No. 3 Long Beach State Overpowers No. 5 UC Irvine

Saturday, April 18

Irvine, Calif.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

22-4,8-2Big West

UC Irvine

17-7,5-5Big West

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Long Beach St.	25	25	20	25	3
UC Irvine	19	13	25	23	1

4/18/2026 9:28:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Beach controls first two sets, withstands third-set push, and closes tight fourth to secure 3-1 road win

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

IRVINE, Calif. -- No. 3 Long Beach State closed the regular season with a high-level road performance, defeating No. 5 UC Irvine 25-19, 25-13, 20-25, 25-23 at the Bren Events Center to sweep the series. The Beach controlled the match through two sets behind elite serving pressure and a dominant block, finishing with a .309 hitting percentage and 16.5 team blocks while holding UC Irvine to .188.

Long Beach State controlled the opening two sets with sustained pressure from the service line and at the net. After trading early points in the first, Connor Bloom sparked separation with a kill and a service run that included an ace and a high-powered swing to push the lead to 10-6. Ben Braun and Jake Pazanti added a block to extend the margin, and the Beach continued to stack points through transition offense from Jackson Cryst and Skyler Varga. A Daniil Hershtynovich finish and a late block from Skyler Varga and Jackson Cryst closed out a 25-19 set. Long Beach hit .429 in the frame while holding Irvine to .182 and just 56 percent sideout efficiency.

The second set was even more decisive, as Long Beach jumped out 4-0 and never looked back. Varga delivered back-to-back aces to stretch the lead to 10-2, and the Beach block took over with Braun, Pazanti, and Bloom combining for multiple stuffs, including a triple block at 14-4. Gajek added consistent termination from the right side, and another triple block at 20-10 highlighted the dominance at the net before Long Beach cruised to a 25-13 win. Long Beach hit .609 with zero errors and sided out at 92 percent, while Irvine hit .000 and struggled to find any rhythm.

UC Irvine responded in the third set by flipping the efficiency battle. Bloom opened with an ace on the back line, but Irvine answered with an early run to take control. Pazanti and Gajek stabilized with sideout kills, and Varga added a rally finish to keep the margin manageable, but Long Beach could not string together extended scoring runs. Bloom added another kill to keep it within reach, and Braun mixed in a tip to find the floor, but errors began to accumulate. At 11-16, consecutive Beach miscues extended Irvine's lead, and the Anteaters maintained control behind improved transition execution. Irvine hit .290 in the set compared to Long Beach's .121, taking it 25-20 and forcing a fourth.

The fourth set tightened considerably, with both teams trading sideouts through the early stages. Bloom's service pressure created a small gap, and Gajek capitalized with consecutive kills to push the lead to 12-7. Varga added an ace to extend it further, but Irvine responded late, capitalizing on Long Beach errors and extending rallies to close within one at 24-23. Out of a timeout, Long Beach executed cleanly in system, and Cryst delivered the match-ending kill to seal the 25-23 win and the 3-1 result.

Statistically, Long Beach's balance and efficiency stood out. Bloom led the way with 15 kills on .462 hitting, adding three aces and four blocks while tying his career high from last night for kills. Varga finished with 10 kills, four aces, and two blocks, highlighted by his decisive service run in the second set. Gajek added 12 kills and four blocks from the right side, while Braun anchored the middle with five kills on .833 hitting and a match-high 10 blocks, setting a career high and driving the Beach's defensive identity. Cryst contributed eight kills on .500 and closed the match offensively.

Pazanti distributed 41 assists and added five blocks, consistently creating favorable matchups and keeping Irvine's block off balance. In the backcourt, Kellen Larson anchored the defense with 18 digs, setting a career high while stabilizing serve-receive throughout the match.

With the win, Long Beach State enters the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Big West Championship at 22-4 overall and 8-2 in conference play.