No. 1 Long Beach State and No. 3 UCLA Battle Each Other For The 2025 National Championship

No. 1 and top-seeded Long Beach State brings a 29-3 record into the 2025 NC Men’s Volleyball Championship match as the Beach face No. 3 UCLA (22-6) on Monday, May 12. First serve is set for 4 p.m. (PT) / 7 p.m. (ET) at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Catch All The Action

The 2025 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship will be televised on Monday, May 12 at 4 p.m. (PT) / 7 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2. Fans can also follow all the action via live stats at NCAA.com or OhioStateBuckeyes.com/sidearmstats/mvball.

Staying Social

Follow Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball on X and Instagram at @LBSUMVB. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics on X. Be sure to “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU. And don’t forget our hashtag #GoBeach.

In the Rankings

• Long Beach State has been ranked No. 1 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Poll for 14 consecutive weeks. In the most recent poll, the Beach garnered 451 total points and 14 first-place votes after boasting a 29-3 overall record.

• UCLA finished the regular season ranked third in the AVCA National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Poll. With a 22-6 overall record, the Bruins were an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament.

• The Big West is one of the most competitive Division I Men’s Volleyball conferences as all six Big West schools are nationally ranked, with three of them sitting in the Top 5.  

• The season, Long Beach State has faced 11 nationally ranked opponents Overall, the Beach own a 16-3 record against nationally ranked opponents this season.

The Beach In The Postseason

• Top-ranked Long Beach State is in the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time, and has been in the Championship match on 10 separate occasions.

• Overall the Beach’s NCAA Tournament record is 18-11. 

• This season is the fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament in which the Beach has competed. In the last four years, LBSU has put together a postseason record of 6-3 for a .667 winning percentage.

• LBSU has been to the NCAA Tournament in eight out of the last nine seasons. During that span, the Beach captured two NCAA National Championships in 2018 and 2019.

• This is the second time in program history that Long Beach State will play in Columbus, Ohio for the postseason. The Beach previously competed in the NCAA Semifinals in Columbus in 2017 against BYU. 

• In all, Long Beach State has won three NCAA National Championships (1991, 2018, 2019). 

• Throughout program history, LBSU has seen action in in 15 Final Fours and owns a 11-4 record (.733) in the NCAA Semifinals.

• Overall, Long Beach State has seen action in 10 NCAA National Championship matches. 

• In conference tournament history, Long Beach State has made 21 MPSF Tournament appearances and seven Big West showings.

• Since its creation in 2018, Long Beach State has been the regular season Big West Champion in six of seven seasons (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) as there was not a postseason tournament held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. LBSU owns an 8-5 Big West Championship record.

• The Beach previously won The Big West Championship in 2018 and 2024.

• Prior to The Big West, Long Beach State was part of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). In the MPSF, LBSU owned a tournament record of 18-21.

• In all, Long Beach State is 26-26 in conference tournaments.

About The Beach

• No. 1 Long Beach State has put together one of its most successful seasons to date as the Beach own a 29-3 overall record and won The Big West Regular Season Title with an 8-2 mark.

• The 29 victories for Long Beach State is the second-most in program history. The 2025 squad’s 29 victories have surpassed the win totats of the 2018, and 2019 National Championship teams, and only trails the 1991 team that won the program’s first-ever NCAA National Championship with 31 victories.

• A win in the NCAA Finals will put the 2025 squad in elite company as only one of two Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball teams to reach the 30-win milestone, joining the Beach’s first-ever National Championship winning team from 1991.

• Earlier this season, the Beach strung together 20-straight victories marking the team’s fourth-longest winning streak in program history.

• With 22 three-set wins this season, the 2025 Long Beach State team has set a new program record for most sweeps in a single season besting the 2017 squad’s 20 three-setters.

• In addition to setting the single-season record for most sweeps, the 2025 Beach team has served up a total of 232 aces which is also a new program single-season record. That mark is five service aces away from tying the NCAA single-season rally scoring aces record of 237 which was set last season by Saint Francis (Pa.).

• Individually, freshman setter Moni Nikolov has been superb this season from the service line. In the NCAA Final Four match against No. 5 seed Pepperdine, he set the all-time NCAA record for most aces in a single season as the rookie sensation now has 102 aces under his belt. He set the Long Beach State program record earlier this season, before going on to set The Big West single-season record.

