Long Beach State University
22-8,14-4Big West
(6) UC Irvine
13-18,8-10Big West
Beach Sweep UC Irvine to Advance in Big West Championship
11/26/2025 8:20:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Long Beach State controls all three sets behind balanced offense and strong side-out play in first-round victory.
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach State (22-4 , 14-4 Big West) advanced to the Big West Championship semifinals with a decisive 3–0 sweep of UC Irvine (13-18, 8-10 Big West) on Wednesday night inside the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, winning 25–18, 25–20, 26–24 behind a balanced offensive effort and a 64.1 percent side-out rate.
Head coach Natalie Reagan praised both the atmosphere and her team's composure, noting that Long Beach Nation "did an incredible job showing up again with more than 1,000 fans in the Pyramid on a holiday week." She added that the Beach "played really well today against a UCI team that has faced adversity all year and continued to battle." Reagan emphasized the staff's message going in, not overlooking a talented opponent, and felt the team responded. "Overall, our group showed up and handled the match the right way," she said.
The Beach opened with purpose in the first set, using a 10–5 run powered by Madi Maxwell's serve and kills from Logan King, Rhiann Sheffie, and Sidney Hamaker to establish early control. Elise Agi added a solo block, and LBSU continued to push the tempo in transition, stretching the lead to 21–11. UC Irvine cut into the deficit late, but Nieko Thomas closed the frame with a kill to give Long Beach State the 25–18 win.
The second set featured more sustained pressure from the Beach, who hit .389 in the frame and committed only one attack error. Hamaker opened with a service ace, and Agi and Thomas continued to score efficiently as the offense stayed in rhythm with Maxwell distributing. LBSU owned the middle portion of the set with a scoring burst, delivering multiple kills and a block during a 6–0 run that pushed the Beach ahead 17–11. UC Irvine mounted a brief response, but LBSU sided out consistently and secured the 25–20 win on a Hamaker kill.
Long Beach State fought through its toughest test in the third set, overcoming a late UC Irvine surge to complete the sweep. The Beach built a 15–9 lead behind a dominant serving stretch from Maxwell, who delivered an ace and set up consecutive kills for King, Thomas, and Agi. UC Irvine rallied to tie the set at 17–17 and later moved ahead 18–17 during a string of block points. The Beach steadied behind Sheffie, Agi, and King, who combined for key side-outs down the stretch. After King put down a kill to earn set point at 25–24, Sheffie and King sealed the match with a block on the right pin for the 26–24 victory.
Agi led the Beach with 12 kills on .250 hitting, while King added 11 kills and a team-high 16 digs for a strong two-way performance. Sheffie finished with 10 kills and three block assists, and Thomas added seven kills. Maxwell directed the offense with 40 assists, seven digs, and a service ace, as LBSU out-dug UC Irvine 56–45 and posted six team blocks.
Coach said the performance also reinforced the group's belief in itself, noting that the team "has a deep sense of confidence built from the adversity we've faced and the tough moments we've already gone through together." She added that playing at home only strengthens that mindset. "We talk a lot about home being each other, but being in our own building and in front of our community means a ton," she said. Looking ahead, she emphasized that the road doesn't get easier. "We're back at practice tomorrow and we've got two more tough matches coming."
With the sweep, Long Beach State moves on to the next round of the Big West Championship, facing Cal Poly on Friday, November 28 at 6 p.m. in the Pyramid.
