Long Beach State men's volleyball is stepping into a new era. And they're doing it with swagger.
MONI WHO?
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Moni Nikolov—the 6-foot-10 phenom who left everyone speechless last season—is gone. Turned pro after arguably the greatest freshman season ever. But Long Beach State? They're not sweating it.
Coach Nick MacRae, taking over from the legendary Alan Knipe, is all about embracing change. "The objective is not to replace Moni," he said. That's right. They aren't trying to clone Nikolov's insane 80-mph serves. Instead, they're focusing on raising everyone else's game.
THE SKYLER VARGA SHOW
Enter Skyler Varga. The senior outside hitter is the new face of the Beach. Last season, he racked up 270 kills with a jaw-dropping .368 hitting percentage. And he was just warming up. Varga spent his summer with Team Canada, ending with a 24-kill showstopper against Ukraine.
"Skyler has no ceiling," MacRae said. "He makes everybody around him better." A future Olympian? You bet.
WHO'S SETTING THE TABLE?
With Nikolov's departure, the setter position is wide open. Jake Pazanti, a redshirt freshman, has been getting reps in exhibitions. But don't count out seniors Island Doty and Ryan Peluso. MacRae's got options, and he's ready to play them.
THE CONTENDERS
Ranked No. 3 in the nation, Long Beach State isn't just looking to compete. They're gunning for another title. With guys like Alex Kandev, who shined in last season's championship run, the Beach is stacked.
The pressure's on. But as MacRae puts it, "Pressure is the greatest privilege." Get ready. The Beach is coming.
And from there... it was over.
More from United Volleyball Network:
Source: the562.org