• This season, Long Beach State went on an impressive 20-match winning streak that began with the season opener on January 10 with a sweep over Saint Francis (Pa.) and came to an end on March 28 with a straight-set loss to UC Irvine. That 20-match winning streak is good for fourth in program history. The 2025 team will go down in the annals behind the record holding 2018 team which strung together 24-consecutive wins. From 2018-19, LBSU won 23-straight matches and from 1991-92 the Beach put together a 22-match winning streak to round out the top three. 

• At the NCAA Social, Long Beach State had a pair of players win two major award. Sophomore Georgi Binev became the first-ever Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball student-athlete to win the Elite 90 Award which is awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.

• The other major award winner at the NCAA Social was freshman Moni Nikolov who took home both National Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. 

• Last Monday, the AVCA announced the All-America Team and Long Beach State boasted five All-Americans in Moni Nikolov (First Team), Sykler Varga (First Team), DiAeris McRaven (Second Team), Daniil Hershtynovich (Honorable Mention), and Kellen Larson (Honorable Mention).

• Prior to the AVCA All-America Team announcement, The Big West announced the all-conference selections and Long Beach State dominated those awards as well with four players on the First Team, one Honorable Mention selection, and a pair on the All-Freshman Team.

• Earning All-Big West First Team accolades were Alex Kandev, DiAeris McRaven, Moni Nikolov, and Skyler Varga. Meanwhile, Daniil Hershtynovich claimed Honorable Mention status. Kandev and Nikolov also made the All-Freshman squad. 

• Offensively, LBSU is led by Alex Kandev. The freshman outside hitter is averaing 3.18 kills per set to go along with a team-leading .459 hitting percentage (197-42-338). His attack percentage ranks him second in The Big West, while his kills per set average is sixth. Kandev also ranks in the conference top 10 in points per set (5th – 3.79) and aces per set (8th – 0.34).

• Junior outside hitter, and team captain, Skyler Varga has been an efficient and balanced asset to the squad this season. Varga ‘s .370 hitting percentage comes in 14th in nation and third in The Big West. His aces (0.33), assists (0.70), and points per set (3.48) are all good for top 10 in the conference. 

• Leading the Beach to a nation-leading .399 attack percentage is freshman setter Moni Nikolov. The product out of Sofia, Bulgaria has been on-point this season distributing 10.11 assists per set. He has been a force on all sides of the ball with 1.56 kills per set and a team-best 1.55 digs per set. If that weren’t enough, Nikolov also leads the nation with 0.95 aces per set. His 102 aces on the year, which is a new LBSU and Big West single-season record, just broke the previous NCAA record of 100 set in 2011 by Curtis Abraham of Emmanuel (Ma.)

• Middles Ben Braun and DiAeris McRaven have patrolled the net leading the Beach to a 2.61 blocks per set average. That mark leads The Big West and is good for second in the country. 

• Braun, a 6-11 junior from Rancho Mirage, Calif., is averaging 1.24 blocks per set after totaling 77 over 62 sets. His blocks per set average is tops in The Big West.

• McRaven, meanwhile has put up a team-leading 89 blocks to average 0.95 blocks per set. He is ranked fifth in the conference and 27th in the nation in blocks per set.

• In his 22nd season at the helm, Long Beach State Head Coach Alan Knipe is the winningest coach in LBSU Men’s Volleyball program history, Knipe owns a career record of 449-172 for a winning percentage of 723.

• Knipe’s staff of Associate Head Coach Nick MacRae, Assistant Coach McKay Smith, Volunteer Assistant Coach Andy Read, and Technical Coordinator Jon Parry are a seasoned quartet having worked together for the last eight seasons helping Long Beach State capture two NCAA National Titles, two Big West Championships, and have led the Beach to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the last eight years.

Scouting UCLA

• No. 3 UCLA comes into the 2025 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship look to capture its third-straight National Championship. The No. 3 seed has won 22 NCAA Titles overall.

• The Bruins own a 22-6 overall record and despite dropping a five-setter to Pepperdine in the MPSF Semifinals, earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

• The Bruins are averaging 12.60 kills per set on a .369 attack percentage. Additionally,UCLA adds 6.75 digs per set and 2.42 blocks per set to go along with 1.96 aces per set.  

• UCLA had four players named to the AVCA All-America Team in Andrew Rowan (First Team), Cooper Robinson (First Team), Cameron Thorne (First Team), and Zach Rama (Second Team). 

