Men's Sports, Men's Volleyball, Sports

Long Beach State to face No. 8 Stanford at the Pyramid

After jumping up two spots in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation standings with a pair of wins last week, the fifth-ranked Long Beach State men’s volleyball team will face No. 8 Stanford and unranked Pacific this weekend.

Although LBSU (9-4, 8-4 MPSF) has experienced much improvement and success, head coach Alan Knipe understands the importance of staying focused on the team’s objectives.

“We identified some key things to work on and are focusing on small goals,” Knipe said. “I am happy with last week’s performance, but we still have to take it one game at a time.”

Stanford (9-6, 6-6 MPSF) last rallied from a 0-2 deficit against No. 3 UCLA but lost the fifth set by two and let a comeback slip away.

The Cardinal is led by Steven Irvin with 198 kills and 114 digs, right behind the team’s best defensive player, Grant Delgado, with 119 digs. Brian Cook also helps dominate at the net with 193 kills.

“Even in losses, [the Cardinal] were very close,” Knipe said. “They are a well-coached team, and we will be expecting a tough match.”

Before Pacific (2-13, 1-11 MPSF) lost its last four matches, the Tigers were able to come out with one MPSF win against a winless UCSD after a nine-match losing streak.

Knipe recognizes the Tigers’ high rankings in NCAA even if it doesn’t show in its record. Thomas Hodges and Tommy Carmody are ranked in the top 10 for blocks per set.

The Tigers are led by Christian Franceschi with 141 kills and Hodges with 130 kills and 57 blocks. Carmody contributes defensively with a team-leading 83 blocks.

With team records on both extremes, Knipe sees each team as equal competition.

“Given the nature of our conference, every team is capable of winning,” Knipe said. “We can’t get in over our heads against the less successful teams.”

The 49ers are led by Taylor Crabb (261 kills) and Ian Satterfield (122 kills) with Connor Olbright leading the NCAA with 11.80 assists per set.

The 49ers will face Stanford Friday and Pacific Saturday in the Walter Pyramid. Both matches begin at 7 p.m.

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