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The Beach and the Rainbow Warriors Battle For the Big West Championship

The Hawaiian Islands Presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship First Round – Thursday, April 24 No. 4 seed UC San Diego 3,. No. 5 seed UC Santa Barbara 2 No. 3 seed UC Irvine 3, No. 6 seed CSUN 2 Semifinals – Friday, April 25 No. 1 seed Long Beach State 3, […]

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1 month ago

April 27, 2025

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The Hawaiian Islands Presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship

First Round – Thursday, April 24

No. 4 seed UC San Diego 3,. No. 5 seed UC Santa Barbara 2

No. 3 seed UC Irvine 3, No. 6 seed CSUN 2

Semifinals – Friday, April 25

No. 1 seed Long Beach State 3, No. 4 seed UC San Diego 0

No. 2 seed Hawai’i vs. No. 3 UC Irvine 1

Final – Saturday, April 26

No. 1 seed Long Beach State vs. No. 2 seed Hawai’i – 10:00 p.m. (PT) / 7:00 p.m. (HT)

The Beach and the Rainbow Warriors Battle For the Big West Championship

No. 1 ranked and top-seeded Long Beach State men’s volleyball team will face No. 3 Hawaii, which is the No. 2 seed in the Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship. The Beach and the Rainbow Warriors will square off on Saturday, April 26 at 7 p.m. (HT)/10 p.m. (PT) at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center. The winner will earn the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Catch All The Action

The Big West Championship match will be broadcast live on ESPN+ on the mainland and on Spectrum Sports on the islands. Fans can also follow all the action via live stats at BigWest.org/sidearmstats/mvball1.

Staying Social

Follow Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball on Twitter 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 13 consecutive weeks. The Beach garnered 460 total points and all 23 first-place votes after boasting a 27-2 overall record.

• Hawaii is the No. 3 ranked program in the country as the Rainbow Warriors own a 25-5 record on the year.

• 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 10 nationally ranked opponents and will face No. 3 Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship. Overall, the Beach own a 15-2 record against nationally ranked opponents this season.

The Beach In The Postseason

• Top-ranked Long Beach State goes into The Big West Championship as the No. 1 seed after capturing their fourth-consecutive regular season title on April 19 with a 3-0 sweep of No. 10 UC San Diego.

• The Beach will face No. 3 Hawaii in the championship match, marking the fourth time the two teams will meet in The Big West Tournament. Overall, the Bows lead the Big West postseason series 2-1.

• In all, the Beach is making its seventh Big West postseason appearance as LBSU owns a tournament record of 8-4.

• 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.

• The Beach previously won The Big West Championship in 2018 and 2024 as they look for their third tournament title.

• 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 26-25 in conference tournaments.

• Should LBSU advance to the NCAA Tournament, it will be the Beach’s 15th Final Four appearance.

• At the NCAA Tournament, Long Beach State is 16-11 with three National Championships (1991, 2018, and 2019).

About The Beach

• No. 1 Long Beach State has put together one of its most successful seasons to date as the Beach own a 27-2 overall record and won The Big West Regular Season Title with an 8-2 mark.

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

• With 21 straight set wins this season, the 2025 Long Beach State team has set a new program record for most 3-0 sweeps in a single season.

• In addition to setting the single-season record for most sweeps, the 2025 Beach team has served up a total of 213 which is also a new program single-season record.

• Individually, freshman setter Moni Nikolov has been superb this season from the service line. He set the Long Beach State program record earlier this season, and just last night, set The Big West single-season record as he now has 90 aces on the year. He is just 10 away from tying the NCAA 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.

• The Big West announced the all-conference selections on Wednesday and Long Beach State boasted 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 Sklyer Varga. Meanwhile, Daniil Hershtynovich claimed Honorable Mention status. Kandev and Nikolov also made the All-Freshman squad.

• Offensively, LBSU is led by Daniil Hershtynovich and Alex Kandev. Hershtynovich leads the way with 3.18 kills per set, while Kandev is hot on his heels with 3.16. Both rank in The Big West Top 10.

• Kandev is the team leader in hitting percentage as the true freshman is hitting .467 (161-31-273) on the year to come in second in the conference.

