Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
14-3,0-1Big West
Hawai'i
18-3,1-0Big West
No. 2 Long Beach State Falls In Five-Set Battle To No. 3 Hawai’i
3/20/2026 11:03:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
Gajek records career-high 22 kills as the Beach drop first Big West match in tightly contested showdown
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- No. 2 Long Beach State pushed No. 3 Hawai'i to the brink Friday night at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, trading momentum in a back-and-forth battle before falling 3-2 (24-26, 25-23, 19-25, 25-20, 12-15) in its first Big West loss of the season.
From the opening points, the match carried a playoff-level intensity, with Long Beach State leaning on its right-side firepower and offensive distribution to stay even. Wojciech Gajek immediately established himself, terminating off the block to erase an early deficit and later delivering another high-angle swing to knot the set at 12-12. As the first frame tightened late, Gajek and Skyler Varga traded kills to keep the Beach within striking distance, eventually clawing back to 24-24 before Hawai'i narrowly closed it out at 26-24.
The Beach flipped the momentum in the second. After falling behind early, Long Beach State surged behind its serving pressure and transition offense. Midway through the set, Varga finished a swing to tie it at 13-13, igniting a stretch where the Beach repeatedly sided out under pressure. Late in the frame, Varga delivered a clutch cross-court kill, and Long Beach sealed the 25-23 win after forcing Hawai'i into a late error.
Hawai'i answered in the third, but not without resistance. Long Beach State stayed aggressive early, with Gajek continuing to score in system. Even as Hawai'i built separation, the Beach found points through the middle. Still, Hawai'i used a late push to take control of the set.
Refusing to fade, Long Beach State responded with one of its dominant stretches in the fourth. Pazanti distributed with precision, establishing the middle through Alex Kandev before stretching Hawai'i's block to the pins. Kandev scored during a key mid-set run, while Varga added transition kills to extend the lead. Gajek continued to deliver in high-pressure swings, and a balanced offensive effort pushed the Beach to a 25-20 win, forcing a decisive fifth set.
The final frame mirrored the entire match, with the crowd in the Pyramid roaring behind the Beach. Long Beach State stayed within a point through the early exchanges, with Gajek terminating to keep the Beach level and Kandev contributing in the middle to maintain sideout efficiency. After Hawai'i gained a slight edge, Varga answered with a kill to cut the deficit to 12-10, and Long Beach continued to battle through extended rallies. But Hawai'i created late separation, and despite one last push from the Beach, the match slipped away at 15-12.
Gajek led all Beach attackers with a career-high 22 kills, two service aces and eight digs, delivering in all phases of play. Varga added 15 kills, while Kandev contributed 11 and provided key production in the middle. Pazanti orchestrated the offense with 53 assists, guiding Long Beach State to 64 kills on the night.
Even in defeat, the Beach showed the level required to compete at the top of the national landscape, pushing a fellow title contender to the brink behind Gajek's breakout performance and a collective effort.
