Long Beach State is on another level. Fifteen wins, zero losses. This isn't just a streak—it's a statement.
Long Beach Runs the Show
Daniil Hershtynovich was a monster against CSUN, hitting a career-high .737. Fourteen kills, and he's sitting pretty at No. 9 nationwide in hitting percentage at .426. His teammate, Moni Nikolov, isn't slacking either. Four aces in the same match? Yeah, he's the national leader in aces per set at 1.065.
And then everything changed.
With these two on fire, Long Beach dismantled CSUN in a clean 3-0 sweep. Next up, they face Sacred Heart. Let’s be real, Long Beach is looking to keep that '0' in the loss column intact.
UCLA: Ready to Pounce?
Not far behind, UCLA is making waves of their own. Handling business against UCSB with back-to-back 3-1 wins, they're now 10-3. Cooper Robinson led the charge with 13 kills, while Sean McQuiggan put up a wall with five blocks.
Their showdown with Stanford is gonna be electric. Two matches, two nights at Pauley Pavilion. You could feel it coming...
The NTDP Connection
Both powerhouses have talent rooted in the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program. Long Beach boasts players like Sebastiano Sani, who dominated at the U19 Pan Am Cup. Kellen Larson and DiAeris McRaven carry their own impressive resumes.
UCLA isn't lacking either. Andrew Rowan dished out 47 assists against UCSB, proving why he's gold material at the Pan Am Cup.
The Prediction
Long Beach is the real deal, no doubt. But UCLA’s got the depth to flip the script. With both teams stacked, the question is: Who’s gonna blink first?
That'll do it.
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Source: USA Volleyball