• Hershtynovich ranks in The Big West top 10 in three statistical categories. He is fifth in kills per set (3.18), and sixth in hitting percentage (.354) and points per set (3.77)

• 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 9.92 assists per set, while also helping out on the offensive attack with 1.52 kills per set. If that weren’t enough, Nikolov also leads the nation with 0.94 aces per set. He is currently at 90 aces on the year which is a new LBSU and Big West single-season record. His 90 service aces are just 10 shy of tying the NCAA All-Eras single-season mark (100).

• At the net, middles Ben Braun and DiAeris McRaven have patrolled the net leading the Beach to a 2.71 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 1.36 blocks per set after totaling 75 over 55 sets. His 1.36 blocks per set are tops in The Big West.

• McRaven, meanwhile has put up a team-leading 81 blocks to average 0.98 blocks per set. He is ranked fifth in the conference and in the Top 25 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 446-170 for a winning percentage of 724.

• Knipe’s staff of Associate Head Coach Nick MacRae, Assistant Coach McKay Smith, Volunteer Assistant Coach Andy Read, and Technical Coordinator Jon Parry are also back for the Beach. The seasoned quartet have 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 six NCAA Tournament appearances.

Scouting Hawai’i

• No. 3 Hawaii comes into The Big West Championship as the No. 2 seed with a 25-5 overall record and a 7-3 Big West mark.

• The Rainbow Warriors are coming off of a Big West Semifinal win over UC Irvine, 3-1, last night. The hard-fought battle with the Anteaters culminated with Hawaii advancing to the championship match to face long time foe, top-seeded Long Beach State.

• The Bows are averaging 13.25 kills per set on a .341 attack percentage. Additionally, UH adds 7.92 digs per set and 2.40 blocks per set to go along with 1.75 aces per set.

• Kristian Titriyski is the Bows’ leading scorer with 4.24 kills per set on a .325 clip. He also chips in 1.11 digs and 0.63 blocks per set.

• At setter, Tread Rosenthal has dished out 10.66 assists per set to pace the Bows. His efficient passing has led to Hawaii hitting .341 on the year. He is also second on the squad with 1.58 digs per set. Rosenthal is also the team’s leader at the service line as he has served up a team-best 37 aces this season to average 0.35 per set.

• In the backrow, ‘Eleu Choy anchors the defense with 1.72 digs per set.

• At the net, Kurt Nusterer has posted a team-leading 103 blocks to average 1.06 per set. He also adds 1.25 kills per set on a .449 attack percentage.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Rainbow Warriors

Long Beach State and Hawaii will face each other for the 102nd time in program history. Overall, the Beach lead the all-time series 53-48. Earlier this season, the two team split the series. Long Beach State defeated Hawaii, 3-1, on Friday, then the Bows handed the Beach a five-set loss on Saturday on the islands. When playing each other at UH, the Bows lead the series 28-19. This is the fourth time the conference foes will face each other in The Big West Championships and Hawaii holds the edge, 2-1.

Acing The Competition

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 90 service aces thus far. That mark is also a new Big West record, and currently is second in NCAA history across all eras. Long Beach State has made 213 in total as a team, another program single-season record. As a team, Long Beach State has an opportunity to reach three other elite serving teams with different records; the Big West record holders of Hawai’i with 224 aces in 2022, the 25-point rally scoring record set last year by Saint Francis (Pa.) of 237, and the all-time record set in 2007 by Stevens of 289.

Among The Nation’s Best

Long Beach State is ranked in the Top 5 in in the country in five different statistical categories this season. The Beach lead the nation in hitting percentage (.399) and aces per set (2.22). The team ranks second in blocks (2.71), third in kills (13.21), and fourth in assists per set (12.09).

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 leads the nation in aces per set (0.94), and is ranked 17th in assists per set (9.92). DiAeris McRaven comes in 24th in the nation with a 0.98 block per set average, while Skyler Varga leads the way with a .390 hitting percentage which is good for 12th in the country. 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 20th in the nation, while his kills per set (3.18) and points per set (3.77) averages rank him 47th and 42nd in the country, respectively.

The Big Toe

Senior opposite Nato Dickinson had a career weekend to close the regular season. The product out of Corona Del Mar, Calif., kicked off the week with a career-best 16 kills at UC San Diego (4/18). The next night in the Walter Pyramid against the Tritons, Dickinson did it again. He set a pair of new career-high with three digs and two aces. On the year, Dickinson is averaging 1.43 kills per set on a .273 attack percentage, while adding 0.78 blocks per set.

