Long Beach State University Athletics
Thursday, September 5
Long Beach, Calif.
7 p.m.
Long Beach State University
vs
Northwestern
Photo by: John Fajardo
LBSU Women’s Volleyball Hosts Northwestern In Home Opener
9/4/2024 2:27:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Long Beach State will face Northwestern in a pair of home matches on Thursday and Saturday at the Walter Pyramid
LONG BEACH STATE (0-2) vs. NORTHWESTERN (0-2)
Thursday, September 5 • 7:00 p.m. • Long Beach, Calif. • Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
X: @LBSUWVB
LONG BEACH STATE (0-2) vs. NORTHWESTERN (0-2)
Friday, September 7 • 4:00 p.m. • Long Beach, Calif. • Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Live Stream: ESPN+
Talent: Matt Brown
X: @LBSUWVB
LBSU Women's Volleyball Hosts Northwestern In Home Opener
The Beach Women's Volleyball team returns home to host Northwestern in a pair of matches at the Walter Pyramid. The home opener is set for Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m., before the two teams go head-to-head again on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Catch All The Action
Live stats for all Long Beach State home matches are available at BeachLiveStats.com. Saturday's Long Beach State-Northwestern match will be live streamed on ESPN+.
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 not currently ranked in the AVCA/Taraflex Division I Poll. LBSU opens the season with an RPI of 63, which is third in The Big West.
• The Beach have a competitive schedule this season. They will face eight teams that are either nationally ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA Rankings.
• Northwestern is also not nationally ranked. The Wildcats are 77th in RPI.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State opened the 2024 campaign last week at the Oregon Invitational.
• In the competitive season-opening tournament, the Beach faced a pair of Top 10 opponents in No. 4 Pitt on Saturday and host, No. 10 Oregon, on Sunday.
• After dropping a pair of matches last week in straight sets, the Beach (0-2) are looking to secure their first win of the year this week against Northwestern on Thursday and Saturday.
• Interim Head Coach Natalie Reagan is back for her second season overall at Long Beach State, but in her first at the helm.
• Reagan is joined on the sidelines by Associate Head Coach Bjarne Huus who is in his second season, as well as Assistant Coach Jordan Molina who returned to LBSU for his second year after serving as a Volunteer Assistant Coach during the 2022 season.
• This season, Long Beach State returns all its letterwinners from a year ago, minus the graduating seniors. Additionally, the Beach welcome in four newcomers to the mix.
• Leading the way for LBSU are Big West Preseason Coaches Team selections Zayna Meyer and Natalie Glenn.
• Meyer is a senior setter who is coming off of a 2023 season in which she was named Big West Setter of the Year, First Team All-Big West, and Honorable Mention All-Pacific South Region. Last season, she led the Beach to a .244 attack percentage as she distributed 9.99 assists per set throughout the year. She also contributed 2.46 digs, 0.87 kills, 0.51 blocks, and 0.31 aces per set.
• Glenn is a senior outside hitter. She was named 2023 Second Team All-Big West last season after leading Long Beach State with 37 aces to average 0.45 per set. She was second on the team with 2.47 kills per set and fourth on the team in blocking (0.62 bps).
• This season, Glenn got off to a strong start as she led the Beach in kills at the Oregon Invitational. She is now averaging 2.67 kills per set on a .239 attack percentage, while also leading the team with 2.33 digs per set.
• Also returning to the court in 2024 for the Beach are senior outside hitter Abby Karich, senior middle blocker Kameron Bacon, and sophomore middle blocker Ella Lomigora.
• Karich earned a pair of starts at outside hitter last weekend as she is back on the court after an injury that caused her to miss the last month of the 2023 season. Over two matches this season, she is averaging 1.33 kills oer set and 1.33 digs per set.
• Bacon, a 6-4 middle, was a 2023 Honorable Mention All-Big West selection after leading the Beach in blocking (1.10 bps) which ranked her third in the conference. This season, Bacon got off to a solid start chipping in 1.00 kills per set and 0.50 blocks per set.
• Lomigora opened the 2024 campaign building on a solid rookie season as she played in 11 matches and made seven starts a year ago. In the season-opening weekend, Lomigora hit a team-leading .400 with 1.83 kills per set. She also leads the Beach in blocking with 0.83 blocks per set.
• Freshman opposite Madi Maxwell made her collegiate debut at the Oregon Invitational as she earned a pair of starts againt No. 4 Pitt and No. 10 Oregon. She heads into the second week of the season with 1.25 digs per set, 0.75 kills per set, and 0.25 blocks per set.
• This season, Long Beach State has been chosen to finish third in The Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Beach garnered 83 points and two first-place votes coming in just two points behind second place Hawaii, which garnered 85 points and thee first-place votes. Cal Poly collected 94 points and five first-place votes and was chosen as the preseason favorite.
