Long Beach State University
CSUN
No. 1 LBSU Men’s Volleyball To Open Conference Play Against No. 7 CSUN
3/4/2025 11:41:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
The No. 1 Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball team will play No. 7 CSUN on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at the Premier America Credit Union Arena in Northridge. They will then come back to the Walter Pyramid to host Sacred Heart University on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
#1 LONG BEACH STATE (14-0) vs. #7 CSUN (13-2)
Wednesday, March 5 • 6:00 p.m. • Northridge, Calif. • Premier America Credit Union Arena
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: beachlivestats.com
X: @LBSUMVB
#1 LONG BEACH STATE (14-0) vs. SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY (3-8)
Friday, March 7 • 7:00 p.m. • Long Beach, Calif. • Walter Pyramid
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: beachlivestats.com
X: @LBSUMVB
No. 1 LBSU Men's Volleyball To Open Conference Play Against No. 7 CSUN
The No. 1 Long Beach State Men's Volleyball team will play No. 7 CSUN on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at the Premier America Credit Union Arena in Northridge. They will then come back to the Walter Pyramid to host Sacred Heart University on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Catch All The Action
LB Nation can live stream both of Long Beach State's matches on ESPN+ and keep up with the live stats at beachlivestats.com.
Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State Men's Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram at @LBSUMVB. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics on X. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU. And don't forget our hashtag #GoBeach.
About The Beach
• No. 1 Long Beach State opened the 2025 campaign with a dominant 3-0 sweep of Saint Francis on Friday, Jan. 10.
• The Beach are looking to build on a successful 2024 season which saw the post a 27-3 overall record in a season in which they were the National Runner Up. The Beach went 9-1 in Big West action winning their third-straight regular season title and second conference tournament title.
• Long Beach State Head Coach Alan Knipe returns to the helm for his 22nd season. The winningest coach in LBSU Men's Volleyball program history, Knipe owns a career record of 420-168 for a winning percentage of 714.
• Knipe's staff of Associate Head Coach Nick MacRae, Assistant Coach McKay Smith, Volunteer Assistant Coach Andy Read, and Technical Coordinator Jon Parry are also back for the Beach. The seasoned quartet have worked together for the last eight seasons helping Long Beach State capture two NCAA National Titles, two Big West Championships, and have led the Beach to six NCAA Tournament appearances.
• The Beach return 16 players from one year ago and welcome eight newcomers.
• Senior outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis and junior opposite Skyler Varga return to the court after having been named AVCA All-Americans last season. Siapanis garnered First Team accolades, while Varga earned Honorable Mention status.
• Siapanis and Varga, along with sophomore middle blocker Lazar Bouchkov eaarned All-Big West Honors. Siapanis led the way with a First Team nod, while Varga collected Honorable Mention recognition, and Bouchkov was named to the All-Freshman Team.
• Freshman setter Moni Nikolov leads a talented group of newcomers. Nikolov comes to LBSU from Sofia, Bulgaria where he was a nine-time national champion in his age group. A member of the Bulgarian National Team, Nikolov also played with the U19 squad and helped his team win the European Championship Bronze Medal.
• In addition to Nikolov, freshman liberos Kellen Larson and Ford Harman also highlight the newcomers on the roster. Larson was the starting libero on the USA Boys National Team, while Harman was a First Team All-American at AAU Junior Nationals.
In the Rankings
• Long Beach State has been ranked No. 1 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Poll for five consecutive weeks and currently remain undefeated. The Beach garnered 460 total points and 23 first-place votes.
• The Big West is one of the most competitive Division I Men's Volleyball conferences as all six Big West schools are nationally ranked, with three of them sitting in the Top 5.
• This season, Long Beach State will face 10 nationally ranked opponents in No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Hawaii, No. 4 UC Irvine, No. 7 CSUN, No. 13 UC San Diego, No. 15 Grand Canyon, No. 17 UC Santa Barbara, and No. 20 Princeton. Additionally, the Beach will play one team that is receiving votes in NJIT (12).
• CSUN comes into the match at the No. 7 spot in the AVCA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Poll, their highest ranking since 2018. The program has won eight straight games under third-year head coach, Theo Edwards.
Scouting CSUN
• No. 7 CSUN comes into the match against the Beach with a 13-2 overall record after a 3-0 win over Sacred Heart University at home.
