Long Beach State University
0-0,0-0Big West
Alberta
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Long Beach State Opens 2026 with Pair of Exhibition Wins
1/2/2026 10:47:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State opened the 2026 season in dominant fashion on Friday, sweeping the first day of the North American Challenge with a pair of exhibition victories inside the Walter Pyramid. The Beach defeated Alberta in four sets before closing the night with a straight set win over Calgary, as four total matches were contested on day one of the international event.
The North American Challenge marks the first competition of the season for Long Beach State, with both contests serving as exhibitions against Canadian opponents.
Long Beach State 3, Alberta 1
(25-20, 21-25, 25-16, 25-23)
The Beach opened the season with a 3-1 win over Alberta behind a balanced attack and a strong performance at the net. Wojciech Gajek earned Man of the Match honors after leading Long Beach State with 16 kills on a .500 hitting percentage, while also contributing four blocks and a service ace.
Long Beach State set the tone early in the opening set, using a 3-0 run after Alberta briefly took the lead and closing the frame with a late 4-0 surge to claim a 25-20 victory. Connor Bloom jumpstarted the match with an opening ace, as the Beach totaled three blocks and held a 70 percent sideout rate in the set.
Alberta responded in the second set, capitalizing on serving pressure and blocking to even the match at one set apiece. Long Beach State rallied late with a 3-0 run to tie the score at 17-17, but Alberta held on for the 25-21 decision.
The Beach regained control in the third set, overcoming an early deficit with a 4-0 run fueled by Alberta errors and strong serving. Long Beach State hit efficiently while holding Alberta to a 44 percent sideout rate, pulling away for a convincing 25-16 win.
Set four featured several momentum swings, but Long Beach State pulled ahead with a key 3-0 run to take a 20-16 lead. The Beach maintained their composure down the stretch, and the match concluded on a service error by Alberta, sealing the 3-1 victory.
As a team, Long Beach State finished with 43 kills on a .337 hitting percentage, outblocking Alberta 11-4.5 and adding eight service aces. Along with Gajek's match-high kill total, Myles Jordan hit .750 with six kills, while Braedon Marquardt added six kills and five block assists.
Long Beach State 3, Calgary 0
(25-10, 25-14, 25-23)
Long Beach State carried its momentum into the evening match, sweeping Calgary in straight sets in front of a strong crowd at the Pyramid. Skyler Varga was named Man of the Match after posting a team-high 13 kills on .500 hitting to go along with five aces and three blocks.
The Beach were in complete control in the opening set, racing out to an early lead behind relentless serving pressure. Jake Pazanti opened the scoring with a setter dump and an ace, before the service game took over. Long Beach State recorded nine aces in the opening frame, with Skyler Varga accounting for five of them, forcing Calgary into multiple timeouts and limiting any chance to build momentum. The Beach also controlled the net defensively and hit .500 in the set, closing the frame with a decisive 25-10 win.
Set two followed a similar pattern, as Calgary struggled to establish offensive rhythm due to serving and attack errors. Long Beach State used timely blocking and steady sideout play to extend its lead throughout the set, finishing with a 25-14 win.
The third set proved to be the most competitive of the night, featuring numerous lead changes and extended rallies. Calgary held a narrow edge at the media timeout, but the Beach responded with strong play at the net down the stretch. Back-to-back kills from Varga helped spark a late run, and a match-ending block by Gajek sealed the 25-23 win and the sweep.
Long Beach State finished the match with 34 kills on a .431 hitting percentage, 10 aces, and 11 blocks. Daniil Hershtynovich added seven kills without an error, while Kandev contributed seven kills and two aces. Pazanti guided the offense with 26 assists.
The Beach will continue play at the North American Challenge on Day 2 as the international tournament resumes Sunday, January 4th in the Gold Mine.
