Long Beach State Sweeps Big West Top Awards

LONG BEACH, Calif. – After a 3-1 Big West Championship win over Cal Poly, Long Beach State has taken all top conference awards. For the first time in program history, the Big West Pair of the Year award went to Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah. Demi Wagdy was named Freshman of the Year after starting in all matches. Mike Campbell was named Coach of the Year, with five other players named to the All-Conference team. 

Head Coach Mike Campbell had a successful eleventh season leading the Beach to its second Big West title. He achieved his 200th win as head coach in the first game of the season against No. 9 Cal. The Beach is currently 27-11, with 11 wins over ranked opponents this season. 

A first-team recipient with Gementera and Hagenah, Julia Westby has consistently played at the second flight and hit a milestone of 50 wins with Long Beach State. Westby was among five other players named to the All-Big West Team. 

Skyler Germann and Natalie Glenn were named to the All-Big West Second Team. The duo was the dual clinching point in the 3-2 win over No. 6 Cal Poly at the Best in the West tournament. They boasted 38 wins between the two of them with success throughout the season, even when not playing together. Megan Widener and Demi Wagdy were also named to the All-Big West Second Team as one of the winningest fifth flight pairs this season.   

Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah hold the best pairs record in the Big West, with a 33-4 overall record. They did not drop a single match to conference opponents. The first flight pair beat the top ranked teams from Stanford, LMU and Cal Poly. They also continued to shatter records, becoming the most winning individuals in LBSU program history with 95 wins.  

Demi Wagdy stepped onto the sand at the fifth flight as a true freshman. She held a 12-win streak with Megan Widener and was named Pair of the Week after their success at the Death Volley Invitational. The duo was briefly split up as Wagdy played four games at the second flight, going 2-2. She settled in with Widener at the third flight, where the duo clinched the Big West title for Long Beach State.