No. 2 Long Beach State Hosts No. 16 Penn State Saturday at LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid

Saturday, March 7

Long Beach, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

Penn State

Tickets From $8 - $28

No. 2 Long Beach State Hosts No. 16 Penn State Saturday at LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid

3/6/2026 3:52:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

14 Penn State

Beach enter at 11-2, lead the nation in aces per set, and honor Long Beach legend Paul Lotman with pre-match banner ceremony

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- No. 2 Long Beach State returns home Saturday, March 7, for a premier nonconference showdown against No. 16 Penn State at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid. The Beach enter at 11-2 overall, leading the nation in service aces and ranking among the country's top teams in hitting percentage and blocking. The marquee matchup will also include a pre-match banner unveiling honoring Long Beach legend and Olympian Paul Lotman.

RIGHT AWAY
• No. 2 Long Beach State returns home Saturday, March 7, to host No. 16 Penn State at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid. The match also features a pre-match banner unveiling ceremony honoring Long Beach legend Paul Lotman.

• Long Beach State enters at 11-2 overall, with both losses coming against No. 1 UCLA. The Beach are 6-1 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, 4-1 on the road and 1-0 on a neutral court.

• Through 13 matches, Long Beach State is hitting .372 as a team while averaging 12.13 kills per set. Opponents are being held to a .219 hitting percentage and 9.78 kills per set.

• The service line continues to be a decisive advantage. The Beach lead the nation at 2.71 aces per set with 122 total aces, compared to just 0.91 per set for opponents.

• At the net, Long Beach State averages 2.56 blocks per set with 115.0 total team blocks, while holding opponents to 1.22 blocks per set.

• Defensively, the Beach average 7.51 digs per set and own a .940 team reception percentage, reinforcing their ability to transition efficiently and sustain offensive tempo.

THE MATCHUP
• Penn State enters at 11-4 overall and 4-0 in conference play.

• The Nittany Lions are averaging 12.00 kills per set while hitting .276 as a team. They hold opponents to a .194 hitting percentage and average 2.86 blocks per set, slightly higher than Long Beach State's per-set blocking average.

• Penn State averages 1.42 aces per set and 9.23 digs per set, relying on defensive consistency and balanced offensive distribution.

• Sean Harvey leads Penn State at 3.41 kills per set and 4.11 points per set, while hitting .293. Tristan Hassell adds 2.94 kills per set at a .316 clip. Owen Rose anchors the middle with 1.37 blocks per set.

• The tactical contrast centers on serve pressure. Long Beach State's nation-leading ace rate against Penn State's structured defensive system will likely dictate first-contact quality and offensive efficiency on both sides.

IN THE RANKINGS
• Long Beach State is ranked No. 2 nationally in the AVCA poll and has already faced No. 1 UCLA twice this season.

• Nationally, the Beach rank No. 1 in aces per set at 2.71, No. 4 in hitting percentage at .372, No. 8 in blocks per set at 2.56, No. 18 in opponent hitting percentage at .219, No. 22 in kills per set at 12.13 and No. 28 in assists per set at 11.00.

• Within the Big West, Long Beach State ranks No. 1 in service aces and blocks, No. 2 in hitting percentage at .372 and No. 5 in opponent hitting percentage at .219.

INDIVIDUAL IMPACT
• Skyler Varga leads the Beach with 3.22 kills per set while hitting .382 (No. 16 in the country). He ranks No. 1 nationally in aces per set at 0.78, No. 13 nationally in points per set at 4.40, and sits among the top 50 nationally in kills per set. Within the Big West, he ranks No. 1 in aces per set and No. 2 in points per set.

• Jake Pazanti directs the offense at 9.58 assists per set, ranking No. 19 nationally and No. 3 in the Big West. He also contributes 1.47 digs per set and 0.30 aces per set while guiding a team hitting .372, which ranks No. 4 nationally.

• Jackson Cryst anchors the block at 1.16 blocks per set, ranking No. 13 nationally and No. 1 in the Big West. He is also hitting .453 on the season, placing him among the top middle attackers in the conference.

• Alex Kandev contributes 2.56 kills per set and 0.75 aces per set. He ranks among the top five in the Big West in service aces and provides top-three team production in kills.

• Daniil Hershtynovich adds 2.50 kills per set at a .314 hitting percentage.

• Wojciech Gajek, last week's Big West Freshman of the Week, averages 2.16 kills per set and 0.45 aces per set, while adding 0.61 blocks per set.

• Kellen Larson stabilizes the backcourt with 1.64 digs per set and a .951 reception percentage, ranking among the top five in the Big West in digs.

LONG BEACH LEGEND PAUL LOTMAN HONORED
• Saturday night will also feature the unveiling of a banner recognizing one of the all-time greats in Long Beach State Men's Volleyball history, Paul Lotman.

• A Lakewood native, Lotman starred for the Beach from 2005 through 2008 wearing No. 2. He earned 2008 AVCA Player of the Year, MPSF Player of the Year and AVCA First Team All-American honors while helping lead the Beach to the NCAA Championship semifinals.

• Lotman finished his Long Beach State career with 1,408 kills and 135 service aces. He set the program's single-season service aces record with 60 in 2008, a mark that stood until Moni Nikolov recorded 106 in 2024-25. He remains one of the most complete six-rotation outside hitters in program history.

• Internationally, he represented the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and later served as an alternate for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team. He helped Team USA capture World League gold in 2014 and World Cup gold in 2015.

• Saturday's ceremony at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid recognizes his extraordinary collegiate career, his international achievements and the legacy he continues to represent for Long Beach State Men's Volleyball.