Beach Women’s Volleyball Opens the 2023 Season Against Defending National Champion No. 1 Texas, Loyola Marymount

Friday, August 25

Long Beach, Calif.

6:00 PM

Long Beach State University

Texas

Beach Women’s Volleyball Opens the 2023 Season Against Defending National Champion No. 1 Texas, Loyola Marymount

8/24/2023 3:11:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

LBSU Match Notes

Long Beach State hosts No. 1 Texas on Friday, Loyola Marymount on Sunday at the Walter Pyramid

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

LONG BEACH STATE (0-0) vs. #1 TEXAS (0-0)
Date: Friday, August 25
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Matt Brown
Twitter: @LBSUWVB
Tickets: LongBeachState.com

LONG BEACH STATE (0-0) vs. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT (0-0)
Date: Sunday, August 27
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Matt Brown
Twitter: @LBSUWVB
Tickets: LongBeachState.com

Beach Women's Volleyball Opens the 2023 Season Against Defending National Champion Texas, Loyola Marymount
The Long Beach State Women's Volleyball team opens the season hosting the LBSU Tournament which will pit the Beach against the reigning national champion and top-ranked Texas Longhorns on Friday, August 25 at 6 p.m., before LBSU takes on Loyola Marymount on Sunday, August 27 at 4 p.m.

Catch All The Action
All regular season Long Beach State home matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+ this season. 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).

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.

About the Beach
• Long Beach State Head Coach Tyler Hildebrand is set to begin his second season at the helm of the Beach.
• LBSU is coming off of a 19-9 overall record and a 14-6 Big West mark in 2022.
• The Beach return 13 letterwinners from a year ago, including Big West Second Team selections Zayna Meyer and Katie Kennedy. Meyer was also named to The Big West All-Freshman Team.
• In addition to the 13 returners, Long Beach State welcomes 10 newcomers which include seven freshmen and three transfers.
• Also joining the Beach for the 2023 season are assistant coaches Natalie Morgan, Bjarne Huus, and Anthony Wong-Orantes.
• The Beach got a tune up last weekend when they hosted Pepperdine in an exhibition match at the Walter Pyramid. LBSU battled, but came up short as they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Waves.
• 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 Texas
• No. 1 Texas comes into the Walter Pyramid as the defending National Champions after winning the title in 2022.
• A year ago, the Longhorns went 28-1 overall and 15-1 in Big 12 action. Their lone loss came at Iowa State on October 19 when the Cyclones defeated Texas in five sets.
• The Longhorns bring a 15-match winning streak dating back to last year into the LBSU Tournament.
• Texas is coached by Jerritt Elliott, the winningest coach in Texas Volleyball history. Elliott has won 561 matches over 23 seasons with the Longhorns.
• The Longhorns return three AVCA All-Americans in Asjia O'Neal (First Team), Madisen Skinner (Third Team), and Molly Phillips (Honorable Mention).
• Skinner was selected as the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year. She was joined by O'Neal and Phillips, along with Jenna Wenaas on the preseason All-Big 12 Team.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Longhorns
Long Beach State and Texas will meet for the sixth time in program history. Overall, the Beach lead the all-time series 3-2. However, the Longhorns have won the last two meetings. When playing each other in Long Beach, Calif., LBSU leads 2-1. The last time the two teams met, Texas edged Long Beach, 3-2, on September 4, 2010 in Austin, Texas.

Scouting LMU
• Loyola Marymount comes into the 2023 season receiving votes in the AVCA/Taraflex Division I Poll.
• The Lions are coming off of a 2022 season in which they went 18-10 overall and 13-5 in the WCC.
• A year ago, LMU advanced to the NCAA Tournament. However, the fell to No. 10 Oregon in the First Round in straight sets.
• Head Coach Trent Kersten is in his first year at the helm of Loyola Marymount after three seasons in the same capacity at San Jose State.
• The Lions were selected to finish third in the WCC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Returning to LMU this season are Isabella Bareford, Kari Geissberger, Jacquelyn Moore, and Michelle Shaffer who were all earned WCC Preseason Honors.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Lions
Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount will face each other for the 26th time in program history. The Beach leads the all-time series with a 20-5 record, however the Lions won the last meeting in 2017 by a score of 3-0 in Los Angeles, Calif. When playing each other in Long Beach, Calif., the Beach leads 12-2.