• Robinson and Rama lead the Bruins’ offense with 3.55 and 3.24 kills per set. 

• Robinson, a redshirt junior outside hitter, also leads the Bruins in aces (41) and digs (117) to average 0.63 blocks per set, and 0.41 aces per set on the year. 

• At setter, Andrew Rowan runs an efficient offense that is hitting .369 on the year. He has dished out 10.13 assists per set, while also chipping in 1.14 digs per set, 0.43 kills per set, and 0.44 blocks per set, while serving up 32 aces to tie Rama for second on the team.

• At the net, Thorne has posted a team-leading 109 blocks to average 1.09 per set. He also adds 1.97 kills per set on a .524 attack percentage, while tallying 19 aces thus far.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Bruins

Long Beach State and UCLA will meet for the 107th time in program history. In the storied rivalry, the Bruins hold the edge over the Beach in the all-time series, 58-48. However, earlier this year, Long Beach swept the regular season series with a 3-1 win at the Walter Pyramid, before sweeping the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion. This is the sixth time Long Beach State and UCLA have met in the NCAA Tournament, and the fifth time in the last seven seasons. Overall, UCLA holds a slight edge over LBSU in postseason action, 3-2, and the series is tied at 2-2 since 2018. Beach and the Bruins have squared off three times before in the NCAA Championship match with Long Beach State defeating UCLA in five sets in 2018, and the Bruins taking the title in 1970 (3-0) and just last season (3-1). Against UCLA, Long Beach State Head Coach Alan Knipe owns a record of 32-26 for a .552 winning percentage over 22 seasons at the helm.

Complete Transformation

After losing 10 seniors and nearly their entire starting lineup from 2024, the Beach have done a superb job rebuilding. A year ago, outside hitter Skyler Varga and middle blocker DiAeris McRaven were the only two starters who returned in 2025. Varga, however, has returned in a different position as he went from playing on the right to playing on the left. In addition, Long Beach State has made several lineup changes throughout the year all while managing to stay in the Top 5 in the AVCA Rankings, and holding the top spot for the last 14-straight weeks. With a new core group on the court in outside hitters Alex Kandev and Sotiris Siapanis, along with middles Ben Braun and Lazar Bouchkov, opposites Daniil Hershtynovich and Nato Dickinson, setter Moni Nikolov, liberos Kellen Larson, Chris Connelly and Ford Harman, as well as several key substitutions such as Connor Bloom and Sebastiano Sani, the Beach has done an excellent job adapting to a new look on the court and not missing a beat competitively as the top-ranked team in the nation.

Record Breaker

Freshman Moni Nikolov is leading a charge against numerous serving records at Long Beach State, The Big West, and the NCAA. With what is believed to be the fastest recorded serve in NCAA history, Nikolov has set a new program single-season record with 102 service aces thus far. That mark is also a new Big West record, and most recently a new NCAA record across all eras. In the NCAA Final Four against No. 5 seed Pepperdine, he served up five aces to break the national record of 100 which stood for the last 14 years. Long Beach State has served up 232 in total as a team, another program single-season record. The Beach also became the new Big West record holder for aces in a single-season, besting the 2022 Hawai’i team which finished the season with 224 aces. Meanwhile, the NCAA 25-point rally scoring record that was set last year by Saint Francis (Pa.) is just five more (237) than the Beach’s current total.

The Sky’s The Limit

Junior outside hitter and team captain Skyler Varga has led the team both on and off the court all season. With his extensive volleyball IQ and prowess on the court, coupled with his leadership skills off the court, Varga has led by example and has helped pace Long Beach State to nation leading marks in hitting percentage (.399) and aces per set (2.17) as he leads the way with a .370 clip which is good for 14th in the nation. Meanwhile, his 0.33 aces per set average ranks him in the top 50 in the country. Among Big West opponents, Varga is in the top 10 over four statistical categories (3rd – .370 hitting, 7th – 0.33 aces per set, 9th – 0.70 assists per set, 9th – 3.48 points per set) and has helped the Beach lead the conference in five of seven disciplines (.399 hitting, .216 opponent hitting percentage, 13.40 kills per set, 2.61 blocks per set, and 2.17 aces per set.

