Monday, September 1
Long Beach, Calif.
5 p.m.
Long Beach State University
1-2,0-0Big West
2
vs
3
UCLA
1-0,0-0Big Ten
1
2
3
4
5
F
UCLA
18
25
25
21
15
3
Long Beach St.
25
18
23
25
8
2
Photo by: Josue Vasquez, @JosueAvasqz
No. 19 UCLA Edges Long Beach State 3-2
9/1/2025 8:26:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
King and Kotzakov both record 17 kills in the first five-set match between the two teams since 2013.
LONG BEACH, Calif. — No. 19 UCLA outlasted Long Beach State in five sets Monday night at the Walter Pyramid, edging the Beach 3-2.
Long Beach State used a balanced attack and a key serving run to take the first set 25-18. The Beach pulled ahead midway through on back-to-back aces from Izzy Mahaffey, stretching a 9-9 tie into a five-point cushion. Logan King and Anabel Kotzakov combined for multiple kills in the rally, while Rhiann Sheffie added a block that kept UCLA off balance.
UCLA (1-0) stayed close early behind kills from Brooklyn Briscoe and Cheridyn Leverette, and setter Kate Duffey tied it at 6 with an ace. But the Bruins could not recover after Mahaffey's serving run, committing five service errors, and struggling in serve-receive. King finished the frame with several key swings, including the kill that put Long Beach State ahead 23-15. Kotzakov closed it out on a set from Madi Maxwell for the 25-18 win.
UCLA rallied in the second set, pulling away late for a 25-18 victory to even the match. The Bruins trailed 14-11 after Kotzakov and King sparked a Beach push but answered with a 7-1 run. Briscoe and Maggie Li chipped in kills, while Anastasija Ivkovic and Marianna Singletary combined on a block. Leverette's serve fueled the stretch, including a block assist with Briscoe that tied it at 14.
The Bruins closed strong behind LBSU transfer Zayna Meyer, who distributed critical assists, and Kat Lutz, who delivered late kills and blocks. Singletary finished the set with a kill from Meyer. UCLA's front line dictated the frame, recording multiple blocks during the decisive run and forcing Long Beach State into attack errors.
The Bruins grabbed the third set 25-23. They stormed out to a 4-0 lead behind two early kills from Leverette and a strike from Li, forcing a Beach timeout. Long Beach State responded with back-to-back aces from Elise Agi and a pair of kills from King to tie it at 5.
UCLA regained control when Li and Leverette fueled a run, capped by a Meyer-Singletary block for a 13-8 edge. The Beach chipped away behind Agi, King, and Nieko Thomas, cutting it to 16-15. The Bruins pushed the lead back to four when Ivkovic and Leverette powered the offense and Carly Hendrickson dropped in an ace for 19-15.
Long Beach State answered with two Bruin errors and a King kill to tie it at 20. The teams traded points late, with Singletary giving UCLA a 23-21 cushion before Kotzakov answered. After the Beach fought off one set point on a Maxwell kill, Singletary put away the winner off a Meyer assist.
Long Beach State forced a fifth set with a 25-21 win in the fourth. UCLA opened with kills from Singletary and Li for a 2-0 lead, but the Beach countered behind King and Kotzakov to go up 5-3.
The set turned into a back-and-forth battle midway through. Li and Leverette kept UCLA close, and Meyer tied it at 14 with a kill. LBSU regained control behind Maxwell and Thomas, who stuffed Meyer's attack for a 17-15 advantage.
Agi and Kotzakov sparked a 5-2 run, capped by a King kill to make it 21-17. UCLA trimmed the deficit to 23-21 with blocks from Leverette and Briscoe, forcing a LBSU timeout. King answered out of the break, and Kotzakov hammered the decisive factor for 25-21.
Playing five sets against each other for the first time since 2013, UCLA wasted no time seizing control of the fifth set, jumping out to a 4-1 lead on a block by Singletary and Ivkovic followed by a kill from Li. The Beach took an early timeout, but the Bruins extended the margin to 5-1 when Li struck again.
Long Beach State cut the deficit to 5-2 on a UCLA service error, but the Bruins quickly regained momentum. Li delivered another kill, and Leverette followed with back-to-back strikes to make it 8-2.
The Beach trimmed the gap to 8-4 after a Kotzakov kill and a UCLA error, but Leverette responded with her third kill of the frame. Briscoe added a back-row kill, and UCLA held a 10-4 cushion.
Briscoe struck again off a Meyer set for an 11-5 lead, and Li added another finish for 12-6. Leverette then pushed the Bruins to match point with a kill, and after a service error extended the frame, Li put the match away with her fourth kill of the set, sealing it 15-8.
Li led UCLA with 18 kills. Leverette matched her with 18 kills and added 10 digs and four blocks, while Singletary hit .423 with 12 kills and a team-high eight blocks. Briscoe chipped in nine kills on .467 hitting, and Meyer dished out 38 assists with nine digs.
For Long Beach State, King tallied 17 kills and five blocks, and Kotzakov added 17 kills on .297 hitting with six digs, while Maxwell handed out 36 assists and collected 16 digs.
Li and Leverette combined for 36 of UCLA's 66 kills as the Bruins hit .309 with 12 team blocks. King and Kotzakov led the Beach's 50-kill output, which came with nine blocks and a .171 attack percentage.
