2023 Long Beach State Beach men's volleyball team

The 2023 Long Beach State Beach men's volleyball team represents Long Beach State University in the 2023 NCAA Division I & II men's volleyball season. The Beach, led by twentieth year head coach Alan Knipe, play their home games at Walter Pyramid. The Beach compete as members of the Big West Conference and were picked as second in the Big West preseason poll.[1]

2023 Long Beach State Beach men's volleyball
Big West Regular Season Co-Champions
NCAA Tournament, Semifinals
ConferenceBig West Conference
Record21-5 (9–1 Big West)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Nick MacRae (11th season)
  • McKay Smith (4th season)
Home arenaWalter Pyramid
Seasons
← 2022
2024 →
2023 Big West Conference men's volleyball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 2 Hawai'i ‍y 9 1   .900 29 3   .906
No. 4 Long Beach State ‍‍‍y 9 1   .900 21 5   .808
No. 5 UC Irvine  ‍‍‍ 6 4   .600 18 11   .621
UC Santa Barbara  ‍‍‍ 3 7   .300 8 17   .320
UC San Diego  ‍‍‍ 2 8   .200 8 17   .320
CSUN  ‍‍‍ 1 9   .100 12 16   .429
† – Conference champion
‡ – 2023 Big West Tournament champion

Preseason edit

Coaches poll edit

The preseason poll was released on December 21, 2022. Long Beach State was picked to finish second in the Big West Conference standings.[2]

Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Hawai'i 25 (5)
2 Long Beach State 19
3 UC Irvine 17 (1)
4 UC Santa Barbara 13
5 CSUN 10
6 UC San Diego 6

Roster edit

2023 Long Beach State Beach roster[3]
 

Defensive specialist/libero

  • 3 Mason Briggs - Junior[4]
  • 22 Caden Jackson -   Sophomore
  • 28 Chris Connelly- Freshman

Middle blockers

  • 1 Shane Holdaway - Senior
  • 19 DiAeris McRaven - Sophomore
  • 20 Aidan Grosz -   Junior
  • 21 Grant Marocchi - Senior
  • 23 Derek Owens - Junior
  • 24 Noah Robin -   Sophomore
  • 29 Josh Weyerhaeuser - Freshman
 

Outside hitters

  • 2 Sebastian Rodriguez -   Sophomore
  • 4 Skyler Varga - Sophomore
  • 8 Sotiris Siapanis - Sophomore
  • 9 Nathan Harlan - Junior
  • 10 Connor Bloom -   Freshman
  • 12 Clarke Godbold - Junior
  • 17 Dane Hillis - Sophomore
  • 27 Calvin Sanborn - Senior
  • 31 Spencer Olivier -   Senior
 

Opposite hitters

  • 9 Nathan Harlan - Junior
  • 10 Connor Bloom -   Freshman
  • 11 Simon Torwie - Junior
  • 16 Nico Lietz - Freshman
  • 18 Nato Dickinson -   Sophomore
  • 25 Ryan Peluso - Freshman
  • 27 Calvin Sanborn - Senior

Setters

  • 5 Aidan Knipe - '  Junior
  • 6 Josh Rosenblum - '  Freshman
  • 13 Island Doty - Freshman
  • 18 Nato Dickinson -   Sophomore
  • 25 Ryan Peluso - Freshman
  • 26 Eric Beebe - Junior
 

Schedule edit

TV/Internet Streaming/Radio information:

22 West Media will carry select Long Beach State men's volleyball matches on the radio.
ESPN+ will carry most home and all conference road games. All other road broadcasts will be carried by the schools respective streaming partner.
Date
time
Opponent Rank Arena,
City
(tournament)
Television Score Attendance Record
(Big West Record)
1/13
7:30 p.m.
King #3 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
W 3–0
(25-17, 25-12, 25–14)
1,516 1-0
1/14
7 p.m.
Lindenwood #3 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
ESPN+ W 3–0
(25-17, 25-21, 25–17)
1,113 2-0
1/20
4 p.m.
vs. LIU #3 Recreation Athletic Complex
Fairfax, VA
(East/West Coast Challenge)
W 3–0
(25-14, 25-16, 25–10)
0 3-0
1/21
4 p.m.
@ George Mason #3 Recreation Athletic Complex
Fairfax, VA
(East/West Coast Challenge)
ESPN+ W 3–0
(25-17, 25-14, 25–16)
586 4-0
1/25
4 p.m.
@ #4 Penn State #3 Rec Hall
University Park, PA
B1G+ W 3–1
(18-25, 25-23, 26–24, 27-25)
778 5-0
2/03
7 p.m.
#12 Loyola Chicago #3 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
ESPN+ W 3-2
(23-25, 25-21, 25–19, 23-25, 17-15)
1,598 6-0
2/09
7 p.m.
@ #4 UCLA #2 Pauley Pavilion
Los Angeles, CA
P12 LA L 0-3
(19-25, 21-25, 20-25)
2,245 6-1
2/10
7 p.m.
#4 UCLA #2 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
ESPN+ L 1-3
(25-18, 21-25, 23-25, 23-25)
4,138 6-2
2/17
7 p.m.
NJIT #4 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
W 3-0
(25-15, 25-19, 26-24)
992 7-2
2/18
7:30 p.m.
NJIT #4 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
ESPN+ W 3-0
(25-19, 25-13, 25-13)
1,076 8-2
3/03
7 p.m.
#12 Ball State #4 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
ESPN+ W 3-1
(25-19, 25-17, 21-25, 25-15)
1,318 9-2
3/10
7 p.m.
@ UC Santa Barbara* #4 The Thunderdome
Isla Vista, CA
ESPN+ W 3-1
(23-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-23)
312 10-2
(1-0)
3/11
7 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara* #4 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
ESPN+ W 3-2
(21-25, 25-18, 25-20, 22-25, 15-11)
1,745 11-2
(2-0)
3/17
10 p.m.
@ #1 Hawai'i* #4 Stan Sheriff Center
Honolulu, HI
ESPN+ W 3-0
(25-20, 29-27, 25-22)
7,527 12-2
(3-0)
3/18
10 p.m.
@ #1 Hawai'i* #4 Stan Sheriff Center
Honolulu, HI
ESPN+ L 0-3
(16-25, 23-25, 23-25)
9,579 12-3
(3-1)
3/24
7 p.m.
#11 USC #4 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
ESPN+ W 3-0
(25-17, 25-15, 25-23)
2,814 13-3
3/25
7 p.m.
@ #11 USC #4 Galen Center
Los Angeles, CA
P12+ USC W 3-1
(25-13, 14-25, 27-25, 25-21)
876 14-3
3/31
7 p.m.
@ UC San Diego* #4 LionTree Arena
La Jolla, CA
ESPN+ W 3-0
(25-22, 25-13, 25-16)
760 15-3
(4-1)
4/01
7 p.m.
UC San Diego* #4 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
ESPN+ W 3-0
(25-15, 25-17, 25-13)
1,413 16-3
(5-1)
4/07
7 p.m.
@ #15 CSUN* #4 Premier America Credit Union Arena
Northridge, CA
ESPN+ W 3-2
(25-27, 22-25, 25-17, 25-21, 15-9)
696 17-3
(6-1)
4/08
7 p.m.
#15 CSUN* #4 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
ESPN+ W 3-0
(25-19, 25-18, 25-16)
1,634 18-3
(7-1)
4/14
7 p.m.
#5 UC Irvine* #4 Walter Pyramid
Long Beach, CA
ESPN+ W 3-0
(25-18, 25-19, 25-22)
2,409 19-3
(8-1)
4/15
7 p.m.
@ #5 UC Irvine* #4 Bren Events Center
Irvine, CA
ESPN+ W 3-2
(22-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-20, 15-13)
1,651 20-3
(9-1)
4/21
7:30 p.m.
@ #5 UC Irvine
(3)
#4
(2)
Bren Events Center
Irvine, CA
(Big West Semifinal)
ESPN+ L 0-3
(21-25, 17-25, 20-25)
2,543 20-4
5/2
2 p.m.
#6 Grand Canyon #4 EagleBank Arena
Fairfax, VA
(NCAA Quarterfinal)
NCAA.com W 3-1
(22–25, 25–17, 25–22, 25–23)
2,139 21-4
5/4
2 p.m.
#2 UCLA (1) #4 EagleBank Arena
Fairfax, VA
(NCAA Semifinal)
NCAA.com L 0-3
(16–25, 14-25, 19-25)
3,782 21-5
*-Indicates conference match.
Times listed are Pacific Time Zone.

Rankings edit

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AVCA Coaches333332444444444444
Off the Block MediaNot released343245444444444

^The Media did not release a Pre-season or Week 1 poll.

References edit

  1. ^ "Hawai'i picked to win 2023 Big West title in preseason poll". Off the Block. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  2. ^ "Preseason Poll and First Preseason Team Released as The Big West Looks for Fifth Straight National Champion in Men's Volleyball". Big West Conference. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  3. ^ "2023 LBSU Men's Volleyball Roster". longbeachstate.com. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  4. ^ "Dig this: Long Beach State's Mason Briggs could be next big thing at libero". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2023.