 

Big Ben

Ben Braun, a 6-foot-11 junior middle blocker, has been a huge presence on the court this season – not just in stature but also on the stat sheet. Braun is The Big West leader in blocks per set with 1.24 on the year. He earned a starting spot in the middle on March 21 and has made the most of his opportunity. His solid blocking defense has helped Long Beach State lead the conference and rank second in the nation in blocks per set (2.61). Additionally, the Beach’s defensive efforts have limited opponents to a .216 hitting percentage this season which leads The Big West and ranks second in the nation. 

Moni Mania

Freshman sensation Moni Nikolov has caused quite a stir among the collegiate volleyball scene. His powerful serve, which is believed to be the fastest recorded serve in NCAA history, has led him to breaking the Long Beach State, Big West, and NCAA single-season marks. With 102 aces and counting. A five-tool player, Nikolov boasts 10.11 assists, 1.56 kills, 1.51 digs, and 0.74 blocks per set, while hitting .401 on the year. With his overall popularity growing, the Beach are selling out arenas all over the country so fans can get a glimpse of the setter out of Sofia, Bulgaria. 

Alex The Great

Freshman outside hitter Alex Kandev has seen increased playing time and has worked his way into the starting lineup. The Sofia, Bulgaria native has started on the outside for the last nine matches. In doing so, he has made his way up The Big West rankings coming in second in hitting percentage (.459), fifth in points per set (3.79), sixth in kills per set (3.18), and eighth in service aces per set (0.34). With his solid overall performance, Kandev earned Big West Honorable Mention accolades.

The Big Toe

Senior opposite Nato Dickinson had a career weekend to close the regular season, then bested that performance at The Big West Championship. The product out of Corona Del Mar, Calif., set a new career-high for himself with 21 kills and seven digs at Hawaii in the championship match on Saturday, April 26. He continues to build upon his career numbers as he closed the regular season with a career-best two aces from the service line. Other career-highs for Dickinson include seven blocks which he obtained against Princeton (3/15) and three assists which he has amassed a trio of times this season. One the year, he is averaging 2.07 kills per set on a .350 attack percentage (118-39-226), to go along with 0.79 blocks per set.

Among The Nation’s Best

Long Beach State is ranked in the Top 10 in in the country in six different statistical categories this season. The Beach lead the nation in hitting percentage (.399), kills per set (13.28), and aces per set (2.17). The team ranks second in blocks (2.65), fourth in assists per set (12.19), and 10th in opponent hitting percentage (.207).

Individually, the Beach boasts four players who rank in the Top 50 in the nation in their respective disciplines. Leading the way, setter Moni Nikolov sets the standard in the nation with 0.95 aces per set, and is ranked 14th in assists per set (10.11). DiAeris McRaven comes in 27th in the nation with a 0.95 blocks per set average, while Skyler Varga leads the way with a .370 hitting percentage which is good for 14th in the country, while his aces per set (0.33) are good for 47th. Rounding out the Fab Four, is Daniil Hershtynovich who is ranked in the NCAA Top 50 in three different statistical categories. His .354 clip is good for 19th in the nation, while his points per set average (3.77) ranks him 42nd and his kills per set mark (3.18) puts him 47th.

All-Big West

The Big West announced the 2025 Men’s Volleyball All-Conference teams on Wednesday, April 23 afternoon and Long Beach State garnered five selections. Alex Kandev, DiAeris McRaven, Moni Nikolov, and Skyler Varga each claimed First Team honors, while Daniil Hershtynovich collected Honorable Mention status. Kandev and Nikolov were also named to the All-Freshman Team.

Kandev, a true freshman from Sofia, Bulgaria, earned All-First Team and All-Freshman Team accolades after putting together a solid rookie season. In 48 sets, the 6-foot-7 outside hitter has averaged 3.06 kills per set to rank second on the team, while hitting .466 (147-29-253) on the year. He has also logged 0.92 digs per set to go along with 0.50 blocks per set and 18 aces. He has led the Beach in kills on seven separate occasions and has recorded double-figure kills nine times thus far. Kandev registered a career-high 16 kills at Hawaii on April 12. He served up a career-best five aces against Sacred Heart on March 7, and just last weekend, tied his career-high with four blocks against UC San Diego (4/19).

