Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
24-4,8-2Big West
Hawai'i
27-5,9-1Big West
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach St. | 20 | 27 | 22 | 30 | 15 | 3 |
| Hawaii | 25 | 25 | 25 | 28 | 11 | 2 |
Long Beach State Outlasts Hawaii In Five Set Battle To Win Big West Championship
4/25/2026 9:33:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
Wojciech Gajek earns MVP honors as the Beach save multiple match points and rally for a five-set title victory
IRVINE, Calif. -- Long Beach State delivered a championship performance defined by resilience and clutch execution, outlasting Hawaii in a five-set thriller 20-25, 27-25, 22-25, 30-28, 15-11 to claim the 2026 Big West Championship.
At the center of it all was Wojciech Gajek, who produced a staggering 27 kills on .489 hitting with 33.0 points, earning Big West Championship Most Valuable Player honors and anchoring the Beach through repeated match point pressure.
The match unfolded as a war of extended rallies and repeated match point denials, with 44 tie scores and 12 lead changes underscoring just how razor-thin the margins were.
Long Beach opened with intent. Varga tooled the block for the first point, Pazanti and Cryst combined for an early block, and Gajek quickly established rhythm with multiple kills to push the Beach ahead 5-2. Hawaii responded with pressure from the service line and transition offense, flipping the set with an ace to take their first lead at 6-5.
The set became a sequence of micro-runs. Bloom fired from the pin to level at 7-7, Gajek answered again at 8-8, and service pressure from both sides created constant instability. A Hawaii challenge erased a Long Beach point and shifted momentum, and from there Hawaii tightened its offensive efficiency late. Despite a late triple block from Cryst, Gajek, and Varga that brought the Beach within striking distance, Hawaii closed the set 25-20.
In the second set, the match turned emotionally. Long Beach cleaned up its offensive rhythm, hitting .351 in the frame compared to Hawaii's .300.
Cryst ignited the run with an ace, Braun stabilized the middle, and Gajek began to take over in transition. At 20-20, Gajek terminated after a long rally that set the tone. From there, every point carried weight.
Long Beach faced set-point pressure and responded repeatedly. Varga delivered in-system kills, Gajek answered again under pressure, and Pazanti's kill at 24-23 forced a Hawaii timeout. After another Hawaii service error, Gajek blasted down the line to create separation before Braun sealed the set at 27-25.
Hawaii reasserted control behind efficient pin play in the third frame, hitting .379 in the set while Long Beach dropped to .304.
Still, Long Beach had flashes. Varga opened with an ace, Braun controlled the middle, and Gajek added both a service ace and transition kills to keep the Beach within reach. A defining rally at 17-16 featured multiple Varga digs before Cryst finished, highlighting the defensive grit.
But Hawaii closed stronger, capitalizing on late errors and winning 25-22 to move within one set of the title.
In the fourth, Long Beach trailed late but refused to fold. Extended rallies defined the frame, as both teams traded blows in a relentless sideout battle.
Down multiple match points, Long Beach saved them one after another. Gajek repeatedly delivered in transition, Braun and Varga contributed timely blocks, and the Beach leaned on its serve pressure to disrupt Hawaii's rhythm.
At 28-28, the tension peaked. Then Cryst stepped to the line and delivered back-to-back aces, closing the set 30-28 and forcing a fifth. The energy in the building shifted entirely in that moment.
The final set began with Long Beach asserting control at the net. Gajek and Cryst delivered a clutch block early, setting the defensive tone. From there, the Beach built a lead behind disciplined blocking and transition efficiency, holding Hawaii to .000 hitting in the set.
Even then, Hawaii threatened late, but Long Beach never broke. Gajek continued to side out under pressure, Cryst anchored the block, and the Beach closed out the championship 15-11.
At the net, Long Beach out-blocked Hawaii 17.0 to 14.5, with multiple momentum-swinging stuffs in critical runs.
Perhaps most decisive was late-set performance. Long Beach hit .500 in the fifth set and sided out at 72 percent, while Hawaii collapsed to .000 hitting and 53 percent sideout efficiency.
Long Beach State faced match point, stared it down, and answered with aces, blocks, and fearless swings. Behind an MVP performance from Wojciech Gajek and a collective refusal to break, the Beach turned a match on the brink into a Big West Championship title.
