Second-seeded host LBSU recovers from a slow start to eliminate seventh-seeded Belmont Abbey, 25-18, 25-14, 25-11, and reach the Final Four for the third straight season. LBSU will face No. 3 seed Grand Canyon on Thursday.
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis, center, celebrates a point with libero Mason Briggs (3) and middle blocker Simon Torwie during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis returns a shot during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State’s Nathan Harlan, far left, spikes the ball during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State opposite hitter Skyler Varga (4) relays a signal to his teammates during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team won its NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis prepares to serve during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Evan Weiner, left, hits against Belmont Abbey outside hitter Zach Puentes (10) during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Simon Torwie, left, and teammate Nathan Harlan try to block a shot by Belmont Abbey outside hitter Matthew Staskunas during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State fans fill the seats for the LBSU men’s volleyball team’s NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker DiAeris McRaven, right, attempts to block a shot by Belmont Abbey middle blocker Jibriel Elhaddad during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State opposite hitter Skyler Varga spikes the ball against Belmont Abbey outside hitter Ryan Charles, bottom left, and middle blocker Jibriel Elhaddad during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Belmont Abbey outside hitter Zach Puentes, bottom, hits against the defense of Long Beach State setter Aidan Knipe (5), middle blocker DiAeris McRaven (19) and Nathan Harlen (9) during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State setter Aidan Knipe, left, middle blocker DiAeris McRaven, center, and Nathan Harlen attempt to block a shot by Belmont Abbey outside hitter Matthew Staskunas (not pictured) during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team won its NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach State’s Nathan Harlan, right, spikes the ball against Belmont Abbey outside hitter Matthew Staskunas (9), middle blocker Jibriel Elhaddad (2) and outside hitter Ryan Charles (24) during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Simon Torwie spikes the ball through a pair of Belmont Abbey players during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State volleyball fans dressed as sharks react after a point during the second set of the team’s NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker DiAeris McRaven spikes the ball against Belmont Abbey middle blocker Jibriel Elhaddad during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker DiAeris McRaven spikes the ball against Belmont Abbey middle blocker Jibriel Elhaddad during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team won its NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Simon Torwie, left, blocks a shot from Belmont Abbey outside hitter Zach Puentes during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State’s Nathan Harlan, center, hits against Belmont Abbey middle blocker Jibriel Elhaddad, left, and setter Joseph Morris during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Nathan Harlan #9 of Long Beach State State spikes against Outside Hitter Matthew Staskunas #9 of Belmont Abbey in the second set of a NCAA men’s volleyball tournament match in the Walter Pyramid on the campus of Cal State Long Beach in Long Beach on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Long Beach State won in three straight 25-18, 25-14,25-11. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Long Beach State volleyball fans hold up signs during the third set of LBSU’s NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State opposite hitter Skyler Varga returns a shot during the third set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State opposite hitter Skyler Varga returns a shot during the third set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team won its NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis (8) celebrates with teammates after they defeated Belmont Abbey in their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team wins its NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Belmont Abbey on Tuesday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The eight-team NCAA men’s volleyball tournament is being held this week at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. The semifinals are Thursday with the title match scheduled for Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The eight-team NCAA men’s volleyball tournament is being held this week at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. The semifinals are Thursday with the title match scheduled for Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
LONG BEACH — The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team wasn’t going to be left behind on Tuesday evening.
Second-seeded Long Beach recovered from a slow start to sweep seventh-seeded Belmont Abbey, 25-18, 25-14, 25-11, in an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal match at the Walter Pyramid.
LBSU (26-2) advanced to the semifinals for the third straight season and will face third-seeded Grand Canyon (26-4) in a semifinal on Thursday afternoon. GCU defeated sixth-seeded Ohio State, 25-23, 25-20, 25-21, in the last quarterfinal on Tuesday night.
“At this point, you want to move on and our guys did a good job of that,” Long Beach State coach Alan Knipe said. “I think we settled in nicely and got the offense going.”
Long Beach was led by Sotiris Siapanis with 11 kills and Skyler Varga and Nathan Harlan with 10 each.
“Our passing was lights out tonight, so it really made it easy for me,” Long Beach setter Aidan Knipe said.
Long Beach (26-2) faced its biggest push from Belmont Abbey (of North Carolina) early in the first set.
Harlan was blocked for a second time to give the Crusaders a 5-3 lead, but shortly after that Harlan served an ace followed by three more winners to give Long Beach an 8-5 advantage.
Belmont Abbey (21-5) was still within three at 16-13 when a kill by 6-foot-10 middle blocker Simon Torwie was followed by back-to-back hitting errors by Belmont Abbey for a 19-13 lead.
An errant set gave LBSU game point and another hitting error by the Crusaders ended Game 1.
“There were a lot of long rallies and they dug a lot of balls,” Alan Knipe said of Belmont Abbey. “You could tell the moment was not too big for them.”
The Crusaders took their final lead of the second set at 5-4 before Long Beach scored five straight points capped by a service ace from Varga for a 9-5 lead. LBSU followed with another five in a row to extend its lead to 14-6 and Belmont Abbey never got closer than seven the rest of the set.
LBSU then jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the third set and was able to coast the rest of the way, ending the match on a kill by reserve middle blocker Lazar Bouchkov.
“We’ll take a deep breath and enjoy tonight,” Alan Knipe said. “Have the guys enjoy part of the Final Four experience (Wednesday) night at the social. The most important thing for us is to keep advancing and keep playing a Long Beach State brand of volleyball.”
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