McRaven collected his first All-Big West First Team selection after turning in an impressive senior season. The 6-foot-5 middle blocker leads the team, while ranking third in the conference and 20th in the nation, with 1.00 blocks per set. Additionally, McRaven contributes 1.25 kills per set on a .463 clip (100-25-162). This season, he has led LBSU in blocks nine times. Earlier this season, he set a career-high of eight kills against NJIT (3/21), while tallying a season-high six kills twice this year.

Nikolov joined Kandev on both the All-Big West First Team and All-Freshman Team. The 6-foot-10 setter has had a spectacular freshman campaign thus far. He leads the nation with 0.93 aces per set, while ranking 18th in the country with 9.36 assists per set. He set the LBSU single-season record with 86 aces, which is just one shy of The Big West record and third in the NCAA All-Eras single-season record book. The seven-time Big West Freshman of the Week honoree and three-time Big West Setter of the Week selection led the Beach to 2.23 aces per set and a .399 team hitting percentage, both marks that lead the NCAA. This season, Nikolov has recorded three double-doubles, registered a career-high 51 assists at Lewis (1/18), 10 kills at UC Irvine (3/29), eight aces versus Pepperdine (1/26), and seven blocks on two separate occasions. His eight aces rank him second in the LBSU single-match record book.

Varga earned his second All-Big West honor of his career after collecting Honorable Mention status a year ago. This season, the junior outside hitter garnered First Team accolades after leading The Big West and ranking 14th in the nation with a .387 attack percentage (235-51-476). The 6-foot-7 native of Muenster, Saskatchewan ranks in the top 10 in the conference in aces per set (0.35 – 7th), blocks per set (0.77 – 8th), and kills per set (2.87 – 10th). Varga has recorded 13 double-figure kill performances and has led Long Beach State in kills 11 times. Earlier this season, he registered a season-high 18 kills against Pepperdine (1/26) and eight blocks versus NJIT (3/21).

Hershtynovich rounds out the Beach’s All-Conference selections with an Honorable Mention nod. The 6-foot-9 opposite out of Toronto, Ontario ranks in The Big West top 10 with a .354 hitting percentage (4th), 3.18 kills per set (5th), 3.77 points per set (6th), and 0.74 blocks per set (10th). Earlier this year, he posted a career-high 20 kills at Lewis (1/18), then put up a career-best six blocks against NJIT (3/21). Hershtynovich has registered 12 double-figure kill showings thus far, and has led Long Beach State in kills on eight separate occasions.

North American Challenge

Long Beach State hosted the North American Challenge, a preseason exhibition tournament which featured a total of six teams from the United States and Canada. 

The took place from Friday, Jan. 3 – Saturday, Jan. 4 with five matches played on day one and four on day two. The tournament was held in both the Walter Pyramid and the Gold Mine.

The participating teams include some of the top talent in North America such as No. 2 Trinity Western, No. 6 Saskatchewan, Calgary, No. 10 Pepperdine, No. 18 UC San Diego, and host, No. 2 Long Beach State.   

The United States won the tournament after sweeping all nine matches over two days for a total of 24 points.

The Beach were led by freshman setter Moni Nikolov who was named MVP of the All-Tournament Team. Also selected to the All-Tournament Team were Skyler Varga and Sotiris Siapanis.

Wall of Honor

The Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball program will be inducting five new members into the Wall of Honor as TJ DeFalco, Kyle Ensing, Josh Tuaniga, as well as longtime supporters Mike and Therese Butler will join the prestigious group.

The quintet of inductees will be forever enshrined in the Wall of Honor at the annual Randy Sandefur Memorial Golf Tournament on Monday, June 9, 2025. 

The major criteria for the Wall of Honor, as outlined by the committee, are as follows: the person must have represented the Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball program with unparalleled success or achievement and truly embodied the passion, commitment, and loyalty that defines the true meaning of a 49er.

The five inductees have done just that as they have demonstrated a commitment to the Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball program that has far exceeded expectations. These five have proudly represented the Black and Gold and helped the Beach establish itself as one of the perennial powerhouses in the nation over the last several decades.

“This particular group of young men played all four years together at Long Beach State and are the embodiment of the winning culture of head coach Alan Knipe,” said Wall of Honor Co-Chairs Harold Noriega and Mike D’Alessandro. “Their hard work and dedication not only contributed to two National Championship titles for the university but has created fine and outstanding young men and citizens. 

