Senior Night Thriller Ends In Five-Set Beach Victory

4/17/2026 10:04:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

No. 3 Long Beach State rallies behind its seniors to outlast No. 5 UC Irvine 3-2 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Senior Night at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid delivered exactly what it was supposed to: emotion, pressure, swings of momentum, and ultimately a gritty five-set win for No. 3 Long Beach State over No. 5 UC Irvine, 3-2 (25-17, 25-21, 24-26, 21-25, 15-9).

With Skyler Varga, Ben Braun, Island Doty, Dane Hillis, and Connor Bloom honored in the last home match of the regular season, the night unfolded as both a celebration and a test, and the veterans answered with production, composure, and timely execution.

Long Beach came out with clean, efficient offense and immediate control in serve-receive. After trading early points, a decisive mid-set run flipped a 6-4 edge into a commanding 16-12 lead, fueled by transition kills and Irvine errors. Connor Bloom terminated in rhythm from the right side, while Skyler Varga added pace in transition and out-of-system swings.

Late in the set, Long Beach tightened the block and capitalized on UC Irvine miscues. A triple block involving Varga, Ben Braun, and Jake Pazanti sealed momentum, and Varga finished the set emphatically for a 25-17 win.

The second set showed the most complete stretch of volleyball from Long Beach. The offense ran at elite efficiency, hitting .481 with zero attack errors. Doty orchestrated the offense with tempo and distribution, consistently creating single blocks, while Bloom and Braun provided efficient termination options across rotations.

A key stretch from 15-11 to 20-17 highlighted Long Beach's control, as sideout remained steady and Bloom took over in transition with multiple kills off broken plays. Irvine never found a sustained push, and Long Beach closed out the set 25-21 to take a 2-0 lead.

Set three introduced volatility. The Anteaters increased service pressure and extended rallies, disrupting Long Beach's rhythm. Despite maintaining control late, Long Beach couldn't close at 24-24, as UC Irvine converted two straight points to take the set 26-24.

Set four became a grind with longer rallies and tighter margins. Both teams traded points deep into the set, but Irvine created separation late. At 19-19, a closing run swung the set away, forcing a fifth after a 25-21 decision.

The fifth set ultimately became the defining moment of the night, and it was driven by senior composure. After an even 5-5 start, Long Beach created separation through a critical run, sparked by offensive production and service pressure to build an 8-5 lead at the switch.

From there, the seniors closed with authority. Varga delivered multiple high-pressure kills, including key transition swings that extended the lead. Bloom added a crucial right-side termination to push the margin to 10-6, and the block provided just enough resistance to force Irvine into predictable swings late in the set.

In the final sequence, Long Beach stayed aggressive with the lead. Holding a 13-9 advantage, Varga terminated twice down the stretch, including the match-clinching kill to seal the 15-9 win and complete the 3-2 victory.

Long Beach finished the match with 67 kills on a .361 hitting percentage, supported by 63 assists and balanced offensive distribution. The team added 49 digs and 8.0 blocks, pairing offensive efficiency with just enough defensive control to withstand Irvine's pressure.

Skyler Varga led the way with 17 kills and 20.0 points, consistently delivering in high-leverage moments across all five sets. Connor Bloom followed with 15 kills on .333 hitting while contributing 10 digs for a double double. Jackson Cryst added 10 kills on an extremely efficient .833 clip, while Daniil Hershtynovich and Wojciech Gajek each contributed 10 kills to round out a balanced attack. Island Doty anchored the offense with 33 assists, maintaining tempo and distribution throughout the match, while Jake Pazanti added 24 assists in a two-setter system that kept the offense fluid.

In a match defined by swings, the seniors didn't just take part in the moment, they decided it, closing out the night at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid with a hard-fought win.