Friday, May 5
Gulf Shores, Ala.
8 a.m.
Long Beach State University
vs
California
Photo by: Mikaella Salazar
Beach Volleyball Set for NCAA Championships Starting Friday
5/3/2023 8:07:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball
Ninth-seeded Long Beach State will face eight-seed California in the Opening Round.
GULF SHORES – Long Beach State is set to begin their postseason run on Friday as they take on the Cal Golden Bears in the Opening Round of the NCAA Championships. First serve for the ninth-seeded Beach will be at 10 a.m. CT/8 a.m. PT.
Opening Round: #9 Long Beach State (24-14) vs. #8 California (28-9)
Time: 10 a.m. CT/8 a.m. PT
Location: Gulf Shores, Ala.
Championships Central | TV: ESPNU
FIRST TITLE IN PROGRAM HISTORY
• Long Beach State entered the Big West Championships as the No. 2 seed and went on an undefeated bracket run to capture their first every conference title. They are third different team in the Big West to wear the crown joining Cal Poly and Hawai'i.
• The Beach made quick work on day one of the championships with 5-0 sweeps over Sacramento State and UC Davis earning their spot in the winner's bracket semi-final.
• In that semis matchup with top-seeded Hawai'i, the Beach came out on top, 3-2, with Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah capturing the clinching point. After Cal Poly pulled off an upset of their own, it was the Beach and Mustangs in the final, where LBSU captured the first three points on their way to a 4-1 championship victory.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS BOUND
• With the conference title in hand, the Beach earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. It marks their second appearance in the NCAAs with the first coming in 2017.
• In their first appearance, they went 0-2 with losses to No. 3 Pepperdine and No. 7 LSU to end their postseason run.
•They earned the No. 9 seed in the bracket and will face No. 8 California in the Opening Round.
WRAPPING UP THE REGULAR SEASON
• Long Beach State finished the season with a 24-14 overall record marking the most wins for the program since the 2018 season when they won 30 matches. They posted a 10-2 mark at home, 11-8 at neutral venues, and were 3-4 in true road matches.
• Of their 38 matches, 20 came against Top 20 programs where the Beach posted a 6-14 mark. Their lone top ten victory was over No. 8 Hawai'i in the Big West semi-finals.
AWARDS SEASON
• Ahead of the NCAA Championships, the Big West announced their yearly award winners. The Beach claimed two of the three individual honors as well as four pairs on the All-Big West teams.
• Mike Campbell was named the Big West Coach of the Year for the first time of his tenure. In his ninth season, he led the team to the program's first ever Big West Championship title and the second appearance at the NCAA Championships at the helm.
• To no surprise, Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah were named Co-Freshman of the Year. The first year pair went 33-5 on the season, the most wins in single-season program history.
• The Beach had four pairs earn All-Big West honors led by Gementera and Hagenah as the lone First Team selection. Sydney Stevens and Julia Westby were named to the Second Team while Natalie Glenn and Megan Widener and Emily Mattoon and Mari Molina were Honorable Mentions.
RECORD BREAKERS
• The freshmen duo of Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah have been a revelation for the Beach this season. After going 12-4 in the third flight, they were moved to the second flight where they were even better, going 16-1. Adding a 5-0 mark in the first flight as the season came to an end, giving them an overall record of 33-5.
• Their 33 wins mark the most in Long Beach State single-season history, surpassing the previous mark set back in 2019. Similarly, on an individual level they are tied with each other for the most wins in individual single-season history becoming the first student-athletes to ever eclipse the 30-win mark.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
• In addition to the most single-season wins in program history, Gementera and Hagenah also rank third in highest single-season win percentage with a 0.838 percentage. That mark at an individual level is fifth best in program history.
• The pair of Natalie Glenn and Megan Widener also etched their names onto the list with a 14-6 record together this season. The .700 win percentage is the 17th highest in program history.
• Glenn, individually, racked up 27 wins across flights three, four, and five. The 27 victories puts her in eighth on the all-time single-season list in program history. Her .729 win percentage ranks 20th on LBSU's all-time list.
• Similarly, Emily Mattoon and Megan Widener have each recorded 23 wins this season. That puts them at 20th and 25th, respectively. Mattoon (23-8) also sits at 18th for single-season win percentage with a .742 mark.
