Long Beach State Heads Into The Big West Championship As The Top Seed

Friday, April 25

Manoa, Hawaii

7:30 PM

Long Beach State University

UC San Diego

Photo by: John Fajardo

Long Beach State Heads Into The Big West Championship As The Top Seed

4/24/2025 7:03:00 AM | Men's Volleyball

MVB BW Semifinals Notes

The Beach earned a bye into the semifinals and will play on Friday

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

The Hawaiian Islands Presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men's Volleyball Championship

First Round - Thursday, April 24
No. 4 seed UC San Diego vs. No. 5 seed UC Santa Barbara - 7:30 p.m. (PT) / 4:30 p.m. (HT)
No. 3 seed UC Irvine vs. No. 6 seed CSUN - 10:00 p.m. (PT) / 7:00 p.m. (HT)

Semifinals - Friday, April 25
No. 1 seed Long Beach State vs. No. 4/5 winner - 7:30 p.m. (PT) / 4:30 p.m. (HT)
No. 2 seed Hawaii vs. No. 3/6 winner - 10:00 p.m. (PT) / 7:00 p.m. (HT)

Final - Saturday, April 26
Championship Match - 10:00 p.m. (PT) / 7:00 p.m. (HT)

Long Beach State Heads Into The Big West Championship As The Top Seed
After capturing The Big West Regular Season Title, the top-ranked Long Beach State Men's Volleyball Team earned the No. 1 seed and a bye into the semifinals of The Hawaiian Islands Presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men's Volleyball Championship. The Beach will play on Friday, April 25 at 4:30 p.m. (HT) / 7:30 p.m. (PT) at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. LBSU will play the winner of the No. 4 seed UC San Diego/No. 5 seed UC Santa Barbara match.

Catch All The Action
All Big West Championship matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+ on the mainland and on Spectrum Sports on the islands. Fans can also follow all the action via live stats at BigWest.org/sidearmstats/mvball1.

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.

In the Rankings
• Long Beach State has been ranked No. 1 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Poll for 13 consecutive weeks. The Beach garnered 460 total points and all 23 first-place votes after boasting a 26-2 overall record.
• UC San Diego is ranked No. 10 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Poll. The Tritons held steady in the 10 spot despite suffering a pair of sweeps to top-ranked Long Beach State last week.
• UC Santa Barbara is ranked No. 17 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Poll. The Gauchos moved up one spot in the rankings after they closed out the regular season with a series split against No. 3 Hawaii.
• 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.
• The season, Long Beach State has faced 10 nationally ranked opponents and will close out the regular season against No. 10 UC San Diego. Overall, the Beach owns a 12-2 record against nationally ranked opponents this season.
• The season, Long Beach State has faced 11 nationally ranked opponents and will face either No. 10 UC San Diego or No. 17 UC Santa Barbara in The Big West Semifinals. Overall, the Beach owns a 14-2 record against nationally ranked opponents this season.

The Beach In The Postseason
• Top-ranked Long Beach State goes into The Big West Championship as the No. 1 seed after capturing their fourth-consecutive regular season title.
• Overall, the Beach is making its seventh Big West postseason appearance as LBSU owns a tournament record of 7-4.
• Since its creation in 2018, Long Beach State is looking to win its third tournament championship.
• The Beach previously won The Big West Championship in 2018 and 2024.
• Prior to The Big West, Long Beach State was part of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). In the MPSF, LBSU owned a tournament record of 18-21.
• In all, Long Beach State is 25-25 in conference tournaments.
• Should LBSU advance to the NCAA Tournament, it will be the Beach's 15th Final Four appearance.
• At the NCAA Tournament, Long Beach State is 16-11 with three National Championships (1991, 2018, and 2019).

