Four Pairs Earn Top Flight Awards

5/2/2024 8:05:00 AM | Women's Beach Volleyball

Malia Gementera, Taylor Hagenah and Natalie Glenn earned their second Top Flight award.

By: Maxime Garcia, Athletic Communications Assisstant

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach State has earned a Top Flight award in four out of five flights, as announced by the American Coaches Volleyball Association. These four pairs are now among only eight other pairs in Long Beach State history to earn this title.

Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah earned the honor for the second year in a row, this year for their stellar performances at the first flight. They beat eleven ranked teams, including Cal Poly and Hawai'i during the conference championship. With their wins this season, they have elevated themselves to being at the top of multiple Long Beach State records, including most pairs wins.

Savannah Standage and Julia Westby had 21 wins and only six losses at the second flight to garner their top flight recipient title. They only dropped one match in the very competitive Big West Conference and for that were named to the All-Big West First Team.

Mo Gibson and Natalie Glenn also only had six losses in their time together at the third flight. They have been a consistent pair for The Beach, and most recently were the only pair to have a win over Hawai'i on the first day of the Big West championship.

Megan Widener and Christine Deroos were a powerhouse at the fourth flight, sporting a 15-win streak early on in the season. This win streak started with a win over UCLA; they would be the only pair to take a match from them this season. They have beaten out other ranked opponents and are in the top ten for wins in a single season with their 21 victories thus far.

This is the most Top Flight Awards Long Beach State has ever had, with the previous highest being three in 2018 with recognition being given to the third, fourth and fifth flights.