LONG BEACH STATE (0-0) vs. #4 PITT (0-0)
Saturday, August 31 • 4:00 p.m. • Eugene, Ore. • Matthew Knight Arena
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
X:@LBSUWVB
LONG BEACH STATE (0-0) at #10 OREGON (0-0)
Sunday, September 1 • 12:00 p.m. • Eugene, Ore. • Matthew Knight Arena
Live Stats:StatBroadcast.com
TV: BTN+
X:@LBSUWVB
Long Beach State Women's Volleyball Opens 2024 Season at Oregon Invitational
The Long Beach State Women's Volleyball team kicks off the 2024 campaign on the road as the Beach compete against No. 4 Pitt and No. 10 Oregon at the Oregon Invitational in Eugene, Ore. The Beach and the Panthers will face off on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 4 p.m., at Matthew Knight Arena. The next day, Sunday, Sept. 1, LBSU will go head-to-head with the host Ducks at 12 noon.
Catch All The Action
Live stats for the Oregon Invitational are available via StatBroadcast.com. The Long Beach State-Oregon match will be live streamed on BTN+.
Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State women's volleyball on Instagram and Twitter at @LBSUWVB. Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics via Twitter. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU.
In The Rankings
• Long Beach State is not currently ranked in the AVCA/Taraflex Division I Poll. LBSU opens the season with an RPI of 63, which is third in The Big West.
• The Beach have a competitive schedule this season. They will face eight teams that are either nationally ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA Rankings.
• At the Oregon Invitational, Long Beach State will go up against two nationally ranked opponents in No. 4 Pitt and No. 10 Oregon.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State is looking to build upon a solid 2023 season in which the Beach finished the year with a 21-10 overall record and a 13-5 Big West mark.
• Interim Head Coach Natalie Reagan is back for her second season overall at Long Beach State, but in her first at the helm.
• Reagan is joined on the sidelines by Associate Head Coach Bjarne Huus who is in his second season, as well as Assistant Coach Jordan Molina who returned to LBSU for his second year after serving as a Volunteer Assistant Coach during the 2022 season.
• This season, Long Beach State returns all its letterwinners from a year ago, minus the graduating seniors. Additionally, the Beach welcome in four newcomers to the mix.
• Leading the way for LBSU are Big West Preseason Coaches Team selections Zayna Meyer and Natalie Glenn.
• Meyer is a senior setter who is coming off of a 2023 season in which she was named Big West Setter of the Year, First Team All-Big West, and Honorable Mention All-Pacific South Region. She led the Beach to a .244 attack percentage as she distributed 9.99 assists per set throughout the year. She also contributed 2.46 digs, 0.87 kills, 0.51 blocks, and 0.31 aces per set.
• Glenn is a senior outside hitter. She was named 2023 Second Team All-Big West last season after leading Long Beach State with 37 aces to average 0.45 per set. She was second on the team with 2.47 kills per set and fourth on the team in blocking (0.62 bps).
• Joining Meyer on the All-Conference Team were teammates Katie Kennedy (1st Team), Elise Agi (2nd Team), Natalie Glenn (2nd Team), and Kameron Bacon (Honorable Mention).
• Also returning to the court in 2024 for the Beach are senior outside hitter Abby Karich, senior middle blocker Kameron Bacon, and sophom*ore middle blocker Ella Lomigora.
• Karich finished the 2023 season with 2.49 kills per set to come in third on the team, before missing the final month of the season to an injury.
• Bacon, a 6-4 middle, was a 2023 Honorable Mention All-Big West selection after leading the Beach in blocking (1.10 bps) which ranked her third in the conference.
• Lomigora had a solid rookie season as she played in 11 matches and made seven starts. She made her collegiate debut against Indiana and knocked down six kills on a .200 attack percentage.
• Freshman middle blocker Preslie Yates joins the Beach from Berkeley, Calif., where she was a four-year letterwinner at Berkeley High School and played club with Absolute Volleyball Club.
• Madi Maxwell is a 6-2 setter and opposite who comes to LBSU after playing four years at Newhall High School. A three-time First Team All-Foothill League selection, Maxwell, was also named Foothill Player of the Year in 2023. She finished her prep career with 1,206 kills and 2,000 aces.
• Freshman defensive specialist Kamryn Santi was a three-year letterwinner at Chino Hills High School where she won two Division 3 CIF Championships as a sophom*ore and again as a senior.
• Rounding out the newcomers is freshman setter Madi Collins. Collins was named to the Volleyball Magazine Dream Team and was a three-time AVCA Phemon selection. The Redondo Union Varsity MVP as a sophom*ore went on to repeat as the school MVP in a breakout season in her junior campaign which culminated in her earning First Team All-Bay League honors.