Beach Player Notes
• Abby Karich is a junior transfer outside hitter from the University of Utah. The local product, out of Los Alamitos High School came to the Beach after playing two years at Utah where she averaged 1.15 kills and 1.01 digs per set over 74 sets of action.
• Zayna Meyer is Long Beach State's sophomore setter who is coming off of a solid rookie season in which she was named to the All-Big West Second Team and All-Freshman Team. She finished her freshman campaign averaging 10.28 assists per set, while also adding 2.33 digs, 0.80 kills, and 0.69 blocks per set.
• Talia Lee is an incoming freshman outside hitter who hails from Provo, Utah and prepped at Timpview High School. She helped the Thunderbirds capture the UHSAA 5A State Championship in 2020 and 2022 and was a two-time All-State First Team selection.
• Jaylen Jordan returns to the Beach for her redshirt sophomore season. In her rookie year, she averaged 2.39 kills and 2.15 digs per set over 54 sets played as an outside hitter.
• Kameron Bacon is a junior middle blocker who has played at LBSU for the last two years. Over her collegiate career, Bacon is averaging 1.22 kills and 0.91 blocks per set. She also is hitting .271 (244-76-619).
• Following her graduation from Long Beach State in 2022, Tia Chavira will return as a graduate student. Chavira is a versatile player who has seen action at both outside hitter and setter throughout her collegiate career. She comes into her final season averaging 6.04 assists, 0.93 kills, 1.72 digs, and 0.31 blocks per set, while hitting .254 and serving up 52 aces.
• After playing four years at Northwestern as an outside hitter, Hanna Lesiak comes to Long Beach State for her final year of eligibility as she pursues her Master's Degree. Lesiak finished her time with the Wildcats averaging 2.25 kills, 1.78 digs, and 0.27 blocks per set.
• Savana Chacon returns to Long Beach for her junior season after the defensive specialist saw action in 91 sets last season and averaged 2.10 digs per set. She also served up 34 aces to lead the team.
• Rhiann Sheffie saw limited action in her freshman season a year ago, but returns to the Beach as a sophomore middle blocker who is averaging 1.67 kills and 0.50 blocks per set.
• Milani Lee is an incoming freshman setter who comes to LBSU after prepping at Saugus High School. The 2022 Foothill Player of the Year had a solid prep career as she was named CIF Player of the Year in 2022. That year, she helped SHS capture the Foothill League and CIF Championship, all while finishing her career with more than 2,047 assists to average 8.5 assists per set.
• Kailia Lopez is a versatile junior who plays outside hitter and defensive specialist. She has also come off the bench numerous times as a serving substitution. Lopez has seen action in 123 sets over two seasons and has served up 21 aces, while logging 36 digs.
• Nicole Hoff returns to the Beach for her final year as he pursues a Master's Degree at Long Beach State. The defensive specialist/libero comes into her final season averaging 2.75 digs per set, while also contributing 17 aces.
• Another graduate student returning to Long Beach State to earn her Master's Degree is Katie Kennedy a 6-foot-1 middle blocker/opposite. Kennedy is a 2022 Big West All-Second Team selection after averaging 2.48 kills, 0.53 blocks, and 0.50 digs per set.
• Tatum Hoff saw limited action in her freshman season in 2022 as the outside hitter made her collegiate debut in the season finale against UC Riverside.
• Livi Narancich is a two-sport athlete at Long Beach State having played on the Beach Volleyball team last year. She is now using her talents in the indoor game as an outside hitter, a position she played at San Marcos High School where she was a three-time All-League selection in her final three years of high school.
• Grace O'Reilly comes to Long Beach State from Springfield, Mo., where she played opposite at Springfield Catholic High School. The 6-foot-1 freshman was named the Southwest Missouri Player of the Year in 2022 and was a three-time All-State selection in both volleyball and track and field.
• Sarah Velluci is a freshman libero from Novi, Mich. She holds the all-time kill record at Novi High School with 1,189 and was the first player ever at NHS to record more than 1,000 career kills and digs.
• Jenna Giambi comes back to LBSU for her junior season. The defensive specialist is averaging 1.84 digs over 81 sets played in two years.
• Junior outside hitter Elise Agi comes to Long Beach State after playing her first two years at Oregon where she totaled 57 digs, 27 aces, and 12 kills.
• Ella Lomigora is a freshman middle blocker from Tempe, Ariz., who comes to the Beach after prepping at Corona Del Sol High School. She helped her tam capture the Arizona Interscholastic Association 6A Conference High School Girls Volleyball State Championship. That year she was named Offensive Player of the Year.
• Maura Hayes returns to Long Beach for her junior year. The versatile Hayes who can play at opposite or setter, is averaging 1.45 assists, 0.55 digs, 0.27 kills, and 0.18 aces per set over 11 sets of action.
• Jaida Harris comes to LBSU as a freshman outside hitter who prepped at Lake Mead Christian Academy. She was named Female Athlete of the Year four times, All-League twice, and was named Offensive Player of the Year three times.
• Natalie Glenn, a two-sport athlete who plays both indoor and beach volleyball at LBSU, returns to the court for her junior season. The outside hitter comes into the year averaging 2.60 kills, 2.40 digs, 0.47 blocks, and 0.32 aces per set.

