No. 2 Beach Sweep Jessup To Close Non-Conference Play

Friday, March 13

Long Beach, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

14-2,0-0Big West

Jessup

6-9,0-3MPSFMVB

Jessup

Long Beach St.

3/13/2026 9:27:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Long Beach State completes two-match sweep at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid as Varga’s three-ace run sparks straight-set victory

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- No. 2 Long Beach State wrapped up its final non-conference weekend Friday night with a 3-0 sweep of Jessup (25-20, 25-20, 25-14) at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, completing a two-match sweep of the Warriors and improving to 14-2 overall heading into next week's Big West opener against Hawai'i.

Skyler Varga led the Beach offense with 10 kills on .529 hitting while adding three service aces and two block assists. Alex Kandev contributed six kills, one solo block and three block assists, while Wojciech Gajek added five kills and three aces as Long Beach State hit .277 as a team and totaled 13.0 team blocks. Setter Island Doty directed the offense with 26 assists, while the Beach added 20 digs and nine service aces in the match.

The opening set was tightly contested early with seven ties through the first half. Jessup grabbed a quick 3-1 lead before Varga answered with a kill to steady the Beach attack. The teams battled back and forth to a 9-9 tie before Long Beach State seized control. Varga stepped behind the end line and delivered three consecutive service aces, turning the tie into a 12-9 Beach advantage and igniting a 7-0 run that forced two Jessup timeouts and swung the momentum of the set.

Long Beach State continued to pressure the Warriors at the net as Kandev and Braedon Marquardt combined on blocks and Varga added a kill to stretch the lead to 15-9. Jessup responded with a brief push, trimming the deficit to 23-20, but a block by Varga and Marquardt closed the door as the Beach claimed the first set 25-20.

The Beach jumped in front early in the second set, opening with a 3-0 run highlighted by a Kandev kill and a triple block from Kandev, Marquardt and Gajek. Jessup eventually tied the score at 8-8, but Long Beach State regained control midway through the frame. Gajek sparked a key stretch from the service line with back-to-back aces that pushed the lead to 16-12.
With Doty distributing the offense, the Beach spread the scoring around late in the set. Kills from Varga, Jackson Cryst and Kandev helped maintain the cushion before Kandev delivered the final point of the set to secure another 25-20 win and give Long Beach State a two-set lead. The Beach hit .450 in the second set while limiting Jessup to .120 hitting.

Long Beach State carried that momentum into the third set, quickly building separation. Connor Bloom delivered a pair of early kills to help the Beach take the lead before they were able to capitalize on Jessup errors and stretch their advantage to 14-7 midway through the set.

The Beach defense continued to dictate play late in the match, turning blocks and transition opportunities into quick points. Back-to-back kills from Skyler Varga pushed the lead to 21-10. A service ace by Cryst brought up match point at 24-12, and Jessup scored twice before Long Beach State finished off the match with a 25-14 set victory off a Jessup service error.

As a team, the Beach held Jessup to a -.014 hitting percentage while outblocking the Warriors 13.0 to 2.0. Long Beach State held the Warriors to just 21 kills while forcing 22 attack errors.

Long Beach State now turns its attention to the start of Big West action next weekend when the Beach host Hawai'i at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.