No. 3 Long Beach State Powers Past No. 13 UC San Diego In Four-Set Battle

Saturday, April 4

Long Beach, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

18-4,4-2Big West

UC San Diego

11-11,2-5Big West

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
UC San Diego	22	15	33	27	1
Long Beach St.	25	25	31	29	3

No. 3 Long Beach State Powers Past No. 13 UC San Diego In Four-Set Battle

4/4/2026 10:51:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Beach honors 1991 national championship team while riding dominant serving and balanced attack to Big West win

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- No. 3 Long Beach State delivered another statement performance at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid Saturday night, taking down No. 13 UC San Diego in four sets, 25-22, 25-15, 31-33, 29-27, behind relentless service pressure, disciplined blocking, and a balanced offensive attack.

From the opening rally, the Beach established its rhythm. Skyler Varga's kill on the first point set the tone, and Long Beach quickly leaned into aggressive serving and transition efficiency. Ben Braun sparked an early push with an ace at 3-2, and Island Doty followed with another at 8-6 to create the first separation. Even when UC San Diego answered to tie at 8-8, Long Beach never lost control of the tempo.

Daniil Hershtynovich became a steady outlet in the middle of the set, terminating in key rallies and adding an ace that helped gain the lead at 13-12. Moments later, Alex Kandev extended the gap with a service ace of his own. At 20-16, the defining sequence came at the net as Varga, Braun, and Hershtynovich combined for a triple block that energized the building and forced UCSD to scramble. The Tritons made a late push, but Long Beach stayed composed, and Jackson Cryst sealed the set with a kill after a long, physical rally.

That composure turned into dominance in the second frame. After a tight start, Kandev stepped behind the service line and completely flipped the match. With the score at 6-5, he delivered three aces as part of a massive run that stretched the lead to 9-5 and forced UCSD out of system. The Beach capitalized immediately, converting in transition with clean, efficient swings.

Varga and Cryst controlled the pins, Braun added pressure at the net, and by 13-6, the momentum had fully swung. Long Beach was surgical, hitting .500 in the set with just one error while holding UCSD to .000. A Braun and Hershtynovich block at 23-15 punctuated the stretch, as the Beach rolled to a 25-15 win.

The third set turned into a grind, with both teams trading blows in one of the most competitive stretches of the weekend. Varga again opened scoring, but UC San Diego refused to let the Beach create sustained separation. The teams battled through long rallies, sideout pressure, and constant ties.

Long Beach briefly found daylight at 16-13 behind a Varga and Braun block, and later benefited from a successful challenge that kept momentum on its side. Still, UCSD continued to side out at a high level, forcing the set deep into extra points. The Beach had multiple opportunities, including a Kandev kill at 27-26 and a Varga swing at 28-28, but the Tritons answered each time. Ultimately, UCSD stole the set 33-31 after a marathon exchange, snapping Long Beach's rhythm despite a solid offensive effort.

Long Beach reset and leaned back into its identity in the fourth. The Beach trailed through much of the early portion, chasing UCSD until finally leveling at 13-13 on a Cryst kill. From there, the pressure returned. A pair of UCSD attack errors pushed Long Beach in front at 17-15, and a Kandev and Braedon Marquardt block extended the margin to 20-18.

The closing stretch was tense and physical. Kandev delivered a clutch kill at 24-23, but a service error immediately tied things again. Hershtynovich and Marquardt traded key swings as both teams exchanged points late, including a Marquardt blast that evened the score at 26-26. In the end, it was Long Beach's discipline that made the difference. The Beach forced UCSD into errors in the final moments, including the match-ending attack error that sealed the 29-27 win.

Long Beach finished the night hitting .328 with 53 kills while holding UC San Diego to .252. The Beach dominated at the net with 13.5 team blocks and applied constant pressure from the service line with 10 aces, repeatedly disrupting UCSD's offensive system.

Varga led the way with 17 kills on .353 hitting while adding five blocks and six digs, impacting every phase of the match. Hershtynovich followed with 12 kills on .333 hitting. Kandev contributed nine kills, four aces, and key blocks, including the decisive run that broke open the second set. Cryst added seven kills on .455 hitting and delivered in critical moments both offensively and at the net.

With the win, Long Beach State improves to 18-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play, continuing to show why it remains one of the most dangerous teams in the country.