Thursday, May 4
Fairfax, VA
2:00 PM
UCLA
30-2,12-0MPSF
3
vs
0
Long Beach State
21-5,9-1Big West
1
2
3
F
Long Beach St.
16
14
19
0
UCLA
25
25
25
3
Ido David led UCLA with 17 kills in the win over Long Beach.
Photo by: Rafael Suanes/NCAA
MVB To Play for National Championship on Saturday
May 04, 2023 | Men's Volleyball
Fairfax, Va. - The top-seeded UCLA men's volleyball team (30-2) advanced to the NCAA Men's National Collegiate Volleyball Championship match with a three-set semifinal win over Long Beach State (21-5) on Thursday at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University. Scores of the match were 25-16, 25-14, 25-19. It was UCLA's 11th straight win which is the most by a Bruin team since the 2006 squad earned victories in its last 14 matches of that season.
UCLA outhit the Beach .458 to .232 to secure their 27th trip to the men's volleyball national championship match on Saturday in the quest for the program's 20th NCAA men's volleyball title and first since 2006. It marked the 17th match this season in which UCLA, which led the nation in hitting percentage at the end of the regular season, has compiled a .400 or greater attack percentage.
Sophomore opposite Ido David led the Bruin attack with 17 kills, his team-high 20th double-digit kill match of the campaign, while hitting .625. Junior outside hitter Ethan Champlin added 14 kills, two aces and hit .619. Guy Genis added three blocks, including his 19th block solo of the season, which tied the UCLA single-season rally scoring record. Troy Gooch led the Bruins with eight digs and was perfect on 18 serve receptions. The 3-0 sweep was the 21st of the season for the Bruins and the most by a Bruin team since the 1995 squad recorded a school-record 25. UCLA notched its 30th win of the season with the victory which is the most wins by a Bruin team since the 1995 squad went 31-1 on its way to an NCAA championship.
UCLA opened up a 6-3 lead to begin set one after an Alex Knight kill. Long Beach closed to 10-7. Three kills from Ethan Champlin expanded the gap to 13-9. A block by Knight / Genis / David made it 16-11. Long Beach tallied the next two points to close to 16-13. An ace from Knight handed UCLA a 20-14 advantage. Champlin and David registered back-to-back kills for 23-14 to complete a 5-0 run. Champlin's sixth kill of the frame led to set point, at 24-15. A Beach service error ended the set for a 25-16 win. The Bruins hit .333 with David tallying seven kills.
In set two, UCLA moved out to a 7-3 edge following a David kill. The Beach scored the next two points, but UCLA answered with six straight behind the serve of Merrick McHenry for a 13-5 advantage. Knight then served the Bruins into a 17-9 lead. Coleman McDonough's ace grew the margin to 19-10. McHenry's tip put UCLA up 22-13. Champlin followed with an ace and a kill for 23-14. McHenry's swing gave UCLA set point at 24-14 and a Beach error ended the set for a 25-14 win. UCLA hit .500 for the frame to .115 for the Beach.
Set three was back-and-forth early until the Bruins snapped a 4-all tie on a Beach service error and a David spike. The Beach pulled to within one at 9-8, 10-9 and 11-10. Setter Andrew Rowan then supplied three straight kills for a 14-10 advantage. Champlin and David followed with kills and the Bruins had a 5-0 run and the momentum. The Beach came back to get within two points at 16-14, 17-15 and again at 19-17. Kills by Champlin and McHenry sandwiched a couple of Beach errors and pushed the margin up to 23-17. Cooper Robinson's swing put UCLA at set and match point at 24-18. A Beach error ended the set at 25-19. UCLA hit .571 for the frame.
On Saturday at 2 p.m. PT, UCLA will play for the program's 20th men's volleyball national championship (also won in 2006, 2000, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1993, 1989, 1987, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1981, 1979, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1972, 1971, 1970). The Bruins last played for the NCAA men's volleyball title in 2018 but lost to the Beach. Head Coach John Speraw will be seeking his fourth national championship as a head coach (won in 2007, 2009, 2012 while head coach at UC Irvine) and first as Bruin head coach. In addition to his three titles won as a head coach, Speraw has captured three titles as a Bruin assistant coach (1996, 1998, 2000) and two more as a UCLA player (1993 and 1995). UCLA's opponent on Saturday will be the winner of the second semifinal match between Penn State (27-3) and No. 2 seed Hawai'i (28-2). The Bruins split a pair of matches with the Nittany Lions and lost a match at Hawai'i earlier this season. The championship match will be televised by ESPN2.
