No. 2 Long Beach State To Face No. 1 UCLA At Pauley Pavilion

Friday, February 20

Los Angeles, CA

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

UCLA

No. 2 Long Beach State To Face No. 1 UCLA At Pauley Pavilion

2/19/2026 1:32:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

11 UCLA

Top-two showdown highlights nationally ranked rematch

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- No. 2 Long Beach State returns to action this week with a road trip to Pauley Pavilion to face No. 1 UCLA. The matchup features the nation's top two programs and marks the second meeting between the teams this season.

RIGHT AWAY
• Round Two. No. 2 Long Beach State meets No. 1 UCLA for the second time this season after a five-set thriller on Feb. 6 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid. The Beach took the first two sets before the Bruins rallied for a 16-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-19, 15-10 win. It remains Long Beach State's only loss of 2026.

• Long Beach State enters the rematch 9-1 overall, with seven sweeps, two four-set wins, and one five-set battle. The Beach are 5-1 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, undefeated on the road at 3-0, and 1-0 at neutral sites.

• Through 10 matches, the Beach are hitting .374 as a team with 407 kills, averaging 11.97 kills per set while holding opponents to a .184 hitting percentage and just 9.50 kills per set. That +.190 efficiency differential underscores their two-way discipline.

• From the service line, Long Beach State leads the nation at 2.94 aces per set with 100 total aces. LBSU's aggressive serve is efficient at flipping first contact into immediate pressure on opponents.

• At the net, Long Beach State averages 2.81 blocks per set, nearly tripling opponents' 1.07. The Beach have totaled 95.5 team blocks through 10 matches, ranking among the national leaders in front-row production.

• Defensively, Long Beach State averages 8.03 digs per set and converts at a .943 reception percentage as a team, providing the ball control foundation for its high-efficiency offense.

THE MATCHUP
• UCLA enters at 11-0 overall and is hitting .427 as a team while averaging 14.03 kills per set, the most explosive offense Long Beach State will see this season.

• In the first meeting, Long Beach State held UCLA under its season average for two sets and dictated tempo with serving pressure before the Bruins' depth and transition game shifted momentum late.

• The rematch presents a contrast in strengths: UCLA's top-ranked offense versus Long Beach State's nation-leading service pressure and elite blocking presence.

IN THE RANKINGS
• Long Beach State ranks No. 1 nationally in aces per set (2.94), No. 3 nationally in blocks per set (2.81), and No. 4 nationally in hitting percentage (.374). The Beach are also No. 7 nationally in opponent hitting percentage (.184) and No. 21 nationally in kills per set (11.97).

• In the Big West, Long Beach State ranks No. 1 in service aces (2.94) and blocks (2.81), No. 2 in hitting percentage (.374), and No. 2 in opponent hitting percentage (.184).

• Skyler Varga, recently named to the AVCA National Player of the Year Watchlist, ranks No. 1 nationally in aces per set (0.88), No. 12 nationally in points per set (4.44), and No. 17 nationally in hitting percentage (.382). In the Big West, he ranks No. 1 in service aces, No 2. points per set, No. 5 in hitting percentage, and No. 10 in kills per set.

• Jake Pazanti ranks No. 21 nationally in assists per set (9.31) and No. 3 in the Big West in assists per set.

• Jackson Cryst ranks No. 10 nationally in blocks per set (1.24) and No. 1 in the Big West in blocks per set.

• Kellen Larson ranks No. 33 nationally in digs per set (1.91) and No. 3 in the Big West 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.