NATIONAL PAIR OF THE WEEK
• Speaking of Gementera and Hagenah, after a perfect 4-0 mark at the Big West Championships, they were awarded the AVCA/CBVB National Pair of the Week. All four of their wins went into the book as the clinching point, including a third set, extra points win over top-seeded Hawai'i.
• The pair also collected two Big West weekly honors on March 20 and April 17.
NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPACT
• Beyond Gementera and Hagenah, the newcomers for the Beach this season have been outstanding and have earned six of the ten spots in the Championships lineup.
• Julia Westby is a freshman that has played primarily in flights one and two. For the season, she sports an individual record of 18-20 with a 7-6 mark in the second flight. She was named All-Big West Second Team with her partner, Sydney Stevens.
• Flight three has been another newcomer pair featuring Natalie Gleen (Minnesota transfer) and Megan Widener (Hawai'i transfer). Together, they have posted a 14-6 record including a 10-6 mark in the third flight. Individually, Glenn is 27-10 on the season and Widener is 23-13.
• The final newcomer in the starting lineup is grad transfer Maggie Walters. Joining the Beach after four years at UCLA, she has been outstanding competing in the four's and five's. She owns a 22-11 record as individual this season.
IN THE POLLS
• Long Beach State heads into the NCAA Championships as the number 10 team in the nation according to the AVCA polls, their highest ranking since the latter half of the 2019 season.
• It marks the 97th consecutive week that the Beach has been featured in the AVCA National Rankings. They have been ranked in every week of the poll's history which started prior to the 2013 season.
SCOUTING CALIFORNIA
• The Golden Bears were an at-large bid for the NCAA Championships after posting a 28-9 overall record and finishing second at the PAC-12 Championships. They have won four of their last five matchups, including upset victories over USC and Stanford in the conference championships.
• In program history, Long Beach State and Cal have met just six times with Cal leading the all-time series 4-2. The two programs met in Malibu earlier this year with the Bears winning it 3-2.
A LOOK AT THE BRACKET
• Of the 17 teams in the field, the Beach has played nine of them this season sporting a record of 5-11 in those matches. Their wins have come against No. 11 Hawai'i, No. 12 Florida Atlantic, No. 13 FIU, and two against No. 15 Stetson.
• If Long Beach State defeats Cal in the Opening Round, they will take on No. 1 UCLA, No. 16 UT Martin, or No. 17 Texas A&M Corpus Christi. UT Martin and A&M Corpus are playing in the first ever play-in match which is new for the season with the winner facing the Bruins in the First Round.
Opening Round: #9 Long Beach State (24-14) vs. #8 California (28-9)
Time: 10 a.m. CT/8 a.m. PT
Location: Gulf Shores, Ala.
Championships Central | TV: ESPNU
FIRST TITLE IN PROGRAM HISTORY
• Long Beach State entered the Big West Championships as the No. 2 seed and went on an undefeated bracket run to capture their first every conference title. They are third different team in the Big West to wear the crown joining Cal Poly and Hawai'i.
• The Beach made quick work on day one of the championships with 5-0 sweeps over Sacramento State and UC Davis earning their spot in the winner's bracket semi-final.
• In that semis matchup with top-seeded Hawai'i, the Beach came out on top, 3-2, with Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah capturing the clinching point. After Cal Poly pulled off an upset of their own, it was the Beach and Mustangs in the final, where LBSU captured the first three points on their way to a 4-1 championship victory.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS BOUND
• With the conference title in hand, the Beach earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala. It marks their second appearance in the NCAAs with the first coming in 2017.
• In their first appearance, they went 0-2 with losses to No. 3 Pepperdine and No. 7 LSU to end their postseason run.
•They earned the No. 9 seed in the bracket and will face No. 8 California in the Opening Round.
WRAPPING UP THE REGULAR SEASON
• Long Beach State finished the season with a 24-14 overall record marking the most wins for the program since the 2018 season when they won 30 matches. They posted a 10-2 mark at home, 11-8 at neutral venues, and were 3-4 in true road matches.
• Of their 38 matches, 20 came against Top 20 programs where the Beach posted a 6-14 mark. Their lone top ten victory was over No. 8 Hawai'i in the Big West semi-finals.
AWARDS SEASON
• Ahead of the NCAA Championships, the Big West announced their yearly award winners. The Beach claimed two of the three individual honors as well as four pairs on the All-Big West teams.
