The Big West champions Long Beach State and runners-up UC Irvine are heading to the 2024 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship as the No. 2 and No. 4 seed, respectively.
The 2024 Championship is set to take place at Walter Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach State from April 30-May 4, with both Big West teams serving up play on Tuesday, April 30, in the eight-team bracket. LBSU will be playing host to the national championship field for the third time in championship history, taking home the crown in front of the home crowd in the 2019 edition with a win over fellow Big West opponent, Hawai’i.
Dating back to 1970, this will mark Long Beach State’s 14th overall appearance in the national championship field and third consecutive. LBSU has only missed one national postseason since men’s volleyball became a Big West-sponsored sport in 2018. The Beach boast an overall championship record of 13-19 (.633) with championship titles in 2004, ’18 and ’19.
Second-seeded LBSU is paired up against second-time participant and No. 7 seed Belmont Abbey (21-4), winner of the Conference Carolinas title. The two will meet up in the quarterfinals nightcap at match at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30. The contest will streamed on ncaa.com.
The Long Beach State squad has been powered by a deep lineup that showcases impressive offense and stout defense throughout. Four players are part of the All-Big West team, with five-time honoree in All-American libero Mason Briggs anchoring the defense that includes national blocking leader Simon Torwie. All-Big West setter Aidan Knipe distributes to a host of high-octane players including first-team selection Sotiris Siapanis and Championship Most Valuable Player Clarke Godbold.
Entering the event with an impressive overall record of 25-2, the highest winning percentage in the nation. The only two losses on the year came at Championship competitors, No. 1 seed and defending champion UCLA on Feb. 10 at Pauley Pavilion when the two split at home-and-home, and in a regular-season matchup with UCI on April 12.
Earning one of two at-large berths into the field, regular and postseason runners-up UC Irvine (19-10) enter the national postseason for the eighth time in program history, and the first since 2018. Also an historical powerhouse in their own right, the Anteaters sport an overall championship record of 8-3 (.727) with four national titles. UCI hoisted the trophy in 2008, ’09, ’12 and ’13.
The Anteaters will take on No. 5 seed Penn State in the 1:30 p.m. game from the Pyramid, also streamed on ncaa.com. The Nittany Lions took the 3-2 win in the last game in the all-time series between the two, back on March 5, 2023 at the Bren. Penn State is the victors in the EIVA, downing George Mason last night to move to 23-6 on the season.
The UC Irvine squad also boasts four All-Big West performers in setter Brett Sheward, libero Cole Power, middle blocker Max Grigoriev and outside hitter Hilir Henno. National Player of the Year candidate Henno has been pacing the nation all season long in various offensive categories averaging 4.77 kills per set on .382 hitting with 58 total blocks and 47 aces in 2024. The sophomore from Pornichet, France, upped the kills per set tally to 5.57 in the two Big West Championship matches for the Anteaters, featuring 24 in a three-set semifinal win over host and No. 3 seed Hawai’i.
UC Irvine is in the top half of the bracket, and should they advance to the semifinals, they’ll be pitted up against the winner between No. 1 UCLA (23-5) and No. 8 Fort Valley State (13-7). For the Beach, the potential semifinal opponent will be the victor between No. 3 Grand Canyon (25-4) and No. 6 Ohio State (22-8). Both semifinal contests will take place on May 2 and are set to stream from Walter Pyramid on ncaa.com.
The Championship final is slated for Saturday, May 4, at 2 p.m., and will be televised live on ESPN2.
The powerhouse Big West has dominated the collegiate men’s volleyball landscape since the league began its sponsorship of the sport ahead of the 2018 campaign, laying claim to four of five national titles, with at least one national finalist in each season. The 2019 and 2’22 editions saw an all-Big West finale and guaranteed champion. With LBSU and UCI on opposite sides of the bracket, the potential to meet will come in the final round.
All-session tickets are available for purchase now for $90 for adults senior (60+) and youth (3-12) pricing for $80. Single-session tickets go on sale April 30.
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