Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball Earns NCAA Tournament Bid, Set To Host Regional At LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid

Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball Earns NCAA Tournament Bid, Set To Host Regional At LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid

4/26/2026 1:50:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

The Beach will host Loyola Chicago and Saint Francis in the 2026 NC Men’s Volleyball Championship

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach State Men's Volleyball has been selected for the 2026 NC Men's Volleyball Championship and will host the regional round May 1–2 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, the NCAA announced Sunday.

The Beach enters the tournament with a 24-4 overall record after capturing the Big West Tournament title this past weekend to secure the conference's automatic qualifying bid. This is the first year of the bracket expanding to a 12-team field, including seven automatic qualifiers and five at-large selections.

Long Beach State will host a regional that Loyola Chicago (20-8), and Saint Francis (18-11).

Despite not facing either of its potential regional opponents during the regular season, Long Beach State enters postseason play battle-tested. The Beach closed the year on a strong run, including a five-set win over Hawaii in the conference tournament final, and owns key wins over UC Irvine and Penn State during the season.

Long Beach State's balanced statistical profile has been a defining factor in its success. The Beach is hitting .347 as a team while holding opponents to .217, and averages 2.23 aces and 2.73 blocks per set, both marks that rank among the nation's elite.

The program returns to the NCAA Tournament with championship pedigree, having won four national titles, most recently in 2025.

Regional competition begins Friday, May 1 at 7 p.m., followed by regional finals on Saturday, May 2 at 6 p.m. at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid. Winners will advance to the NCAA semifinals on Saturday, May 9, with the national championship match set for Monday, May 11, to be hosted by UCLA at Pauley Pavilion and broadcast on ESPN2.