UCLA outhit the Beach .458 to .232 to secure their 27th trip to the men's volleyball national championship match on Saturday in the quest for the program's 20th NCAA men's volleyball title and first since 2006. It marked the 17th match this season in which UCLA, which led the nation in hitting percentage at the end of the regular season, has compiled a .400 or greater attack percentage.
Sophomore opposite Ido David led the Bruin attack with 17 kills, his team-high 20th double-digit kill match of the campaign, while hitting .625. Junior outside hitter Ethan Champlin added 14 kills, two aces and hit .619. Guy Genis added three blocks, including his 19th block solo of the season, which tied the UCLA single-season rally scoring record. Troy Gooch led the Bruins with eight digs and was perfect on 18 serve receptions. The 3-0 sweep was the 21st of the season for the Bruins and the most by a Bruin team since the 1995 squad recorded a school-record 25. UCLA notched its 30th win of the season with the victory which is the most wins by a Bruin team since the 1995 squad went 31-1 on its way to an NCAA championship.
UCLA opened up a 6-3 lead to begin set one after an Alex Knight kill. Long Beach closed to 10-7. Three kills from Ethan Champlin expanded the gap to 13-9. A block by Knight / Genis / David made it 16-11. Long Beach tallied the next two points to close to 16-13. An ace from Knight handed UCLA a 20-14 advantage. Champlin and David registered back-to-back kills for 23-14 to complete a 5-0 run. Champlin's sixth kill of the frame led to set point, at 24-15. A Beach service error ended the set for a 25-16 win. The Bruins hit .333 with David tallying seven kills.
In set two, UCLA moved out to a 7-3 edge following a David kill. The Beach scored the next two points, but UCLA answered with six straight behind the serve of Merrick McHenry for a 13-5 advantage. Knight then served the Bruins into a 17-9 lead. Coleman McDonough's ace grew the margin to 19-10. McHenry's tip put UCLA up 22-13. Champlin followed with an ace and a kill for 23-14. McHenry's swing gave UCLA set point at 24-14 and a Beach error ended the set for a 25-14 win. UCLA hit .500 for the frame to .115 for the Beach.
Set three was back-and-forth early until the Bruins snapped a 4-all tie on a Beach service error and a David spike. The Beach pulled to within one at 9-8, 10-9 and 11-10. Setter Andrew Rowan then supplied three straight kills for a 14-10 advantage. Champlin and David followed with kills and the Bruins had a 5-0 run and the momentum. The Beach came back to get within two points at 16-14, 17-15 and again at 19-17. Kills by Champlin and McHenry sandwiched a couple of Beach errors and pushed the margin up to 23-17. Cooper Robinson's swing put UCLA at set and match point at 24-18. A Beach error ended the set at 25-19. UCLA hit .571 for the frame.
On Saturday at 2 p.m. PT, UCLA will play for the program's 20th men's volleyball national championship (also won in 2006, 2000, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1993, 1989, 1987, 1984, 1983, 1982, 1981, 1979, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1972, 1971, 1970). The Bruins last played for the NCAA men's volleyball title in 2018 but lost to the Beach. Head Coach John Speraw will be seeking his fourth national championship as a head coach (won in 2007, 2009, 2012 while head coach at UC Irvine) and first as Bruin head coach. In addition to his three titles won as a head coach, Speraw has captured three titles as a Bruin assistant coach (1996, 1998, 2000) and two more as a UCLA player (1993 and 1995). UCLA's opponent on Saturday will be the winner of the second semifinal match between Penn State (27-3) and No. 2 seed Hawai'i (28-2). The Bruins split a pair of matches with the Nittany Lions and lost a match at Hawai'i earlier this season. The championship match will be televised by ESPN2.
Team Stats
LBSU
UCLA
Kills
32
47
Errors
13
9
Attempts
82
83
Hitting %
.232
.458
Points
40.0
57.5
Assists
31
45
Aces
2
5
Blocks
6
5.5
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
14
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
2
Blocks
3
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
L
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's Volleyball
L
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's VolleyballS
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