• The Matadors are averaging 12.9 kills per set on a .315 attack percentage. Additionally, CSUN adds 8.1 digs per set and 2.4 blocks per set to go along with 2 aces per set.
• Jalen Phillips leads the Matadors with 4.46 kills per set on a .325 attack percentage. He also contributes to the defense with 1.10 digs per set and 29 blocks on the season.
• At setter, Donovan Constable has distributed 523 assists for a 10.46 assists per set average on his way to guiding the Matadors to a .315 clip. He also contributes 1.24 digs per set.
• In the backrow, Chris Karnezis anchors the defense with 1.86 digs per set.
• At the net, freshman Stilian Delibosov leads the way with 60 blocks to average 1.36 per set. Delibosov leads the nation in blocks per set. He also contributes 2.05 kills per set on a .530 attack percentage.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Matadors
• Long Beach State and CSUN will meet for the 92nd in program history after battling in the Big West semi-finals, where the Beach beat the Matadors 3-1.
• CSUN is tied for eighth in the nation overall. They are ranked fifth in aces per set with a 2.02 average and fifth in assists with an average 11.98 per set. They rank sixth in kills per set with a 12.83 average and seventh in blocks per set with a 2.48 average.
• Jalen Phillips leads the team in kills and hitting percentage, but Lorenzo Bertozzi is another heavy hitter to watch for the Matadors. He boasts a 3.0 kills per set average and a .339 hitting percentage.
• The block that Grand Canyon puts up is supported by newcomer Stilian Delibosov and another freshman, Joao Favarim, who is averaging .88 blocks per set. Favarim also contributes to the offense, grabbing 1.04 kills per set on a .372 attack percentage.
Scouting Sacred Heart University
• Sacred Heart comes into the match against the Beach with a 3-8 overall record after being swept by the Matadors of CSUN on Monday night.
• The Pioneers are averaging 10.3 kills per set on a .215 attack percentage. Additionally, Sacred Heart adds 7.3 digs per set and 2.0 blocks per set to go along with 1.2 aces per set.
• Aleksa Mandic leads the Pioneers with 3.32 kills per set on a .292 attack percentage. He also contributes to the defense averaging 1.39 digs per set.
• At setter, Austin Buchanan has distributed 254 assists for a 7.26 assists per set average on his way to guiding the Pioneers to a .215 clip. He also contributes 1.20 digs per set.
• In the backrow, Harryzen Soares anchors the defense with 1.76 digs per set.
• At the net, Ken Naples leads the way with 30 blocks to average .88 per set. He also contributes .97 kills per set on a .286 attack percentage.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Pioneers
• Long Beach State and Sacred Heart University will meet for the third time in program history. Long Beach State last swept the Pioneers in the Goldmine, and will now face them on their new home court.
• Sacred Heart is ranked in the Top 50 in multiple offensive categories including aces, assists and hitting percentage.
• Aleksa Mandic leads the team in kills and hitting percentage, but Jaron Popp is another heavy hitter to watch for the Pioneers. He holds a 2.69 kills per set average and a .138 hitting percentage.
• The block that Sacred Heart puts up is supported by veteran players Ken Naples and Alec Niemczyk. Niemczyk is averaging .67 blocks per set. He also contributes to the offense, grabbing .71 kills per set on a .211 attack percentage.
Among The Nation's Best
Long Beach State is ranked in the Top 25 in in the country in half a dozen different statistical categories this season. The Beach lead the nation in hitting percentage (.412). They rank second in aces (2.37), blocks (2.58) and kills per set (13.42). If that weren't enough, LBSU also ranks third in assists per set (12.30) and sixth in opponent hitting percentage, holding them to a .205 average.
Individually, the Beach boasts five players who rank in the Top 50 in the nation in their respecive disciplines. Leading the way, setter Moni Nikolov ranks first in aces per set (1.06), as well as being ranked for assists (19th - 9.78). Three players are ranked in the Top 15 for hitting percentage. Skyler Varga leads the way being ranked ninth (.414). Sotiris Siapanis comes in 13th (.401) and right behind him is Daniil Hershtynovich at 14th (.401). Daniil Hershtynovich is also ranked 38th for points per set (3.9)and 48th for kills per set (3.22). DiAeris McRaven ranks 39th in the nation with a .882 block per set average.
Up Next
Long Beach State will host conference opponent No. 7 CSUN on Friday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m. On Saturday, March 15, they will host No. 20 Princeton at 7:00 p.m.