About The Beach
• No. 1 Long Beach State has put together one of its most successful seasons to date as the Beach own a 26-2 overall record and won The Big West Regular Season Title with an 8-2 mark.
• Earlier this season, the Beach strung together 20-straight victories marking the team's fourth-longest winning streak in program history.
• With 20 straight set wins this season, the 2025 Long Beach State team is tied for first place in the record book for most 3-0 sweeps. This year's squad joins the 2017 team with 20 sweeps on the year.
• The 2025 Beach team has served up a total of 207 to come in second all-time in the LBSU record book. Long Beach State is just three aces away from tying the program record for aces in a single-season which was set by the 2008 squad when they tallied 210 service aces.
• This season, Long Beach State went on an impressive 20-match winning streak that began on January 10 with a sweep over Saint Francis (Pa.) and came to an end on March 28 with a straight-set loss to UC Irvine. That 20-match winning streak is good for fourth in program history. The 2025 team will go down in the annals behind the record holding 2018 team which strung together 24-consecutive wins. From 2018-19, LBSU won 23-straight matches and from 1991-92 the Beach put together a 22-match winning streak to round out the top three.
• The Big West announced the all-conference selections on Wednesday and Long Beach State boasted four players on the first team, one Honorable Mention selection, and a pair on the All-Freshman Team.
• Earning All-Big West First Team accolades were Alex Kandev, DiAeris McRaven, Moni Nikolov, and Sklyer Varga. Meanwhile, Daniil Hershtynovich claimed Honorable Mention status. Kandev and Nikolov also made the All-Freshman squad.
• Offensively, LBSU is led by Daniil Hershtynovich and Alex Kandev. Hershtynovich leads the way with 3.18 kills per set, while Kandev chips in 3.06. Both rank in The Big West Top 10
• Kandev is the team leader in hitting percentage as the true freshman it hitting .466 on the year to come in second in the conference.
• Hershtynovich ranks in The Big West top 10 in three statistical categories. He is fifth in kills per set (3.18), and sixth in hitting percentage (.354) and points per set (3.77)
• Leading the Beach to a nation-leading .399 attack percentage is freshman setter Moni Nikolov. The product out of Sofia, Bulgaria has been on-point this season distributing 9.86 assists per set, while also helping out on the offensive attack with 1.53 kills per set. If that weren't enough, Nikolov also leads the nation with 0.92 aces per set. He is currently at 86 aces on the year which is a new LBSU single-season record. His 86 service aces are just one shy of The Big West single-season record, and 14 away from tying the NCAA All-Eras single-season mark (100).
• At the net, middles Ben Braun and DiAeris McRaven have patrolled the net leading the Beach to a 2.72 blocks per set average. That mark leads The Big West and is good for second in the country.
• Braun, a 6-11 junior from Rancho Mirage, Calif., is averaging 1.35 blocks per set after totaling 70 over 52 sets. His 1.35 blocks per set are tops in The Big West.
• McRaven, meanwhile has put up a team-leading 80 blocks to average 1.00 blocks per set. He is ranked fifth in the conference and in the Top 20 in the nation in blocks per set.
• In his 22nd season at the helm, Long Beach State Head Coach Alan Knipe is the winningest coach in LBSU Men's Volleyball program history, Knipe owns a career record of 445-170 for a winning percentage of 724.
• 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.

Scouting UC San Diego
• No. 10 UC San Diego comes into The Big West Championship as the No. 4 seed with a 17-11 overall record and a 3-7 Big West mark.
• The Tritons are looking to snap a five-match losing streak dating back to April 4 when they bested UC Irvine, 3-1, in La Jolla. Since then, UCSD has suffered losses to UCI (3-0), CSUN (3-2, 3-2), and Long Beach State (3-0, 3-0).
• The Tritons are averaging 12.29 kills per set on a .311 attack percentage. Additionally, UCSD adds 8.06 digs per set and 2.02 blocks per set to go along with 1.52 aces per set.
• Anthony Cherfan is the Tritons' leading scorer with 3.78 kills per set on a .339 clip. He also chips in 1.24 digs and 0.66 blocks per set.
• At setter, Bryce Dvorak has dished out 10.41 assists per set to pace the Tritons. His efficient passing has led to UC San Diego hitting .311 on the year. He is also second on the squad with 1.47 digs per set. Dvorak is also the team's leader at the service line as he has served up a team-best 42 aces this season to average 0.41 per set.
• In the backrow, Keegan Cook anchors the defense with 2.10 digs per set.
• At the net, Jim Garrison has posted a team-leading 70 blocks to average 1.04 per set. He also adds 1.12 kills per set on a .434 attack percentage.