About The Newcomers
• Freshman middle blocker Preslie Yates joins the Beach from Berkeley, Calif., where she was a four-year letterwinner at Berkeley High School and played club with Absolute Volleyball Club.
• Madi Maxwell is a 6-2 setter and opposite who comes to LBSU after playing four years at Newhall High School. A three-time First Team All-Foothill League selection, Maxwell, was also named Foothill Player of the Year in 2023. She finished her prep career with 1,206 kills and 2,000 aces.
• Freshman defensive specialist Kamryn Santi was a three-year letterwinner at Chino Hills High School where she won two Division 3 CIF Championships as a sophomore and again as a senior.
• Rounding out the newcomers is freshman setter Madi Collins. Collins was named to the Volleyball Magazine Dream Team and was a three-time AVCA Phemon selection. The Redondo Union Varsity MVP as a sophomore went on to repeat as the school MVP in a breakout season in her junior campaign which culminated in her earning First Team All-Bay League honors.
Scouting Northwestern
• Northwestern began the 2024 season in Las Vegas as the Wildcats went 0-2 against UNLV, 3-2, and Pacific, 3-2.
• The Wildcats head to Long Beach, Calif., looking for their first victory of the season.
• As a team, Northwestern is hitting .232, while averaging 12.00 kills per set on 10.40 assists per set. The Wildcats also have collected 12.00 digs per set, to go along with 1.40 blocks per set, and 1.40 aces per set.
• Buse Hazan is the Wildcats leading scorers as she is averaging 3.10 kills per set, while adding 1.70 digs per set, 0.50 aces per set, and 0.40 blocks per set.
• Setter Alexa Rousseau has led the Northwestern offense to a .232 clip as she has distributed 8.10 assists per set, while also contributing 1.40 kills per set, 2.00 digs per set, and 0.40 blocks per set.
• Anchoring the backrow defense for the Wildcats is Drew Wright with 3.60 digs per set. Meanwhile, Kennedy Hill patrols the net with 0.80 blocks per set.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Wildcats
Long Beach State and Northwestern will meet for just the second time in program history. In their lone meeting on September 14, 2004, the Beach earned a 3-0 sweep over the Wildcats at the Walter Pyramid. LBSU took down Northwestern in straight sets by scores of 30-28, 30-23, 30-24.
Family Connection
Redshirt junior outside hitter Jaylen Jordan, junior outside hitter Tatum Hoff, senior defensive specialist Jenna Giambi, and senior 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.
Next Up
Long Beach State will welcome Omaha to the Walter Pyramid on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Thursday, September 5 • 7:00 p.m. • Long Beach, Calif. • Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
X: @LBSUWVB
LONG BEACH STATE (0-2) vs. NORTHWESTERN (0-2)
Friday, September 7 • 4:00 p.m. • Long Beach, Calif. • Walter Pyramid
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Live Stream: ESPN+
Talent: Matt Brown
X: @LBSUWVB
LBSU Women's Volleyball Hosts Northwestern In Home Opener
The Beach Women's Volleyball team returns home to host Northwestern in a pair of matches at the Walter Pyramid. The home opener is set for Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m., before the two teams go head-to-head again on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Catch All The Action
Live stats for all Long Beach State home matches are available at BeachLiveStats.com. Saturday's Long Beach State-Northwestern match will be live streamed on ESPN+.
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 not currently ranked in the AVCA/Taraflex Division I Poll. LBSU opens the season with an RPI of 63, which is third in The Big West.
• The Beach have a competitive schedule this season. They will face eight teams that are either nationally ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA Rankings.
• Northwestern is also not nationally ranked. The Wildcats are 77th in RPI.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State opened the 2024 campaign last week at the Oregon Invitational.
• In the competitive season-opening tournament, the Beach faced a pair of Top 10 opponents in No. 4 Pitt on Saturday and host, No. 10 Oregon, on Sunday.
• After dropping a pair of matches last week in straight sets, the Beach (0-2) are looking to secure their first win of the year this week against Northwestern on Thursday and Saturday.
• Interim Head Coach Natalie Reagan is back for her second season overall at Long Beach State, but in her first at the helm.
• Reagan is joined on the sidelines by Associate Head Coach Bjarne Huus who is in his second season, as well as Assistant Coach Jordan Molina who returned to LBSU for his second year after serving as a Volunteer Assistant Coach during the 2022 season.
• This season, Long Beach State returns all its letterwinners from a year ago, minus the graduating seniors. Additionally, the Beach welcome in four newcomers to the mix.
• Leading the way for LBSU are Big West Preseason Coaches Team selections Zayna Meyer and Natalie Glenn.
• Meyer is a senior setter who is coming off of a 2023 season in which she was named Big West Setter of the Year, First Team All-Big West, and Honorable Mention All-Pacific South Region. Last season, she led the Beach to a .244 attack percentage as she distributed 9.99 assists per set throughout the year. She also contributed 2.46 digs, 0.87 kills, 0.51 blocks, and 0.31 aces per set.
