Men's Sports, Men's Volleyball, Sports

Kyle killin’ at The Beach

One of the unsung heroes for the Long Beach State men’s volleyball team this season is freshman opposite Kyle Ensing.

Ensing is one of three first-year players that has helped put the 49ers back in the top 5. While his classmates, outside hitter T.J. DeFalco and setter Josh Tuaniga have made noise on and off the court, Ensing has quietly been on a tear.

“It’s definitely humbling,” Ensing said. “Having this much success at a young age is awesome.”

The trio played together as members of the 2015 Boys’ Youth National Team and brought their prior experience playing together onto the court inside the Walter Pyramid this season.

“The thing I’ve been impressed with the most is their ability to handle the moment,” LBSU head coach Alan Knipe said. “They certainly haven’t handled the moment like freshmen.”

Part of that is due to the trio’s comfort level, Knipe said. That easiness has fortified the team’s culture and it has shown on the court. It also made it easier for Ensing to settle in.

“I knew that I would fit right in,” Ensing said. “[DeFalco and I] have been playing with each other probably the last five years; we know each other pretty well.”

From Feb. 8 through March 14, the 49ers were the No. 1 team in the nation and won nine straight games.

“[Those] three are a huge part of the team,” Kyle’s older brother, Eric said.

However, it took some time before Kyle was recognized for his contributions.

On Jan. 25, Off the Block named Tuaniga the National Freshman of the Week. Since then, DeFalco picked up the award three times.

It wasn’t until this week that Kyle got his recognition. Against Pepperdine on Thursday, Kyle racked up a career-high 27 kills in addition to 10 digs. He was named the National Freshman of the Week along with UC Santa Barbara’s middle blocker Henri Cherry.

“[Kyle] was a good basketball player and is real comfortable on the court and add that to the fact that he is getting comfortable to the college game and to a relatively new position on the right,” Knipe said. “You start to add up all of those things and realize he hasn’t been doing this that very long, he can get really good in this league.”

Because the 6-foot-7-inch freshman is relatively new to the sport, Knipe said the Valencia native has a high-ceiling.

“The scariest part is that he is nowhere close to the player he is going to be,” Knipe said. “He is such a big physical kid that he jumps so high and hits so hard.”

When it came down to choosing a school to play for, Kyle wanted to go to where there was a familiar face.

After Eric signed with LBSU, it was only a matter of time until his younger brother Kyle followed in his footsteps.

“Once [Eric] went I kind of wanted to be like him and come here,” Kyle said.

While at Valencia High School, the brothers formed a special bond that paved the way for the reunion in college.

“Playing in high school definitely helped,” Eric said. “I was a senior and he was a freshman and that was a blast playing with each other.”

The Ensing brothers have translated that camaraderie onto the court for the 49ers. As a result, No. 5 LBSU has one of the most essential components for success: chemistry.

“We always pride ourselves on having a great team culture; our guys are incredibly close,” Knipe said. “Having their relationship be so positive with one another, it helps our team culture.”

Even though Eric has an advantage over Kyle in age, the two say there is no sibling rivalry.

“I think that it helps in that Eric really wants to see Kyle do well,” Knipe said. “You can see there is something special with that bond. It’s not about seeing who can be better, it’s about seeing who can do better.”

With his older brother around, Kyle’s comfort level on and off the court has grown.

“Seeing a familiar face around and having someone to talk to during the hard times [helps],” Kyle said. “When [Eric] sees me down on the court he always comes up to me and gives support.”

In his first season, Kyle is making an immediate impact for LBSU. Through 26 matches, the freshman opposite has piled up 287 kills and cleaned up 183 digs on defense.

He’s helped the 49ers steamroll to a 21-6 overall record, their best through 27 games since 2008 when they went 22-5, and lock up a home game in the MPSF quarterfinals round.

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