No. 3 Long Beach State Earns Three Big West Weekly Awards After Sweep Over No. 5 UC Irvine

No. 3 Long Beach State Earns Three Big West Weekly Awards After Sweep Over No. 5 UC Irvine

4/20/2026 3:07:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Bloom, Larson and Cryst recognized following statement series victory to close regular season

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- No. 3 Long Beach State collected three of the Big West's weekly honors after securing a pair of wins over No. 5 UC Irvine to close the regular season, with Connor Bloom (Offensive Player of the Week), Kellen Larson (Defensive Player of the Week) and Jackson Cryst (Freshman of the Week) all earning recognition.

Bloom led the way offensively with one of the most complete weekends of his career. The senior outside hitter recorded a career-high 15 kills to go along with career-high 10 digs and a career-high three assists in the five-set victory, earning a double-double while serving as a primary option in high-leverage situations. He followed that performance by matching his career high with another 15 kills in the four-set road win, hitting .462 while adding 6 digs and 3 service aces. Across the two matches, Bloom averaged 3.33 kills per set and hit .390, providing efficient, high-volume production on the left side.

Larson anchored the Long Beach State defense and was named Defensive Player of the Week after a standout showing in the backcourt. The libero opened the weekend with 11 digs in the five-set win before posting a career-high 18 digs in the four-set victory. He averaged 3.22 digs per set across the series and played a key role in controlling serve receive and extending rallies against a top-five opponent.

Cryst continued his strong freshman campaign by earning Freshman of the Week honors, his fourth weekly award of the season, following a highly efficient two-match performance. The middle blocker totaled 18 kills while hitting .654, including a 10-kill, .833 effort in the opener. He also contributed 10 blocks, averaging 1.11 per set, consistently impacting the match at the net on both offense and defense.

The trio's performances helped Long Beach State complete a 2-0 weekend against a top-five UC Irvine squad, building momentum heading into postseason play.