Up Next

Should the Beach win the Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship, they will earn the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Long Beach State looks to repeat as champions. Since The Big West began sponsoring Men’s Volleyball in 2018, Long Beach State has captured the title in 2018 and 2024.

The NCAA Tournament will begin on Thursday, May 8, with the Final Four taking place on Saturday, May 10, and the championship match being played on Monday, May 12 at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.

The 2025 NC Men’s Volleyball Championship Selection Show will air live on Sunday, April 27 at 1 p.m. (PT) on NCAA.com.

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Duke University

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke volleyball is set to compete in the inaugural “Showdown at the Net” tournament at Mississippi State inside the Newell-Grisson Building on Wednesday, Sept. 10 in Starkville, Miss., as announced by ESPN Events. The match will be streamed on SECN+. The tournament is set to take place from Sept. 9 though the […]

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5 minutes ago

May 29, 2025

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DURHAM, N.C. – Duke volleyball is set to compete in the inaugural “Showdown at the Net” tournament at Mississippi State inside the Newell-Grisson Building on Wednesday, Sept. 10 in Starkville, Miss., as announced by ESPN Events. The match will be streamed on SECN+.

The tournament is set to take place from Sept. 9 though the 10th. It features 16 ACC schools and 16 SEC schools. ESPN will host one neutral site matchup, featuring two ACC and SEC schools, while all other matches will be played at ACC or SEC schools’ locations.

The matchup between Duke and Mississippi State marks the second time the teams will meet, with the Blue Devils’ owning the 1-0 series history. The last time the two teams matched up was in 1984, where Duke earned the 3-0 sweep.

‘Showdown at the Net’ Schedule

Tuesday, September 9

Boston College at Arkansas SECN+

Virginia at Auburn SECN+

Florida at North Carolina ACCN

Georgia at Clemson ACCNX

LSU at Notre Dame ACCNX

Stanford at Missouri ESPN

Georgia Tech at Tennessee SECN

Texas A&M at SMU ESPN2

Wednesday, September 10

Wake Forest at Alabama SECN+

Kentucky vs Pitt (at Dickies Arena) ESPN

Ole Miss at Miami ACCNX

Duke at Mississippi State SECN+

Florida State at Oklahoma SECN

South Carolina at NC State ACCN

Louisville vs Texas (at Dickies Arena) ESPN

Vanderbilt at Cal ACCNX

For more information on Duke volleyball, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by searching for “DukeVB”.

#GoDuke

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Penn State Women’s Volleyball Releases Challenging 2025 Schedule

The Penn State women’s volleyball team released its 2025-26 schedule, which begins with two showcase events as the NCAA defending champion. The Nittany Lions will face 16 teams that reached the 2025 NCAA Tournament and eight that won conference titles. Penn State opens defense of its 2025 national championship at the AVCA First Serve event. […]

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26 minutes ago

May 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Penn State opens defense of its 2025 national championship at the AVCA First Serve event. The Nittany Lions begin the tournament Aug. 23 in Lincoln, Nebraska, against Creighton, which was sixth in last year’s final AVCA rankings. They will face face Kansas (12th) two days later in Sioux Falls, S.D.

On Labor Day weekend, Penn State heads to PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh for the State Farm Women’s College Volleyball Showcase. The Nittany Lions meet defending Big 12 champ Arizona State and TCU in the event. Both teams reached the NCAA second round last season.

Following the season-opening tournaments, Penn State plays nine straight home matches, beginning with its Sept. 4 Rec Hall opener against Kentucky, the defending SEC champion. Penn State won a thriller over Kentucky last season, losing the first two sets before rallying to win three straight.

Penn State also will host Pitt during that stretch. The Panthers, then ranked No. 1, swept Penn State 3-0 in a match in Pittsburgh. This year’s matchup takes place Sept. 17 at Rec Hall. In another September non-conference match, Penn State will host Central Michigan, coached by former Nittany Lions three-time All-American Arielle Wilson.