“In addition, this year we are honoring longtime supporters of the program, Therese and Mike Butler. Team Butler has supported the program long before their son Matt played his four years of volleyball at Long Beach State, and they still continue today with their support of the program.  We are excited to welcome these five new Legends into the Wall of Honor.”

The trio of players were part of one of the most decorated classes in Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball history as they put together a record of 108-15 (.878) from 2016-19. During that span, DeFalco, Ensing, and Tuaniga led LBSU to two NCAA National Championships, four-straight NCAA Final Four appearances, three regular season conference titles, two conference tournament championships, and set a program record 43-consecutive home victories inside the Walter Pyramid. 

A three-time National Player of the Year (2017-19) and four-time AVCA First Team All-American (2016-19), DeFalco finished his Long Beach State career as the program’s all-time service aces leader (183), is ranked fifth all-time with 1,661 career kills, and comes in seventh in career digs (773). 

DeFalco kicked off his collegiate career as the 2016 MPSF Freshman of the Year and went on to win the 2017 MPSF and 2018 Big West Player of the Year awards, respectively. He was a four-time All-Conference First Team selection as he earned the honors twice in both the MPSF and The Big West. He was named to the NCAA Tournament Teams in 2016 and 2018, and was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2019. 

Following his graduation from Long Beach State, DeFalco has made a name for himself playing professionally in Italy, Poland, and Japan. He also has been an integral part of the USA Men’s National Team, representing the United States in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and in the 2024 Paris Olympics where he won a Bronze Medal.

Ensing is a two-time AVCA First Team All-American and the 2019 Big West Player of the Year. He concluded his career at Long Beach State with 1,421 kills to rank 10th all-time at the Beach. In his senior year, he set the LBSU single-match record for most aces in an NCAA Tournament match after he served up six aces against Pepperdine in the 2019 Final Four. The three-time First Team All-Conference selection and 2018 NCAA All-Tournament Team selection registered 140 service aces in his career to rank third all-time at Long Beach State. 

The 6-foot-7 Ensing has played professionally overseas in Germany, Israel, and France since graduating from Long Beach State in 2019. Earlier this season, he helped Saint Nazaire win the French League Championship. 

A member of the U.S. Men’s National Team since 2017, Ensing competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games and served as an alternate at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In 2023, he helped lead Team USA to Gold in the Olympic Qualifier, after earning Silver in the 2023 Volleyball Nations League. 

Tuaniga wrapped up his career at Long Beach State as the 2018 AVCA National Player of the Year and was a three-time AVCA All-American. He was named to both the 2018 and 2019 All-Tournament Teams earning the Most Outstanding Player distinction in 2018. Known for running one of the most efficient offenses in collegiate volleyball from 2016-19, Tuaniga distributed 4,607 career assists to rank fourth at the Beach. He is just one of five players in Long Beach State program history to record at least 4,000 career assists.

The 2019 graduate of Long Beach State University went on to play professionally in Poland. A member of the U.S. Men’s National Team since 2016, Tuaniga earned Silver at the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Nations League Final Round, took Bronze at the 2019 FIVB World Cup, and won Gold at the 2016 NORCECA Continental Championship where he was named MVP and Best Setter.

“This is a very special class for many reasons, but mainly because these three players will always be attached at the hip when you talk about that era,” said Long Beach State Head Men’s Volleyball Coach and Wall of Honor member Alan Knipe. “They all started as freshmen, went to four Final Fours, won two National Championships, three National Player of the Year awards, and three conference player of the year awards. The accolades speak to what they were able to do for us.

“Post Long Beach, they’ve gone on to have national careers playing professionally and in the Olympic Games. All three are great examples of what the Wall of Honor means. They are fully committed, all in, and bleed Black & Gold.”

Rounding out the Wall of Honor selections are Mike and Therese Butler who have long been associated with the Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball program. The couple have supported the Beach as fans, donors, and parents, as well as part of the stats crew on gamedays. They have organized fundraisers and socials over the years, often behind the scenes, quietly dedicating their lives to LBSU Men’s Volleyball. Both alumni of Long Beach State University, Mike and Therese have been part of the Beach family for decades.

“Mike and Therese have been invaluable supporters of our program from well before I was even a player,” said Knipe. “Their commitment, love, and generosity are unmatched. Our program would not be what it is today without their help.”

These five extraordinary individuals will have their names added to the Wall of Honor, which is located in the Hall of Champions in the Volleyball Suite of the Walter Pyramid.