• Mike Campbell was named the Big West Coach of the Year for the first time of his tenure. In his ninth season, he led the team to the program's first ever Big West Championship title and the second appearance at the NCAA Championships at the helm.
• To no surprise, Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah were named Co-Freshman of the Year. The first year pair went 33-5 on the season, the most wins in single-season program history.
• The Beach had four pairs earn All-Big West honors led by Gementera and Hagenah as the lone First Team selection. Sydney Stevens and Julia Westby were named to the Second Team while Natalie Glenn and Megan Widener and Emily Mattoon and Mari Molina were Honorable Mentions.
RECORD BREAKERS
• The freshmen duo of Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah have been a revelation for the Beach this season. After going 12-4 in the third flight, they were moved to the second flight where they were even better, going 16-1. Adding a 5-0 mark in the first flight as the season came to an end, giving them an overall record of 33-5.
• Their 33 wins mark the most in Long Beach State single-season history, surpassing the previous mark set back in 2019. Similarly, on an individual level they are tied with each other for the most wins in individual single-season history becoming the first student-athletes to ever eclipse the 30-win mark.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS
• In addition to the most single-season wins in program history, Gementera and Hagenah also rank third in highest single-season win percentage with a 0.838 percentage. That mark at an individual level is fifth best in program history.
• The pair of Natalie Glenn and Megan Widener also etched their names onto the list with a 14-6 record together this season. The .700 win percentage is the 17th highest in program history.
• Glenn, individually, racked up 27 wins across flights three, four, and five. The 27 victories puts her in eighth on the all-time single-season list in program history. Her .729 win percentage ranks 20th on LBSU's all-time list.
• Similarly, Emily Mattoon and Megan Widener have each recorded 23 wins this season. That puts them at 20th and 25th, respectively. Mattoon (23-8) also sits at 18th for single-season win percentage with a .742 mark.
NATIONAL PAIR OF THE WEEK
• Speaking of Gementera and Hagenah, after a perfect 4-0 mark at the Big West Championships, they were awarded the AVCA/CBVB National Pair of the Week. All four of their wins went into the book as the clinching point, including a third set, extra points win over top-seeded Hawai'i.
• The pair also collected two Big West weekly honors on March 20 and April 17.
NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPACT
• Beyond Gementera and Hagenah, the newcomers for the Beach this season have been outstanding and have earned six of the ten spots in the Championships lineup.
• Julia Westby is a freshman that has played primarily in flights one and two. For the season, she sports an individual record of 18-20 with a 7-6 mark in the second flight. She was named All-Big West Second Team with her partner, Sydney Stevens.
• Flight three has been another newcomer pair featuring Natalie Gleen (Minnesota transfer) and Megan Widener (Hawai'i transfer). Together, they have posted a 14-6 record including a 10-6 mark in the third flight. Individually, Glenn is 27-10 on the season and Widener is 23-13.
• The final newcomer in the starting lineup is grad transfer Maggie Walters. Joining the Beach after four years at UCLA, she has been outstanding competing in the four's and five's. She owns a 22-11 record as individual this season.
IN THE POLLS
• Long Beach State heads into the NCAA Championships as the number 10 team in the nation according to the AVCA polls, their highest ranking since the latter half of the 2019 season.
• It marks the 97th consecutive week that the Beach has been featured in the AVCA National Rankings. They have been ranked in every week of the poll's history which started prior to the 2013 season.
SCOUTING CALIFORNIA
• The Golden Bears were an at-large bid for the NCAA Championships after posting a 28-9 overall record and finishing second at the PAC-12 Championships. They have won four of their last five matchups, including upset victories over USC and Stanford in the conference championships.
• In program history, Long Beach State and Cal have met just six times with Cal leading the all-time series 4-2. The two programs met in Malibu earlier this year with the Bears winning it 3-2.
A LOOK AT THE BRACKET
• Of the 17 teams in the field, the Beach has played nine of them this season sporting a record of 5-11 in those matches. Their wins have come against No. 11 Hawai'i, No. 12 Florida Atlantic, No. 13 FIU, and two against No. 15 Stetson.
• If Long Beach State defeats Cal in the Opening Round, they will take on No. 1 UCLA, No. 16 UT Martin, or No. 17 Texas A&M Corpus Christi. UT Martin and A&M Corpus are playing in the first ever play-in match which is new for the season with the winner facing the Bruins in the First Round.
Players Mentioned
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