assists per set) and Milan Rex (3.06) this season.
• Anchoring the Gaucho defense in the backrow is libero Macall Peed. Peed is leading the way with 4.64 digs per set.
• On blocking defense, Andi Krelling and Grace Wuischpard had been solid patrolling the net with 1.36 and 1.06 blocks per set, respectively.
• Briana McKnight is the team's top server as she has racked up a team-leading 35 aces on the year thus far.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Gauchos
Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara will meet for the 117th time in program history and for the second time this season. In the overall series, the Beach leads the series 74-42. However, in their last outing, the Gauchos came away with a four set win earlier this season. UCSB has won the last two meetings against Long Beach State. When playing each other in Santa Barbara, the Beach holds a slight lead in the series (26-25).

Scouting Cal Poly
• Cal Poly comes into the week with a 16-10 overall record and a 10-4 Big West mark as the Mustangs are tied for third place in The Big West standings.
• The Mustangs are coming off of a huge road win at Hawaii in which they downed the Bows in five set on their home court.
• Cal Poly has won five of their last six matches, with their lone loss coming at the hands of Big West frontrunner UC Santa Barbara, 3-1, on October 31.
• As a team, Cal Poly is hitting .205 on 11.81 kills per set. The Mustangs are also averaging 10.83 assists per set.
• On the defensive end, the Mustangs average 14.37 digs per set, 2.31 blocks per set, and 1.68 aces per set.
• Tommi Stockham leads the Mustangs with 3.14 kills per set, while Lizzy Markovska is right behind her with 3.11 kills per set. Stockham also leads Cal Poly in aces with 42 on the season.
• Emme Bullis is Cal Poly's primary setter with 7.02 assists per set, while Samantha Callahan has also seen action at setter with 4.23 assists per set.
• In the backrow, Jolei Akima anchors the defense at libero with 4.07 digs per set.
• At the net, Kate Slack leads the way with a total of 115 blocks to average 1.08 blocks per set. Meanwhile, Amy Hiatt has put up 91 blocks over 83 sets to average 1.10 blocks per set.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Mustangs
Long Beach State and Cal Poly will meet for the 76th time in program history, and for the second time this season. The Beach lead the all-time series 48-27 and have won the last two contests against the Mustangs. Earlier this season, LBSU edged Cal Poly in a five-set contest at the Walter Pyramid back on September 22.

Can You Dig It?
Junior libero Savana Chacon has recorded at least 10 digs in 17 of Long Beach State's 24 matches this season. On the year, she is averaging 3.69 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 3.69 digs per set average ranks her sixth in the league.

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 3.39 kills per set, she also ranks second on the team 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 14 double-figure kill performances this season, and has led LBSU in kills on 13 separate occasions. Additionally, she has tallied eight 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 10.20 assists per set are good for second in The Big West and in the Top 50 in the nation. She also contributes 2.40 digs per set, 0.91 kills per set, 0.56 blocks per set, while hitting .361 on the year. She currently leads the team with 10 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 20th in the nation with 0.51 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 offensive with 2.74 kills per set on a .293 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 10 double-doubles on the year. Meanwhile, junior outside hitter Elise Agi has contributed eight 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 (.298) and service aces per set (1.96). The Beach has been outstanding in both categories throughout the league matches, while also coming in second in assists per set (12.69), kills per set (13.96), and opponent hitting percentage (.140).

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 13-0 when winning the first two sets of a match this season.

'Mid Magic
This season, Long Beach State has recorded 10 wins when playing inside the Walter Pyramid. Even more impressive, the last seven matches the Beach has played at home have been sweeps. The Beach has won the last seven matches 21 sets to none with straight set victories over UC San Diego, Hawaii, UC Davis, UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton, CSUN, and Cal State Bakersfield.

Next Up
Long Beach State will close out the regular season with a pair of road matches at UC San Diego (Nov. 14), and Hawaii (Nov. 18). Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.