UP NEXT
Long Beach State (1-2) travels to the University of San Francisco's Battle By The Bay on Thursday when the Beach face Portland State (0-3) in a 2 p.m. matchup.
Long Beach State used a balanced attack and a key serving run to take the first set 25-18. The Beach pulled ahead midway through on back-to-back aces from Izzy Mahaffey, stretching a 9-9 tie into a five-point cushion. Logan King and Anabel Kotzakov combined for multiple kills in the rally, while Rhiann Sheffie added a block that kept UCLA off balance.
UCLA (1-0) stayed close early behind kills from Brooklyn Briscoe and Cheridyn Leverette, and setter Kate Duffey tied it at 6 with an ace. But the Bruins could not recover after Mahaffey's serving run, committing five service errors, and struggling in serve-receive. King finished the frame with several key swings, including the kill that put Long Beach State ahead 23-15. Kotzakov closed it out on a set from Madi Maxwell for the 25-18 win.
UCLA rallied in the second set, pulling away late for a 25-18 victory to even the match. The Bruins trailed 14-11 after Kotzakov and King sparked a Beach push but answered with a 7-1 run. Briscoe and Maggie Li chipped in kills, while Anastasija Ivkovic and Marianna Singletary combined on a block. Leverette's serve fueled the stretch, including a block assist with Briscoe that tied it at 14.
The Bruins closed strong behind LBSU transfer Zayna Meyer, who distributed critical assists, and Kat Lutz, who delivered late kills and blocks. Singletary finished the set with a kill from Meyer. UCLA's front line dictated the frame, recording multiple blocks during the decisive run and forcing Long Beach State into attack errors.
The Bruins grabbed the third set 25-23. They stormed out to a 4-0 lead behind two early kills from Leverette and a strike from Li, forcing a Beach timeout. Long Beach State responded with back-to-back aces from Elise Agi and a pair of kills from King to tie it at 5.
UCLA regained control when Li and Leverette fueled a run, capped by a Meyer-Singletary block for a 13-8 edge. The Beach chipped away behind Agi, King, and Nieko Thomas, cutting it to 16-15. The Bruins pushed the lead back to four when Ivkovic and Leverette powered the offense and Carly Hendrickson dropped in an ace for 19-15.
Long Beach State answered with two Bruin errors and a King kill to tie it at 20. The teams traded points late, with Singletary giving UCLA a 23-21 cushion before Kotzakov answered. After the Beach fought off one set point on a Maxwell kill, Singletary put away the winner off a Meyer assist.
Long Beach State forced a fifth set with a 25-21 win in the fourth. UCLA opened with kills from Singletary and Li for a 2-0 lead, but the Beach countered behind King and Kotzakov to go up 5-3.
The set turned into a back-and-forth battle midway through. Li and Leverette kept UCLA close, and Meyer tied it at 14 with a kill. LBSU regained control behind Maxwell and Thomas, who stuffed Meyer's attack for a 17-15 advantage.
Agi and Kotzakov sparked a 5-2 run, capped by a King kill to make it 21-17. UCLA trimmed the deficit to 23-21 with blocks from Leverette and Briscoe, forcing a LBSU timeout. King answered out of the break, and Kotzakov hammered the decisive factor for 25-21.
Playing five sets against each other for the first time since 2013, UCLA wasted no time seizing control of the fifth set, jumping out to a 4-1 lead on a block by Singletary and Ivkovic followed by a kill from Li. The Beach took an early timeout, but the Bruins extended the margin to 5-1 when Li struck again.
Long Beach State cut the deficit to 5-2 on a UCLA service error, but the Bruins quickly regained momentum. Li delivered another kill, and Leverette followed with back-to-back strikes to make it 8-2.
The Beach trimmed the gap to 8-4 after a Kotzakov kill and a UCLA error, but Leverette responded with her third kill of the frame. Briscoe added a back-row kill, and UCLA held a 10-4 cushion.
Briscoe struck again off a Meyer set for an 11-5 lead, and Li added another finish for 12-6. Leverette then pushed the Bruins to match point with a kill, and after a service error extended the frame, Li put the match away with her fourth kill of the set, sealing it 15-8.
Li led UCLA with 18 kills. Leverette matched her with 18 kills and added 10 digs and four blocks, while Singletary hit .423 with 12 kills and a team-high eight blocks. Briscoe chipped in nine kills on .467 hitting, and Meyer dished out 38 assists with nine digs.
For Long Beach State, King tallied 17 kills and five blocks, and Kotzakov added 17 kills on .297 hitting with six digs, while Maxwell handed out 36 assists and collected 16 digs.
Li and Leverette combined for 36 of UCLA's 66 kills as the Bruins hit .309 with 12 team blocks. King and Kotzakov led the Beach's 50-kill output, which came with nine blocks and a .171 attack percentage.
UP NEXT
Long Beach State (1-2) travels to the University of San Francisco's Battle By The Bay on Thursday when the Beach face Portland State (0-3) in a 2 p.m. matchup.
~#LongBeachBuilt~
Team Stats
UCLA
LBSU
Kills
66
50
Errors
20
26
Attempts
149
140
Hitting %
.309
.171
Points
80.0
66.0
Assists
58
46
Aces
2
7
Blocks
12
9
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
17
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Kills
4
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OPP
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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