BEACH READS: Making An Impact

LONG BEACH, Calif. – On a rainy afternoon this past November in Huntsville, Alabama, two Long Beach State Beach Volleyball stars topped the podium as the AVCA National Pairs Champions to finish off a tremendous accomplishment as a pair, one that signaled both a new high as well as a statement to the nation. A statement that Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah are back and aiming even higher for their fourth and final competitive season as the career wins leaders at Long Beach State.

Starting the 2026 season later this week, Gementera and Hagenah each have 95 career wins, passing All-American Rachel Nieto and three-time All-Big West selection Nicci Reinking to top the list and approach the precipice of 100 career wins, all coming while playing together at Long Beach State.

"Winning 100 matches validates all of the work that they've put in," said head coach Mike Campbell. "You have to be consistently excellent to reach that standard, then that reliability builds trust with teammates and puts the entire team in a great position to succeed."

Both Malia and Taylor started playing beach volleyball at the club level at an early age, competing across Southern California and ultimately becoming aware of each other first across the net rather than as best friends, as they routinely were facing each other in late rounds of tournaments.

"She was annoying to play against, honestly," giggled Hagenah. "She was super scrappy, and we played each other so much it was frustrating to see her." Gementera agreed. "It was the same for me. She was so intense, and I remember being intimidated by her."

Both committed early to coming to Long Beach State, even though they still weren't anything other than competitors.

"I actually first saw Malia playing club volleyball," said Campbell. "She was on a team that we played often, and along with their setter, were the standouts of a team that routinely was playing super competitive matches with us, 25-23 almost every time. Eventually, I asked their coach about her, and he told me that if I thought she was good indoor, I should watch her on the beach.

"Taylor was more traditional in her path, playing and excelling in multiple sports, but she ultimately chose to focus on beach volleyball.

"Malia had great ball control and was very skilled, crafty, and Taylor was clearly a natural leader. She was a blocker and played with a great partner. With Malia, I knew her physical profile wouldn't change drastically, and if it all worked out they'd be able to play together."

That was a long-term plan, however, and as the two young freshmen arrived on campus in 2023, the duo played separately through the fall, despite rooming together and quickly bonding.

"We had some great veteran players already in the program who had learned our culture and built a ton of trust," said Campbell. "Malia and Taylor had never played together, and as roommates I was hesitant to play them together since they were young and if it didn't work out, it could get really difficult in that situation.

"That said, even early on, we could see how their strengths aligned even when they weren't playing together. Eventually, we decided to take a risk and put them together for a preseason tournament, and they clicked immediately. They played with composure and simplicity, nothing flashy, just clean, controlled volleyball."

Entering that first season, the pair started out in the third flight, but their continued success led the staff to move the team up through the lineup, ultimately playing in the top flight to end the season, going 6-0 with some thrilling wins, including at the 2023 Big West Championship in Honolulu.

"It's still the favorite match of my career," said Hagenah. "We hadn't beaten Hawai'i that year, and as a program we'd never won the Big West before. Everyone was watching our court, our parents flew out, and the baseball team was also there and they were cheering us on. It was an unreal experience."

Against the hosts as the second seed in the semifinals, Long Beach State won the fourth and fifth flights but dropped the third and second, leaving the match's final result up to the ones. The freshman duo responded in a clutch way, rallying from a first set loss to win over Glagau/Van Sickle 17-21, 21-19, 16-14.

Another win to lead the team in the finals against Cal Poly gave Long Beach State its first Big West Championship, and the Beach was back in the NCAA Championship led by the duo of Hagenah and Gementera, who were AVCA Top Flight award winners as well as First Team All-Big West selections as freshmen after putting up a 34-5 overall record on the season.

Coming out of that season, the pair along with Campbell worked to evolve their game, and bigger goals were now in sight for the duo. "We started working on things other teams weren't doing yet," said Gementera. "Now we knew we could be All-Americans and keep consistently winning at the ones."

Going 28-10 overall in 2024, the pair did in fact earn All-American honors and receive an AVCA Top Flight award at the ones as sophomores, but a team loss in the Big West Championship and some growing pains gave the duo plenty of motivation.

"Their path hasn't always been linear," noted Campbell. "They've had ups and downs, successes and mistakes, but they stayed. They trusted us, believed in what we were building. They've embraced the community, represented Long Beach State nationally, and stayed true to who we are as a program. I'm incredibly proud of that."

"We were still successful, but as a season I think we felt like it was just whatever," said Hagenah about their sophomore season. "We put so much pressure on ourselves."

"We just felt like we always had to be better than what we did," said Gementera. Hagenah continued, "So we had some of the same goals, but we were able to push even further last year. It was definitely one of our more fun, creative years in terms of the offense we were running and how we played."

"Mike's a big part of it as well," added Gementera. "I feel like he's always trying to find new things we can do or open us up to creative options. He helps us grow because it's always things that I didn't really think about, or if we do a play our normal way, even if it's successful, he can say, 'That's great, but you can also do it this other way.'"

For his part, Campbell credits the now very experienced pair. "Their fundamentals are elite, and that allowed them to have success early. Now the reward is that we can do some really fun stuff, mimic some of the revolutionary styles that some of the international teams are implementing."

Entering their senior season, the fall was aimed at even greater heights and competing at the AVCA Pairs Championship in Huntsville, a tournament outside of official NCAA competition but one that still boasts participation from all of the nation's top national contenders.

"I remember last year that they did a great job, but they came back bummed out that they didn't win," said Campbell. "Taylor especially struggled with one match where she didn't play her best, and that stuck with her."

"Winning that tournament was definitely one of our goals for this year," said Hagenah. "We'd come close, but that's one of a bunch of things we've been trying to build toward for four years. Being able to break through and push our limits and find success, it was such a good confidence booster."

"This year, they came in with a plan, putting in extra work," said Campbell. "They're best friends, but that's actually made on-court communication difficult at times. This fall, we had a breakthrough in learning how to communicate honestly in high-stress moments while staying true to who they are. That's when they're at their best."

Plenty of big goals remain: winning another Big West Championship, becoming the program's first three-time All-Americans, making a run in the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship. But as senior leaders, the path is there to accomplish all of those lofty aims.

"I think that's the biggest thing that I want them to acknowledge as they finish their time with us," stated Campbell. "I want them to walk away from here knowing the impact they have had on us and the impact that they can have on others as they continue to show their leadership, how they've learned to find their own success and mentor others in the right way."

Plenty of big goals remain: Winning another Big West Championship, becoming the program's first three-time All-Americans, making a run in the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship. But as senior leaders, the path is there to accomplish all of those lofty aims.

"I think that's the biggest thing that I want them to acknowledge as they finish their time with us," stated Campbell. "I want them to walk away from here knowing the impact they have had on us and the impact that they can have on others as they continue to show their leadership, how they've learned to find their own success and mentor others in the right way."

Calendar

Players Mentioned

Malia Gementera

Taylor Hagenah

Long Beach State University Athletics