Penn State begins the Big Ten season with home matches against USC (Sept. 26) and UCLA (Sept. 28) before hosting Nebraska for a marquee conference match Oct. 3. Penn State beat Nebraska at Rec Hall last year to clinch a share of the Big Ten regular-season title and then again in a thrilling 3-2 match in the NCAA semifinals. Penn State and Nebraska meet again in Lincoln on Nov. 28 for the regular-season finale.

The Nittany Lions will visit the Pacific Northwest in October, playing at Washington (Oct. 17) and Oregon (Oct. 18). Penn State also visits Purdue, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan and Minnesota.

Penn State returns all-Big Ten players Izzy Starck and Gillian Grimes from a team that won the eighth national championship in school history. Starck, a setter, was the AVCA Freshman of the Year and a second-team All-American. The Nittany Lions also return Caroline Jurevicius, who made the Big Ten all-freshman team.

Katie Schumacher-Cawley begins her fourth season as Penn State women’s volleyball coach having signed a contract extension earlier this year. Schumacher-Cawley led the Nittany Lions to a 35-2 season and their first NCAA title since 2017.

“I am beyond thrilled and deeply honored to be a part of Penn State,” Schumacher-Cawley said in a statement. “Representing this incredible university, our storied volleyball program, and the passionate Penn State community is a privilege that carries profound meaning to me. The legacy built by those who came before us is the foundation of our success, and it is my responsibility, and our duty to uphold the tradition, pride, and relentless pursuit of excellence that defines this program.”

Check out Penn State’s complete 2025 women’s volleyball schedule here.

More Penn State Sports

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Tetairoa McMillan talks Olympic flag football, volleyball career – NBC Los Angeles

Carolina Panthers rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan had Olympic aspirations in another sport long before it was announced that flag football would make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. “I didn’t play like a normal volleyball player,” he said. “I guess you could say I was kind of dangerous out there.” McMillan […]

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42 minutes ago

May 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

“I didn’t play like a normal volleyball player,” he said. “I guess you could say I was kind of dangerous out there.”

McMillan was a star volleyball player at Servite High School in Anaheim, Calif., where he tied the school record for most kills in a match. He was recruited by UCLA, USC and Stanford to play both football and volleyball collegiately before ultimately deciding to leave the state and focus on just playing football at the University of Arizona.

His high school volleyball coach, Matt Marrujo, even told Panthers.com that McMillan “had a shot” at competing for a spot on the U.S. Olympic volleyball team “if he had really focused on volleyball.”

“He’s just being generous,” McMillan said. “But who knows what could have been.”

The 6-foot-4 McMillan brought physicality from the football field to the volleyball court.

“I always swung as hard as I can,” McMillan said. “I feel like some people were spooked and scared to play me and block me at times.

“There’s a few people that I definitely hit in the face and I believe I broke [an opponent’s] hand before, I’m pretty sure.”

Conversely, McMillan credits his volleyball experience for making him a better football player.

“It’s all about timing,” he said. “Being able to time the ball at the highest point, being able to be a pogo stick bouncing off the ground as quick as possible.

“It’s not easy. People think volleyball is easy and it’s for girls, but it is not easy. It’ll humble you real quick.”

For now, with his volleyball playing career on pause, McMillan’s best shot at competing at an Olympics is in flag football. The competition will be held at BMO Stadium, just 30 miles from where he went to high school.

“That would be a real dope moment,” he said. “It’s something I can see myself doing in the future. But first I’ve got to make some plays on the football field and try to make a name for myself and maybe they’ll come recruit me for the flag football.”

When asked who he would want to quarterback Team USA, McMillan picked his starting quarterback with the Panthers, Bryce Young, although NFL conditions state that no more than one player per NFL team can represent each country. He also identified a pair of defensive players as intriguing prospects.

“They might grab Myles Garrett or somebody like that or Micah Parsons to go out there and just be freakishly athletic,” McMillan said in an interview on behalf of Sharpie, the pen he used to sign his NFL rookie contract. “But I’m fortunate enough to be a skill player, so I’ve got a higher percentage of being picked.”

If McMillan ever does decide to return to volleyball, there is precedent for a professional athlete switching sports to play at the Olympic level. Chase Budinger played beach volleyball at the 2024 Paris Games after seven seasons in the NBA.

But don’t expect to see McMillan competing on the sand.

“I chose to play an outdoor sport, which is football,” McMillan said, “so everything else I do is always going to be inside in the AC.”