Season Openers
Long Beach State is currently 36-14 in season openers. The Beach has won the last two season openers against Montana State (2021) and Oregon State (2022). In home openers, LBSU is 38-10 and is looking for its first home opening win since 2018 when the Beach defeated Seattle, 3-1, at the Walter Pyramid. This Friday, Long Beach State hosts defending National Champion Texas in the season opener. It is the first time since 2017 the LBSU has hosted a reigning National Champion in its season opener. In 2017 the Beach hosted Stanford, which had won the National Title in 2016, and dropped a 3-0 contest to the Cardinal on August 25.

No Relation
Despite sharing the same last name, grad student defensive specialist Nicole Hoff and sophomore outside hitter Tatum Hoff are not related. Nicole has been a fixture at the Beach for the last three years playing defensive specialist and libero. Meanwhile, Tatum is in her second year at LBSU after prepping at Dana Hills High School. Also sharing a last name are Taliah Lee and Milani Lee. The duo are both newcomers to Long Beach State as Taliah comes to the Beach from Provo, Utah where she prepped at Timpview High School as an outside hitter. Meanwhile, Milani, a setter, comes to LBSU from Santa Clarita, Calif., where she played at Saugus High School.

Family Connection
Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Jaylen Jordan, sophomore outside hitter Tatum Hoff, junior defensive specialist Jenna Giambi, and junior outside hitter Kailia Lopez have some strong family connections.

Jordan is the daughter of Kevin Jordan who played football at UCLA, while her mother, Jenny Johnson Jordan played volleyball. Her mother went on to play on the 2000 Beach Volleyball Olympic Team, while her father played in the NFL with both the Cardinals and the Bengals. If that weren't enough, her grandfather was 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist and UCLA track & field and basketball star, Rafer Johnson.

Hoff is the daughter of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball alum, U.S. A. Olympic Gold Medalist, and professional volleyball player Tom Hoff. The senior Hoff played two years at LBSU, then went on to enjoy a successful professional career playing overseas. A three-time Olympian (2000, 2004, 2008), Hoff was a member of the U.S. Men's National Team from 1996-2009, and helped bring home the Gold in 2008.

Giambi, meanwhile, comes from a strong pedigree of athletes as well. Her mother, Julie Giambi, played softball at Cal State Fullerton, and her uncles, Jason and Jeremy, are former Major League Baseball players. Her Uncle Jason played for the Dirtbags from 1990-92.

Lopez is also the descendant of a Dirtbag as she is the daughter of Derek Lopez who played for the Dirtbags in 1989. Additionally, her mother, Krystal Attwood, was a standout at Hawaii who went on to have a successful beach volleyball career.

The Best in The Big West
One of the best measures of competitive success from Long Beach State's student-athletes, coaches and staff, Long Beach State once again claimed the Dennis Farrell Big West Commissioner's Cup.

The 2022-23 winners, a spectacular spring season saw the Beach catapult past their rivals and easily win the competition, setting a new points record in the competition of 147.5 and besting their Black and Blue Rivals, UC Irvine, in second place by 16 points at 131.9.

In the spring, Long Beach State competed in 10 sports and won outright championships in Softball, Beach Volleyball, Men's Golf and Women's Track and Field while sharing the Big West Championship in Men's Volleyball. Additionally, the Beach placed second in Women's Golf and Men's Track and Field, and tied for third in Women's Tennis and Women's Water Polo, ultimately placing in the conference's Top 3 in 9 of 10 sports in the spring.

Points are distributed based on the order of finish during either the regular season (for the sports of baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, softball, women's tennis, men's and women's volleyball) or in The Big West Championship (for the sports of beach volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and women's water polo). First awarded after the 1998-99 season and is given to the Institution with the highest average point total following the 18 conference-sponsored sport seasons.

"The Dennis Farrell Commissioner's Cup is the top athletic award presented by the conference, and a repeat win is a true testament to the hard work, dedication and skill of our student-athletes and coaches here at Long Beach State," said Interim Athletics Director Ted Kadowaki. "Winning the cup is one of our goals as a department, as success in this competition is a great reflection of the overall health of the athletics department and shows in a tangible way where we stand in relation to our conference peers."

Long Beach State has now won the Big West Commissioner's Cup on 10 occasions, and has now equaled regular early winners UC Santa Barbara for the most wins in cup history. No other current institution has won the award more than once.

Next Up
The Beach continue the preseason with the Long Beach State Tournament which runs from August 31-September 2. The tournament will feature Indiana, UCLA, and Washington. LBSU opens the tournament on August 31 against Indiana at 7 p.m. Saturday, September 1 will see two matches as UCLA and Indiana face off at 4 p.m., before the Beach and Huskies square off at 7 p.m. The final day of the tournament, Sunday, September 2, begins with Washington vs. Indiana at 4 p.m., and will close with Long Beach State vs. UCLA at 7 p.m.