By Davis Ramage
The path to becoming the 2025 NCAA Men’s Volleyball national champions included the Fort Valley State Wildcats, the Pepperdine Waves and the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins.
Here’s how Long Beach State men’s volleyball cleared the path:
The Bulgarians
A lot has been said about freshman setter Moni Nikolov this season, and if you watch him play, you will see exactly why.
The fluidity with which he sets the ball from any angle and to any spot on the court is a large reason why LBSU was able to take home the trophy.
The deception on his sets is what freed up the LBSU hitters from having to hit past multiple blockers and led them to hit .401 in the NCAA Tournament overall.
He is listed as a setter and stands where a regular setter stands, but can be seen hitting often. It always seems like it is the right decision — and it usually turns out to be — as his massive arm swing, coupled with the element of surprise, is almost impossible to defend.
“Moni obviously thinks he’s a hitter, so maybe I have them [Nikolov and Varga] in the wrong spots,” Knipe said.
Of course, the most memorable kill of them all was the one that put UCLA to bed in the National Championship.
Nikolov posted 110 assists and 20 kills in the tournament.
Freshman outside hitter Alex Kandev is the other Bulgarian whose impact can not be understated.
With the injuries to sophomore opposite Daniil Hershtynovich, The Beach’s second-leading kill man, and senior outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis, he was forced to step up on the biggest stage.
Kandev did just that. After only five kills versus FVSU, he posted 19 kills while hitting .533 against Pepperdine and 13 kills against UCLA on a .450 clip.
Every time The Beach needed a point to get back in the game or put the opposition out of reach, it felt like Kandev was there for them.
“He wasn’t a starter at the beginning of the year, and then when we needed him most, he really came out and showed us what he’s capable of,” Nikolov said.
Defense wins championships
The Beach have a looming physical presence at the net, and the long reach of their hitters on offense and of their blockers on defense makes it hard for opposing teams to find a gap.
This was especially evident in the match against FVSU, which is a smaller team with only one player listed above 6 feet 4 inches.
The Beach were sending multiple blockers at the Wildcat hitters often, recording eight blocks.
Their block held the Wildcats to a .129 hitting percentage, and only one Wildcat with more than two attempts hit a positive percentage, junior outside hitter Isaiah Fedd.
It is also worth noting that LBSU did not register a block error against FVSU or Pepperdine, and just two against UCLA.
On the season, UCLA was second in the nation in team hitting percentage, hitting .369, but hit .129 in the title match, largely thanks to Kandev and freshman middle blocker Isaiah Preuitt, who recorded four blocks each.
Humility
The humbleness and the willingness to do what the team needs by LBSU’s middle blockers, junior Ben Braun and senior DiAeris McRaven, will not show up on the box score, but were vital in LBSU’s title run.
Braun shined against FVSU, posting nine kills on .800 hitting and two blocks, but Preuitt was inserted in the semifinal matchup against Pepperdine and became a staple on the court from that point on.
“Ben’s been great, man. How often as a middle blocker do you hit .667 and get taken out by your coach?” Knipe said. “I wanted what I’ve seen Isaiah doing in the gym; blocking defense, I wanted a little more of that.”
Braun saw his sets drop from four against FVSU to two against Pepperdine and did not play against UCLA.
Knipe went with the combination of Preuitt and McRaven in the championship against UCLA.
In the match, Preuitt had 10 total attacks to McRaven’s two, and it was McRaven’s mentorship that prepared Preuitt for the big stage.
“I just try to remind him, you know, to be him, play the same way he’s been playing in practice,” McRaven said. “He’s been doing really well, and you know obviously that builds so much trust with the coaches for him to be able to play.”