Scouting UC Santa Barbara
• No. 17 UC Santa Barbara enters The Big West Championship as the No. 5 seed with a 12-15 overall record and a 3-7 Big West ledger.
• The Gauchos are coming off a huge victory as they closed the regular season with a sweep of Hawaii on April 19. The straight-set win snapped a five-match losing skid for UCSB.
• UC Santa Barbara is averaging 12.49 kills per set on a .274 attack percentage. Additionally, the Gauchos add 8.05 digs per set and 1.80 blocks per set to go along with 1.26 aces per set.
• Despite limited playing time this season, Geste Bianchi is the Gauchos' leading scorer with 5.00 kills per set on a .333 clip. He also chips in 1.65 digs and 0.35 blocks per set.
• Riggs Guy is the Gauchos' second leading scorer as he averages 3.06 kills per set, while hitting .220. He adds 1.31 digs per set and 0.44 blocks per set on the year.
• UC Santa Barbara has platooned both Cole Schobel and Jack Walmer at setter. Schobel leads the way with 8.83 assists per set, while Walmer contributes 6.35. Schobel is also the team leader in digs with 1.84 per set, as well as aces with 20 on the year.
• On blocking defense, Owen Birg has posted a team-leading 77 blocks to average 0.80 per set. He also adds 1.26 kills per set on a .344 clip.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Tritons
Should Long Beach State and UC San Diego meet in The Big West Semifinals, it will be the 85th matchup between the two teams in program history. Overall, Long Beach leads the series 78-6. The Beach have won the last six meetings between the two programs, including a pair of sweeps over the Tritons to close the regular season last weekend.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Gauchos
If UC Santa Barbara advances to The Big West Semifinals, the Gauchos and the Beach will meet in The Big West Semifinals. It will be the 105th matchup between the two teams in program history. Overall, Long Beach leads the series 62-42. The Beach have won the last half dozen meetings against the Gauchos including a 3-1 win in Santa Barbara and a 3-0 sweep in Long Beach earlier this season.

Acing The Competition
Freshman Moni Nikolov is leading a charge against numerous serving records at Long Beach State, the Big West and the NCAA. With what is believed to be the fastest recorded serve in NCAA history, Nikolov has set a new program single- season record with 86 service aces through the regular season. That mark ranks second all-time in the Big West, and currently is third in NCAA history across all eras. Long Beach State has made 207 in total as a team, ranking second in single-season history for the Beach and just three shy of tying the program record. As a team, Long Beach State has an opportunity to reach three other elite serving teams with different records; the Big West record holders of Hawai'i with 224 aces in 2022, the 25-point rally scoring record set last year by Saint Francis (Pa.) of 237, and the all-time record set in 2007 by Stevens of 289.

Among The Nation's Best
Long Beach State is ranked in the Top 5 in in the country in five different statistical categories this season. The Beach lead the nation in hitting percentage (.399) and aces per set (2.23). The team ranks second in blocks (2.72), third in kills (13.19), and fourth in assists per set (12.06).

Individually, the Beach boasts four players who rank in the Top 50 in the nation in their respective disciplines. Leading the way, setter Moni Nikolov leads the nation in aces per set (0.93), and is ranked 18th in assists per set (9.86). DiAeris McRaven comes in 20th in the nation with a 1.00 block per set average, while Skyler Varga leads the way with a .387 hitting percentage which is good for 14th in the country. Varga also ranks in the Top 50 with 0.35 aces per set. Rounding out the Fab Four, is Daniil Hershtynovich who is ranked in the NCAA Top 50 in three different statistical categories. His .354 clip is good for 20th in the nation, while his kills per set (3.18) and points per set (3.77) averages rank him 46th and 45th in the country, respectively.

The Big Toe
Senior opposite Nato Dickinson had a career weekend to close the regular season. The product out of Corona Del Mar, Calif., kicked off the week with a career-best 16 kills at UC San Diego (4/18). The next night in the Walter Pyramid against the Tritons, Dickinson did it again. He set a pair of new career-high with three digs and two aces.

Up Next
Should the Beach win in the semifinals the will advance to the championship match on Saturday, April 26. The tournament will be held at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center as it is hosted by Hawai'i for the fifth time in seven seasons. All matches will be broadcast live on ESPN+ (mainland) and Spectrum Sports (islands).

Long Beach State looks to repeat as champions and earn the league's automatic berth to the National Collegiate Championship. Since The Big West began sponsoring Men's Volleyball in 2018, Long Beach State has captured the title in 2018 and 2024.