Beach Sweeps Cal State Bakersfield - Long Beach State University Athletics

Friday, October 30

Long Beach, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

17-4,9-2Big West

Cal State Bakersfield

10-13,5-6Big West

Team	1	2	3	Final F
CSU Bakersfield	13	22	16	0
Long Beach St.	25	25	25	3

10/30/2026 9:40:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Each set had its rhythm, but the Long Beach State prevailed in all three.

By: Roger Kirk, Associate Athletics Director, Communications & Broadcast

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State fought through a tight second set, but otherwise was in complete command in the team's return to the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid in a 25-13, 25-22, 25-16 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Friday.

Long Beach State (17-4, 9-2 Big West) hit .242 and held the Runners to .048 hitting on the night, as junior Madi Maxwell came close to another triple double with 9 kills, 9 assists and 7 digs while Kinga Ziolkowsa, her setting partner, finished with 10 assists and 10 digs on the night as the pair guided the Beach offense.

Cal State Bakersfield (10-13, 5-6 Big West) challenged the very first point of the match successfully and rode that momentum to an early 4-1 start. The Beach bounced back quickly though, as a Kyler Birkelbach tied the set at 4-4, and a Kendal Murphy overpass kill put the Beach out in front 7-6. That run continued with Sidney Hamaker behind the end line, and an ace put the Beach out in front 10-6. Another huge solo block put the Beach on top 14-10, and a Ziolkowska service run combined with a number of CSUB errors saw the Beach pull away for 25-13 win. Cal State Bakersfield hit -.162 in the first, making seven additional errors on top of the three blocks from the Beach in the first.

The Runners rallied though, getting out to another quick lead with a 2-0 start. An ace from Ana Franco Benjamin kept CSUB in front, and the Runners held the lead until an ace from Maxwell tied the set at 14-14. An overpass kill from Leylah Duran maintained the lead for CSUB, and at 18-15, Long Beach State took what would be a key timeout from Natalie Reagan.

Shifting the momentum, the Beach hit Reagan Hope for two quick kills to tie the set after a sideout, and a kill from Hamaker put the Beach in front 19-18. The run continued as the Beach went back to Hope for another kill before a huge block from the senior and Birkelbach concluded the six-point run to totally turn around the set on the way to a 25-22 win.

With the momentum on their side, Long Beach State jumped out to an early lead in the third set, with Maxwell picking up a kill for a 6-3 lead before a Birkelbach service run pushed the lead to 13-7. Long Beach State hit .407 in the set, and that combined with seven service errors from the Runners just in the third led to a quick 25-16 win in the third to close out the sweep.

Maxwell's nine kills led a balanced attack that saw five players with five kills or more in the three-setter. The weekend homestand continues at 3 p.m. on Halloween as the Beach hosts CSUN.