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Strickland Named to ACWPC All-American Team for Second Time

Story Links BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) today announced its 2024-25 ACWPC All-America Team. Among the honorees is Gannon’s Jade Strickland (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill). The senior was accorded honorable mention All-American honors for the second time. A native of Santa Ana, Calif., Strickland was previously named a […]

Published

50 minutes ago

May 29, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. – The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) today announced its 2024-25 ACWPC All-America Team. Among the honorees is Gannon’s Jade Strickland (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill). The senior was accorded honorable mention All-American honors for the second time.

A native of Santa Ana, Calif., Strickland was previously named a 2025 WWPA All-Conference first team honoree, adding to her numerous career accolades. Strickland also earned ACWPC honorable mention All-American honors as a sophomore. She is a three-time All-WWPA honoree after earning first team honors in 2023 and 2025 and second team a year ago. She was named to the All-Freshman Team in 2022 and has now been named to the All-Defensive Team the last two years.

Strickland finished as Gannon’s leading scorer for the third straight season with 50 goals and 21 assists for 71 points. In addition she led the team in steals with 30 and is second in defensive exclusions (19).

A year ago she finished with 43 goals and 21 assists for 64 points. She enjoyed her best season as a sophomore with 56 goals and 31 assists for 87 points after totaling 64 points as a freshman (37 goals, 27 assists).

Strickland climbed to eighth in career goals with 186 and fifth in career assists with exactly 100.

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Brian Scott Inks Five-Year Extension to Continue Leading Alaska Nanooks Volleyball

Story Links FAIRBANKS – The University of Alaska Fairbanks has announced a five-year contract extension for Alaska Nanooks volleyball head coach Brian Scott, reaffirming the program’s commitment to long-term growth and competitive excellence under his leadership. Scott, who recently concluded his 10th season at the helm, guided the Nanooks to a […]

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1 hour ago

May 29, 2025

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FAIRBANKS – The University of Alaska Fairbanks has announced a five-year contract extension for Alaska Nanooks volleyball head coach Brian Scott, reaffirming the program’s commitment to long-term growth and competitive excellence under his leadership.

Scott, who recently concluded his 10th season at the helm, guided the Nanooks to a historic 2024 campaign, finishing with a 21-7 overall record and a 13-5 mark in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. The 21 wins tied the program record for most victories in a single season and set a new benchmark for the highest winning percentage in Alaska Nanooks volleyball history. The team’s performance secured a second-place finish in the GNAC standings — the highest under Scott’s tenure.

“Today is an exciting day for the University of Alaska and the Alaska Nanooks volleyball program as we announce the five-year contract extension for head coach Brian Scott,” said Dr. Brock Anundson, Director of Athletics. “Brian is an exceptional coach and a proven leader who has built a strong foundation for our student-athletes both on and off the court. Under his leadership, the program has produced All-Americans, consistently broken program records, and elevated its level of play each season, earning well-deserved respect within the GNAC and across the NCAA. With Brian at the helm, I’m confident we’ll continue to elevate Nanooks volleyball and strengthen the culture of excellence we’re committed to here at UAF and in Fairbanks. He is also a trusted mentor and collaborative teammate within our department, across the university, and throughout the state. I look forward to the continued success ahead.”

Since joining the Nanooks, Scott has amassed a 116-143 (.448) career record, including a 71-49 mark over the last four seasons. The 2024 campaign marked his fourth winning season and continued a trend of sustained success and player development that has made Alaska a formidable presence in the GNAC.

“It has been very rewarding to see the program grow and become more competitive each year I’ve been in Fairbanks,” said head coach Brian Scott. “The athletes and coaches that have come through the program, UAF, and the community have truly made this home for our family. I am excited to continue working with our great athletes, coaches, and staff and am certain that together we will take this program to new heights in the years to come.”

As the Nanooks look ahead to the 2025 season and beyond, Scott’s extension signals a strong commitment to the trajectory of the program, both competitively and culturally. With a talented returning roster and renewed energy, the Nanooks are poised to keep climbing.

Follow the ‘Nooks

IG – @NanooksVB

X – @NanooksVB

FB – Alaska Nanooks Volleyball

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2025 Women's Soccer Schedule

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Published

1 hour ago

May 29, 2025

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