Top-seeded Long Beach State will face defending champion Hawaii in the championship match of the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament Saturday at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion in a rematch of the Rainbow Warriors’ three-set victory in the Big West Conference Tournament championship match April 23.
This is the fourth meeting of the season between the two teams. The Beach won the first two, both in four sets.
Long Beach State advanced to the championship match with a five-set victory over UCLA, 18-25, 18-25, 25-15, 25-10, 16-14, in a semifinal Thursday. Hawaii defeated second-seeded Ball State in five sets, 28-26, 19-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-11, in the other semifinal Thursday.
The Beach (21-5) was ranked second in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, one spot behind the Rainbow Warriors (26-5).
Long Beach is led by Bulgarian freshman outside hitter Alex Nikolov, the AVCA National Player of the Year, the first freshman to win the award. Nikolov leads the nation with .592 service aces per set and is third in kills with 448.
Sophomore libero Mason Briggs was also a first-team All-American, while sophomore opposite Clarke Godbold was a second-team selection. Briggs is an alumnus of Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills. Godbold graduated from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School.
Hawaii junior Norwegian setter Jakob Thelle was a first-team All-American, while junior Greek outside hitter Spyros Chakas and Brazilian sophomore middle blocker Guilherme Voss were second-team All-Americans.
The Beach is seeking its third championship in five years and fourth all-time. The Rainbow Warriors are seeking their second national championship. Their 2002 championship was vacated due to an ineligible player.
The NCAA has been conducting a national championship in men’s volleyball annually since 1970, except for 2020 when it was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Los Angeles County teams have won the championship 31 times, including 23 of the first 24.
The 5 p.m. match will be televised by ESPN2.