After a weekend of conference play, No. 1 Long Beach State men’s volleyball team pushed its undefeated record to 15-0 and 2-0 in the Big West. Facing No. 11 Northridge (8-8, 0-2 Big West) at home Friday and away Saturday, Long Beach came out victorious with three-set sweeps in both[Read More…]
Men’s Volleyball
New floor, same result
It was a Friday night block party hosted by the Long Beach State men’s volleyball team with its guest of honor, Cal State Northridge. The 49ers (14-0, Big West 1-0) defeated the Matadors (8-7, Big West 0-1) in a three set sweep 25-14, 25-17, 28-26 as they debuted their new[Read More…]
Special Issue: Long Beach has a target on its back and it must respond
Going back-to-back in NCAA men’s volleyball has become the norm in the last eight years. It all started in 2012 when UC Irvine won back-to-back NCAA championships under two different head coaches. Irvine was followed by Loyola Chicago the next two years, and Ohio State after that. Last year, Long[Read More…]
Special Issue: Holdaway in pursuit of championship with ex teammates
It’s a rare feat to win at the highest level both in high school and college. For their first year at Huntington Beach high school, Shane Holdaway, Mitchell Bollinger, Grant Guinasso and Alexander Anastassiades received their first taste of championship gold when they won the 2015 CIF SoCal Boys Volleyball[Read More…]
Special Issue: Seeds of a championship
When TJ DeFalco and Josh Tuaniga won their first high school championship together, they told their Huntington Beach High School coach, Craig Pazanti, they wanted to put “dynasty” on their rings. They didn’t know it would actually come true. “They knew what it was going to take,” Pazanti said. “That’s[Read More…]
Special Issue: Countdown to the Final Four
Long Beach State volleyball fans will get to experience the National Championship at the Walter Pyramid this May. With the location selected back in 2017, the reigning national champions will get to host the biggest event of the year in college volleyball May 2-4. The Walter Pyramid has a capacity[Read More…]
Special Issue: Behind the scenes of a championship team
Long Beach State hasn’t seen any one team execute a recipe for success the way the men’s volleyball team has since the late ‘90s. Coming off a national championship season, the team has shown the tools to outlast opponents and is poised to make another championship run. The Big West[Read More…]
Dirtbags young squad ready for challenge
The Long Beach State Dirtbags are back and younger than ever. Injuries on the team forced head coach Troy Buckley to use a young squad against No. 3 Florida (3-0) over the weekend, starting only two seniors. The rest were all underclassmen and redshirt sophomores who, for many, were introduced[Read More…]
The 49ers maul the Bruins
In front of a rowdy crowd of 3,054 people, No. 1 Long Beach came out strong against No. 4 UCLA in a national championship rematch. The 49ers extended their undefeated season 13-0, while the Bruins dropped to 10-4, racking up their second straight loss after a five set defeat Thursday[Read More…]
COLUMN: Long Beach won’t be stopped
While contesting every kill, digging every attempt and displaying a high-powered offense, it’s becoming more difficult for teams to match the intensity the 49ers bring every game. The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team is looking more dominant than ever thanks to their seniors. Whether it’s senior outside hitter TJ[Read More…]