Long Beach State setter Aidan Knipe reaches for a return during the third set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. LBSU rallied for a five-set win and will face UCLA in the national championship match on Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Simon Torwie, left, spikes the ball as Grand Canyon middle blocker Cameron Thorne, center, and outside hitter Jackson Hickman defend during the first set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis, center, reacts after a point during the first set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker DiAeris McRaven, not pictured, scores during the first set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Grand Canyon middle blocker Cameron Thorne, right, scores past Long Beach State middle blocker DiAeris McRaven during the first set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker DiAeris McRaven, center, reacts after a point during the first set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker DiAeris McRaven, left, scores past Grand Canyon middle blocker Rico Wardlow during the first set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State opposite hitter Skyler Varga prepares to serve during the first set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis reacts after a point during the first set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Grand Canyon outside hitter Jackson Hickman (not pictured) spikes the ball between Long Beach State middle blocker Simon Torwie, left, and outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Clarke Godbold hits during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State fans react after a point during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside Hitter Sotiris Siapanis scores past Grand Canyon opposite hitter Jarrett Anderson (11) during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis serves during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State opposite hitter Skyler Varga, center, spikes the ball between Grand Canyon opposite hitter Camden Gianni (1) and middle blocker Rico Wardlow during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Grand Canyon opposite hitter Jarrett Anderson (11) hits as Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis, right, and middle blocker Simon Torwie defend during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis serves during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State fans hold up signs as opposite hitter Skyler Varga prepares to serve during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis spikes for a point during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis spikes for a point during the second set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Grand Canyon setter Nicholas Slight, right, reacts GCU won the second set to take a 2-0 lead against Long Beach State in their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Grand Canyon middle blocker Rico Wardlow (23) reacts after they won the second set to take a 2-0 lead against Long Beach State in their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State libero Mason Briggs returns a shot during the third set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State setter Aidan Knipe (5) reaches for a return during the third set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State setter Aidan Knipe (5) reaches for a return during the third set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis, left, hugs outside hitter Nathan Harlan (9) as middle blocker Simon Torwie reacts after they won the third set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. LBSU rallied to win in five sets and will face UCLA in the national championship match on Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State head coach Alan Knipe watches from the sideline during the fourth set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker DiAeris McRaven (19) blocks a shot against Grand Canyon opposite hitter Camden Gianni (1) during the fifth set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Simon Torwie, right, spikes the ball against Grand Canyon middle blocker Rico Wardlow during the fifth set of their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State players celebrate after rallying to defeat Grand Canyon in five sets in their NCAA men’s volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Walter Pyramid. Second-seeded LBSU will face top-seeded UCLA in the national championship match on Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
LONG BEACH — The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team did it the hard way in its NCAA semifinal on Thursday night.
Second-seeded Long Beach dropped the first two sets against third-seeded Grand Canyon at the Walter Pyramid, but swept the next three to advance to the national championship match for the second time in three years.
Long Beach (27-2) and defending champion UCLA (25-5) split their regular-season matches in February, each winning in four sets.
“We’ll appreciate in the moment what just happened,” LBSU coach Alan Knipe said. “It was pretty special.”
Skyler Varga had 20 kills and five of Long Beach’s 21 blocks and Sotiris Siapanis pitched in 16 kills.
“I’m really proud of my guys to beat such a good team,” Siapanis said. “You have to feed off the energy when you can’t find it internally.”
Long Beach came back from a 24-20 deficit in the first set to tie it 24-all.
Long Beach thought it had tied the score again at 25-25 on a hitting error by Grand Canyon, but the Antelopes requested a video review and it was determined the ball glanced off the LBSU block before going out of bounds, giving Grand Canyon the opening set. Long Beach hit .367 in first set, compared to .286 for the Antelopes
Long Beach and Grand Canyon (26-5) waged another tight battle in the second set. The Antelopes again reached set point first at 24-22, but Long Beach knotted it again at 24-all. Simon Torwie stuffed a kill attempt to get LBSU to set point at 25-24, but Long Beach couldn’t put the Antelopes away and they scored the final two points on a kill by Camden Gianni and a combined block.
“It was a gut check,” Knipe said. “You have a big hill to climb, but this team is pretty special when it comes to that sort of stuff.”
LBSU finally strung together some points in the third set, scoring five straight to turn an 11-8 deficit into a 13-11 lead. Long Beach didn’t give up the advantage, increasing it to 22-16 on its fifth ace of the set.
A service error moved it to set point and Siapanis ended an extended rally with a kill to give Long Beach the win.
“They were so dialed in the timeouts and what they wanted to do,” Knipe said.
LBSU evened the match in the fourth set, scoring three straight points to take a 23-20 lead. A hitting error by the Antelopes got the hosts to set point before a very long service error sent the match to a fifth set.
“You could feel the crowd, not just hear them,” Knipe said.
Long Beach never trailed in the decisive set, scoring the final four points to seal the win.
Nathan Harlan’s ace got Long Beach to match point and Siapanis put down his final kill to send the partisan arena crowd into a frenzy.
“Both the matches tonight lived up to what everyone was hoping, that the four best teams the nation would deliver,” Knipe said.
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