The Big West men’s volleyball programs have been competing in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation since 1992. But the Big West Conference did not recognize volleyball as a conference sport until May 31 2016, when Big West commissioner Dennis Farrell announced that men’s volleyball would become the 18th sponsored sport starting in the 2018 season. The inaugural Big West season has been highlighted by Long Beach State, which pulled off a nearly perfect season going 24-1, losing the final match of the regular season to Hawaii.
It is fitting that the 49ers would have such an impressive season, as they were chosen to host the tournament in their home gym at the Walter Pyramid.
Fans can purchase tickets now at the Pyramid’s ticketing office or online at longbeachstate.com. Single session tickets start at $5 for students, children 12 and under as well as seniors can get tickets for $12 and adults can find tickets for $15 a person. All session tickets start at $12 for students, children under 12 and seniors are on sale at $27 and adult all session tickets are at $35 a person.
The tournament kicks off Thursday at 5 p.m. and the Daily 49er will be present for all the action over the weekend. Here is guide of every team in the Big West Tournament and what to expect from the programs.
Long Beach State (24-1, 9-1 Big West)
National Rank: 1
Long Beach State fell one game shy of a perfect regular season, going 24-1. The 49ers dominated league play going 9-1, with their lone defeat coming at the hands of Hawaii inside the Stan Sheriff Center on April 14.
Long Beach plays all aspects of its game at an elite level. The team is able to stress opponents from behind the service line better than any other team in the Big West Conference, leading the league in service aces with 148.
The 49ers offense is anchored by Josh Tuaniga, with his 10.55 assists per set, ranking him third in the conference. The majority of those assists are going to TJ DeFalco and Kyle Ensing. The two combined for over 600 kills on the season, with each of them finishing in the top seven of the Big West kills list.
Though UC Irvine and Hawaii provide comparable competition, the 49ers are the favorites to lift the trophy Saturday night. Long Beach earned a first round bye and will play its first match Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Hawaii (18-7, 6-4 Big West)
National Rank: 6
Hawaii enters the tournament playing its best volleyball of the year. The Rainbow Warriors have won five of their last six matches, including a win against Long Beach State.
Much like UC Irvine, Hawaii obtains as much talent on the court as any team in the country. The Rainbow Warriors are extremely balanced, led by a foursome of all conference players, one at every position.
Patrick Gasman’s 93 blocks rank him second in the Big West. His teammate, Stijn van Tilburg, is ranked in the top five in the conference in kills (5th) and kills per set (3rd). Joe Worsley’s 11.06 assists per set put him first in the Big West, and Larry Tuileta’s 191 digs rank him second in the conference.
Hawaii’s ability to be well-rounded in all facets of the game along with its recent streak of hot play makes it a dangerous team in this tournament. Hawaii is set to compete for the tournament title with a first round bye and will play at 5 p.m. Friday in the semifinals.
UC Irvine (20-8, 6-4 Big West)
National Rank: 3
UC Irvine enters the Big West Tournament finishing third in the conference, and being ranked third nationally. The Anteaters are talented as any team in the conference and led by Karl Apfelbach and Aaron Koubi.
No player in the conference had more kills than Apfelbach this year (402), while teammate Koubi was also in the top 10 at seventh with 264. What makes Irvine most dangerous is the 7-foot-tall sophomore middle blocker Scott Stadick.
His ability to stress teams on both sides of the net gives the Anteaters an edge that not many teams have. Stadick leads the league in solo blocks (28), total blocks (146) and blocks per set (1.34). He is an offensive weapon for Irvine, accumulating more kills (225) than any other middle blocker.
Irvine’s innovative offensive scheme, along with Stadick in front of the net, makes it as dangerous as any team in the country. UC Irvine plays its first round matchup Thursday at 5 p.m. against UC San Diego.
Cal State University Northridge (15-10, 5-5 Big West)
National Rank: 9
CSUN enters the Big West Tournament as possibly the most intriguing team. The Matadors have some impressive wins on the season, including back-to-back three set sweeps against Hawaii in The Matadome. Northridge also has questionable losses, such as a road loss to UC Santa Barbara.
Northridge is led by two dynamic outside hitters, Arvis Greene and Dimitar Kalchev. Both rank in the top 10 in the conference in kills, with Greene (349) at third and Kalchev (250) at 10th.
As a team, the Matadors are the most dangerous defensively at the net, where they are anchored by two middle blockers, Eric Chance and Josiah Byers. The Matadors will also stress their opponent from behind the service line, where they ranked second in the conference in service aces (139).
The Matadors can be looked at as a dark horse as far as winning the tournament. Northridge will open play Thursday at 7:30 p.m. against UC Santa Barbara.
UC Santa Barbara (11-12, 4-6 Big West)
National Rank: 12
UC Santa Barbara heads into the Big West Tournament in fifth place, losing seven of its last nine matches.
The Gauchos looked to be one of the stronger teams in the conference for the first half of the season, putting together a five-game win streak heading into the bulk of their conference play.
Since then, the Gauchos have not ranked in the top half of the conference in a single statistical category.
As a team, the Gauchos are ranked last in five different categories including kills (1,022), assists (950) and blocks (194).
UC Santa Barbara is led by junior outside hitter Corey Chavers. His 255 kills rank him first on his team and ninth in the conference.
The Gauchos’ inability to play well on both sides of the net makes them primed for a first round exit in this tournament.
UC Santa Barbara will play its first round matchup at 7:30 Thursday p.m.
UC San Diego (9-18, 0-10 Big West)
National Rank: Unranked
UC San Diego enters the Big West Tournament in last place, riding a nine-game losing streak and failing to win a single conference game. The San Diego team is young, with 12 freshmen, making it the second youngest team in the conference behind Northridge (13).
The Triton team will be led by one of its few seniors, outside hitter Tanner Syftestad. He ranks second in the Big West in total kills (379) and kills per set (4.51).
As a team, San Diego is better defensively than its record might indicate. The Tritons rank first in the conference in total digs (956) and second in digs per set (9.56) and total blocks (221). Even with the offensive prowess of Syftestad and the team’s ability to play solid defense, the Tritons will not be expected to compete for the championship.
Instead, the young team will use the tournament as a learning experience for the abundance of freshmen it has returning next year. UC San Diego takes on UC Irvine in a first round matchup at 5 p.m. Thursday.