• This season, Long Beach State has been chosen to finish third in The Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Beach garnered 83 points and two first-place votes coming in just two points behind second place Hawaii, which garnered 85 points and thee first-place votes. Cal Poly collected 94 points and five first-place votes and was chosen as the preseason favorite.
Scouting Pittsburgh
• Pitt begins the 2024 season ranked No. 4 in the AVCA preseason poll. This marks the second-straight year the Panthers have been in the top five in the preseason poll and the the fourth-straight year they have started in the top 10.
• The Panthers look to build upon their third-straight NCAA Semifinal appearance a year ago.
• As a team, the Panthers return five starters and five All-Americans headlined by 2023 ACC Setter of the Year and AVCA First Team All-American Rachel Fairbanks.
• AVCA Freshman of the Year and First Team All-American, Olivia Babco*ck will also be back on the hardwood for Pitt, along with Third Team All-American Torrey Stafford.
• Pitt welcomes five true freshmen in Ryla Jones, Biance Garibaldi, Kiana Dinn, Mallorie Meyer, and Dalia Virlan.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Panthers
Long Beach State and Pitt will face each other for just the seventh time in program history. In their first meeting since 2007, the Beach lead the Panthers 6-0 in the all-time series. When playing at a neutral site, LBSU holds a 2-0 lead over Pitt as the Panthers look to earn their first ever win over Long Beach State on Saturday afternoon.
Scouting Oregon
• Oregon kicks off the 2024 season ranked No. 10 in the AVCA preseason poll. This marks the second-consecutive year and third time in program history that the Ducks start the year as a top 10 team.
• The Ducks are hosting the Oregon Invitational, a three-team round robin tournament that features Long Beach State and No. 4 Pitt.
• Junior outside hitter Mimi Colyer was named to the 2024 Big Ten Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team. She was a 2023 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection as she finished the season with 471 kills and 4.43 points per set.
• The Ducks return nine players from the 2023 roster. In addition to Colyer, also coming back are Daley McClellan and Onye Ofoegbu.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Ducks
Long Beach State and Oregon will face each other for the 11th time in program history. In the all-time series, the Beach lead the Ducks, 6-4. However, Oregon has won the last three-straight meetings against LBSU. When playing each other in Eugene, Ore., The Beach lead 5-1.
Family Connection
Redshirt junior outside hitter Jaylen Jordan, junior outside hitter Tatum Hoff, senior defensive specialist Jenna Giambi, and senior outside hitter Kailia Lopez have some strong family connections.
Jordan is the daughter of Kevin Jordan who played football at UCLA, while her mother, Jenny Johnson Jordan played volleyball. Her mother went on to play on the 2000 Beach Volleyball Olympic Team, while her father played in the NFL with both the Cardinals and the Bengals. If that weren't enough, her grandfather was 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist and UCLA track & field and basketball star, Rafer Johnson.
Hoff is the daughter of Long Beach State Men's Volleyball alum, U.S. A. Olympic Gold Medalist, and professional volleyball player Tom Hoff. The senior Hoff played two years at LBSU, then went on to enjoy a successful professional career playing overseas. A three-time Olympian (2000, 2004, 2008), Hoff was a member of the U.S. Men's National Team from 1996-2009, and helped bring home the Gold in 2008.
Giambi, meanwhile, comes from a strong pedigree of athletes as well. Her mother, Julie Giambi, played softball at Cal State Fullerton, and her uncles, Jason and Jeremy, are former Major League Baseball players. Her Uncle Jason played for the Dirtbags from 1990-92.
Lopez is also the descendant of a Dirtbag as she is the daughter of Derek Lopez who played for the Dirtbags in 1989. Additionally, her mother, Krystal Attwood, was a standout at Hawaii who went on to have a successful beach volleyball career.
The Connection To Oregon
Oregon Head Coach Matt Ulmer previously spent six years at Long Beach State as an assistant coach under legendary Head Coach Brian Gimmilaro. Additionally, Ulmer went on to serve as the LBSU Beach Volleyball Head Coach and led the squad to the 2013 AVCA National Title. Oregon Associate Head Coach Erika Dillard is also a former assistant coach at Long Beach State. She was at the Beach for eight years and was a three-time All-Big West and two-time AVCA All-Region selection during her playing career at Long Beach State.
Next Up
Following the Oregon Invitational, Long Beach State will return to the Walter Pyramid for the team's home opener on Thursday, Sept. 5 when they host Northwestern at 7 p.m.
