Long Beach State University Athletics
Saturday, February 14
Long Beach, Calif.
7 p.m.
Long Beach State University
vs
Vanguard
No. 2 Long Beach State Hosts Vanguard Saturday at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid
2/13/2026 4:09:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
Beach Enter Weekend at 8-1 Behind Balanced Offense and Nation-Leading Service Pressure
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State returns to the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid on Saturday, Feb. 14, looking to rebound as the No. 2-ranked Beach host Vanguard. At 8-1 overall, Long Beach State has combined a .373 team hitting percentage with 2.81 aces and 2.69 blocks per set, continuing to establish itself as one of the most statistically efficient and complete teams in the country.
RIGHT AWAY
• No. 2 Long Beach State enters Saturday's match against Vanguard at 8-1 overall following a five-set battle against No. 1 UCLA. The Beach remain one of the top teams in the nation through the first month of the 2026 season, with their only loss coming in a tightly contested 2-3 decision to the Bruins on Feb. 6.
• Long Beach State has won six matches in straight sets and owns two four-set victories, with the lone five-set match coming against UCLA. The Beach are 4-1 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, 3-0 on the road, and 1-0 at neutral sites.
• Most recently, Long Beach State pushed top-ranked UCLA to five sets on Feb. 6, winning the first two sets before falling 25-16, 25-22, 22-25, 19-25, 10-15.
• Offensively, the Beach are averaging 12.03 kills per set while hitting .373 as a team, totaling 373 kills through nine matches.
• Defensively, Long Beach State is holding opponents to 9.58 kills per set and a .187 hitting percentage, reinforcing the team's discipline at the net and in first-contact defense.
• From the service line, the Beach are averaging 2.81 aces per set with 87 total aces, while limiting opponents to just 0.81 aces per set.
• In extended rallies, Long Beach State is posting 8.16 digs per set and 2.69 blocks per set, totaling 83.5 team blocks on the season.
IN THE RANKINGS
• Long Beach State ranks No. 2 in the Big West in hitting percentage (.373) and No. 3 in opponent hitting percentage (.187). The Beach also rank No. 1 in the conference in both blocks (2.69 per set) and service aces (2.81 per set).
• Nationally, Long Beach State ranks No. 1 in aces per set, No. 5 in blocks per set and No. 5 in hitting percentage. The Beach are also No. 10 nationally in opponent hitting percentage and No. 23 in kills per set.
• Individually in the Big West, Skyler Varga ranks No. 1 in service aces and points per set, No. 7 in hitting percentage and No. 10 in kills.
• Jake Pazanti ranks No. 4 in the conference in assists per set, while Jackson Cryst ranks No. 1 in blocks per set. Kellen Larson ranks No. 2 in digs per set.
• On the national level, Varga ranks No. 1 in aces per set, No. 12 in points per set and No. 21 in hitting percentage. Cryst ranks No. 9 nationally in blocks per set, Pazanti ranks No. 23 in assists per set and Larson ranks No. 44 in digs per set.
BEACH READS - A BANNER UNVEILED, A STANDARD REAFFIRMED
• Long Beach State men's volleyball unveiled its 2025 national championship banner on January 24 inside the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, turning the night into both a celebration of the program's fourth NCAA title and a homecoming that welcomed back championship alumni and former head coach Alan Knipe.
• The ceremony served as a reflection on the culture that has bolstered Long Beach State across decades, highlighting a standard built on continuity, resilience, and trust that carried the Beach through an adversity-filled 2025 season and culminated in a sweep of UCLA in the NCAA championship match.
• Now hanging above the court, the 2025 banner stands as more than a record of a title run. It marks a standard the program has been built to sustain, connecting past eras to the present and future of Beach volleyball.
Read more at www.longbeachstate.com.
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RIGHT AWAY
• No. 2 Long Beach State enters Saturday's match against Vanguard at 8-1 overall following a five-set battle against No. 1 UCLA. The Beach remain one of the top teams in the nation through the first month of the 2026 season, with their only loss coming in a tightly contested 2-3 decision to the Bruins on Feb. 6.
• Long Beach State has won six matches in straight sets and owns two four-set victories, with the lone five-set match coming against UCLA. The Beach are 4-1 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, 3-0 on the road, and 1-0 at neutral sites.
• Most recently, Long Beach State pushed top-ranked UCLA to five sets on Feb. 6, winning the first two sets before falling 25-16, 25-22, 22-25, 19-25, 10-15.
• Offensively, the Beach are averaging 12.03 kills per set while hitting .373 as a team, totaling 373 kills through nine matches.
• Defensively, Long Beach State is holding opponents to 9.58 kills per set and a .187 hitting percentage, reinforcing the team's discipline at the net and in first-contact defense.
• From the service line, the Beach are averaging 2.81 aces per set with 87 total aces, while limiting opponents to just 0.81 aces per set.
• In extended rallies, Long Beach State is posting 8.16 digs per set and 2.69 blocks per set, totaling 83.5 team blocks on the season.
IN THE RANKINGS
• Long Beach State ranks No. 2 in the Big West in hitting percentage (.373) and No. 3 in opponent hitting percentage (.187). The Beach also rank No. 1 in the conference in both blocks (2.69 per set) and service aces (2.81 per set).
• Nationally, Long Beach State ranks No. 1 in aces per set, No. 5 in blocks per set and No. 5 in hitting percentage. The Beach are also No. 10 nationally in opponent hitting percentage and No. 23 in kills per set.
• Individually in the Big West, Skyler Varga ranks No. 1 in service aces and points per set, No. 7 in hitting percentage and No. 10 in kills.
• Jake Pazanti ranks No. 4 in the conference in assists per set, while Jackson Cryst ranks No. 1 in blocks per set. Kellen Larson ranks No. 2 in digs per set.
• On the national level, Varga ranks No. 1 in aces per set, No. 12 in points per set and No. 21 in hitting percentage. Cryst ranks No. 9 nationally in blocks per set, Pazanti ranks No. 23 in assists per set and Larson ranks No. 44 in digs per set.
BEACH READS - A BANNER UNVEILED, A STANDARD REAFFIRMED
• Long Beach State men's volleyball unveiled its 2025 national championship banner on January 24 inside the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, turning the night into both a celebration of the program's fourth NCAA title and a homecoming that welcomed back championship alumni and former head coach Alan Knipe.
• The ceremony served as a reflection on the culture that has bolstered Long Beach State across decades, highlighting a standard built on continuity, resilience, and trust that carried the Beach through an adversity-filled 2025 season and culminated in a sweep of UCLA in the NCAA championship match.
• Now hanging above the court, the 2025 banner stands as more than a record of a title run. It marks a standard the program has been built to sustain, connecting past eras to the present and future of Beach volleyball.
Read more at www.longbeachstate.com.
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Players Mentioned
MB
/ Men's Volleyball
L
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
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