No. 2 Long Beach State Faces No. 3 Hawai‘i In NCAA Semifinal

No. 2 Long Beach State Faces No. 3 Hawai‘i In NCAA Semifinal

5/7/2026 4:37:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Beach meet Big West rival Hawai‘i for the fourth time this season with a trip to the national championship on the line

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- No. 2 Long Beach State will take on No. 3 Hawai'i on Saturday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion in the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship semifinal, marking a rematch of the Big West Championship match where the Beach earned a gritty 3-2 win.

RIGHT AWAY
• At 25-4 overall and ranked No. 2 nationally, Long Beach State enters the NCAA Championship with one of the most complete profiles in the country, built on efficiency, depth, and first-contact pressure.

• The Beach are hitting .347 while holding opponents to .222, a +.125 differential backed by 1,294 kills compared to 1,074 allowed, consistently controlling tempo on both sides of the ball.

• From the service line, Long Beach State has produced 233 aces (2.24/set) while allowing just 85, creating constant scoring pressure and limiting opponent rhythm.

• At the net, the Beach have totaled 279.5 blocks (2.69/set) compared to 155.5 by opponents, converting defensive stops into points at a high rate.

• Offensively, Long Beach State averages 12.44 kills per set on .347 hitting, with 1,219 assists reflecting a system driven by distribution and multiple scoring options.

• Production extends across every phase, with advantages in digs (823-729) and total points (1,806.5-1,314.5), reinforcing consistent execution throughout matches.

POSTSEASON MOMENTUM
• Long Beach State enters the NCAA semifinal coming off back-to-back statement performances, outlasting Hawai'i 3-2 in the Big West Championship before turning around and sweeping No. 10 Loyola Chicago 3-0 in the regional final.

• The five-set win over Hawai'i showed the ability to stay composed through momentum swings, finishing late behind serving pressure and transition scoring after trailing multiple times.

• The following week, the Beach controlled the match from the start against Loyola Chicago, holding the Ramblers to .000 in key stretches while hitting efficiently and limiting extended rallies.

SEMIFINAL MATCHUP: No. 3 HAWAI'I
• Long Beach State will face No. 3 Hawai'i (28-5) on Saturday, May 9 at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. It will be the fourth meeting of the season and a rematch of the Big West Championship final, where the Beach won 3-2.

• Hawai'i swept the regular season series before the Beach responded in the conference title match.

• Hawai'i enters with one of the nation's top statistical profiles, ranking No. 1 nationally in kills per set (13.54) and among the leaders in hitting percentage (.366), creating a high-efficiency, high-tempo offensive system.

MATCHUP BREAKDOWN
• The semifinal will again be defined by first contact.

• Hawai'i operates at its highest level in-system, with elite distribution and high-efficiency pin production.

• Long Beach State is built to disrupt that rhythm.

• The Beach's serve-and-block pipeline consistently forces opponents out of system, where their +.125 hitting percentage differential becomes decisive. When that disruption is established early, Long Beach State controls tempo and limits opponent scoring windows.

• In the Big West Championship match, that formula showed late, as Long Beach State closed the match with a 15-11 fifth-set win behind serving pressure and transition scoring.

INDIVIDUAL IMPACT
• Skyler Varga leads the Beach offense and ranks No. 5 nationally in postseason play at 4.67 kills per set while adding 5.33 points per set, anchoring the lineup in all six rotations.

• Jake Pazanti ranks No. 2 nationally in assists at 12.00 per set during the postseason, continuing to drive one of the most efficient offensive systems in the country.

• At the service line, Jackson Cryst ranks No. 2 nationally in aces (1.00/set), with Wojciech Gajek and Varga both tied at No. 5 (0.67/set), giving Long Beach State multiple high-impact servers.

• At the net, Gajek ranks inside the top 10 nationally in blocks, while Braun and Connor Bloom also contribute at 0.67 blocks per set, maintaining a consistent presence across the front row.

• Defensively, Pazanti ranks No. 1 nationally in digs (2.67/set) during postseason competition, with Larson adding 1.67 per set to stabilize the backcourt.

• Additional scoring depth comes from Connor Bloom (No. 8 nationally in kills at 4.00/set) and Gajek (No. 13 in points at 4.17/set), reinforcing a multi-option attack that continues to produce across every rotation.

AVCA ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
Long Beach State's national profile is reflected in its postseason recognition, with six players earning AVCA All-American honors. Skyler Varga leads the group as a First Team selection, highlighting his role as the team's primary offensive option and six-rotation presence.

Kellen Larson, Jackson Cryst, and Wojciech Gajek were all named to the Second Team, representing impact across the backcourt, middle, and pin positions.

Jake Pazanti and Ben Braun earned Honorable Mention recognition, further emphasizing the depth and balance of a roster that has produced at an elite level across every phase of the match.