• Glenn is a senior outside hitter. She was named 2023 Second Team All-Big West last season after leading Long Beach State with 37 aces to average 0.45 per set. She was second on the team with 2.47 kills per set and fourth on the team in blocking (0.62 bps).
• This season, Glenn got off to a strong start as she led the Beach in kills at the Oregon Invitational. She is now averaging 2.67 kills per set on a .239 attack percentage, while also leading the team with 2.33 digs per set.
• Also returning to the court in 2024 for the Beach are senior outside hitter Abby Karich, senior middle blocker Kameron Bacon, and sophomore middle blocker Ella Lomigora.
• Karich earned a pair of starts at outside hitter last weekend as she is back on the court after an injury that caused her to miss the last month of the 2023 season. Over two matches this season, she is averaging 1.33 kills oer set and 1.33 digs per set.
• Bacon, a 6-4 middle, was a 2023 Honorable Mention All-Big West selection after leading the Beach in blocking (1.10 bps) which ranked her third in the conference. This season, Bacon got off to a solid start chipping in 1.00 kills per set and 0.50 blocks per set.
• Lomigora opened the 2024 campaign building on a solid rookie season as she played in 11 matches and made seven starts a year ago. In the season-opening weekend, Lomigora hit a team-leading .400 with 1.83 kills per set. She also leads the Beach in blocking with 0.83 blocks per set.
• Freshman opposite Madi Maxwell made her collegiate debut at the Oregon Invitational as she earned a pair of starts againt No. 4 Pitt and No. 10 Oregon. She heads into the second week of the season with 1.25 digs per set, 0.75 kills per set, and 0.25 blocks per set.
• This season, Long Beach State has been chosen to finish third in The Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Beach garnered 83 points and two first-place votes coming in just two points behind second place Hawaii, which garnered 85 points and thee first-place votes. Cal Poly collected 94 points and five first-place votes and was chosen as the preseason favorite.
About The Newcomers
• Freshman middle blocker Preslie Yates joins the Beach from Berkeley, Calif., where she was a four-year letterwinner at Berkeley High School and played club with Absolute Volleyball Club.
• Madi Maxwell is a 6-2 setter and opposite who comes to LBSU after playing four years at Newhall High School. A three-time First Team All-Foothill League selection, Maxwell, was also named Foothill Player of the Year in 2023. She finished her prep career with 1,206 kills and 2,000 aces.
• Freshman defensive specialist Kamryn Santi was a three-year letterwinner at Chino Hills High School where she won two Division 3 CIF Championships as a sophomore and again as a senior.
• Rounding out the newcomers is freshman setter Madi Collins. Collins was named to the Volleyball Magazine Dream Team and was a three-time AVCA Phemon selection. The Redondo Union Varsity MVP as a sophomore went on to repeat as the school MVP in a breakout season in her junior campaign which culminated in her earning First Team All-Bay League honors.
Scouting Northwestern
• Northwestern began the 2024 season in Las Vegas as the Wildcats went 0-2 against UNLV, 3-2, and Pacific, 3-2.
• The Wildcats head to Long Beach, Calif., looking for their first victory of the season.
• As a team, Northwestern is hitting .232, while averaging 12.00 kills per set on 10.40 assists per set. The Wildcats also have collected 12.00 digs per set, to go along with 1.40 blocks per set, and 1.40 aces per set.
• Buse Hazan is the Wildcats leading scorers as she is averaging 3.10 kills per set, while adding 1.70 digs per set, 0.50 aces per set, and 0.40 blocks per set.
• Setter Alexa Rousseau has led the Northwestern offense to a .232 clip as she has distributed 8.10 assists per set, while also contributing 1.40 kills per set, 2.00 digs per set, and 0.40 blocks per set.
• Anchoring the backrow defense for the Wildcats is Drew Wright with 3.60 digs per set. Meanwhile, Kennedy Hill patrols the net with 0.80 blocks per set.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Wildcats
Long Beach State and Northwestern will meet for just the second time in program history. In their lone meeting on September 14, 2004, the Beach earned a 3-0 sweep over the Wildcats at the Walter Pyramid. LBSU took down Northwestern in straight sets by scores of 30-28, 30-23, 30-24.
Family Connection
Redshirt junior outside hitter Jaylen Jordan, junior outside hitter Tatum Hoff, senior defensive specialist Jenna Giambi, and senior 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.
Next Up
Long Beach State will welcome Omaha to the Walter Pyramid on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's VolleyballWomen's Volleyball Post Game Press Conference vs Pepperdine
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Women's Volleyball Game Highlights vs Pepperdine
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Women's Volleyball Post Game Press Conference Vs Washington State
Saturday, September 21
Women's Volleyball Game Highlights vs Washington State
Saturday, September 21
