Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis, left, meets middle blocker Simon after winning the third set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. – Hugs outside hitter Nathan Harlan (9 years old) as Towie reacts. LBSU rallied to win in five sets and will face UCLA in the national championship game Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State setter Aidan Kneipp reaches for a return during the third set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. LBSU will look for a five-set victory and will face UCLA in the national championship game on Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Simon Towey, left, spikes the ball and Grand Canyon middle blocker Cameron Thorne during the first set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinals Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. Guarded by player, center and outside hitter Jackson Hickman. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter center Sotiris Siapanis reacts after scoring during the first set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Dearys McRaven (not pictured) scores in the first set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Grand Canyon middle blocker Cameron Thorne (right) defeats Long Beach State University middle blocker Dearys McRaven to score in the first set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinals Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. . (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker and center Dearys McRaven reacts after scoring during the first set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal game against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Dearys McRaven (left) defeats Grand Canyon middle blocker Rico Wardlow to score in the first set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinals Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. . (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State University's opposite hitter Skylar Varga prepares to serve during the first set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis reacts after scoring during the first set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Grand Canyon outside hitter Jackson Hickman (not pictured) hits Long Beach State middle blocker Simon during the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. He spiked the ball between Towie (left) and outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Clark Godbold hits during the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
A Long Beach State University fan reacts after a score during the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outfielder Sotiris Siapanis beat opposing Grand Canyon batter Jarrett Anderson, 11, to score in the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis serves during the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State's opposing batter Skylar Varga (center) engages Grand Canyon's opposing batter Camden Gianni (1) during the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinals Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. He spiked the ball between Rico Wardlow. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Grand Canyon reverse as Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis (right) and middle blocker Simon Towey defend during the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinals Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. Batter Jarrett Anderson (11) had a hit. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis serves during the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
A Long Beach State fan holds up a placard as opposite hitter Skylar Varga prepares to serve during the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis spiked the ball to score in the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State University outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis spikes the ball to score in the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon on Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Grand Canyon setter Nicholas Slight (right) reacts GCU took the second set against Long Beach State and took a 2-0 lead in the NCAA men's volleyball semifinals Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Grand Canyon middle blocker Rico Wardlow, 23, won the second set to go up 2-0 against Long Beach State in the NCAA men's volleyball semifinals Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. After taking the lead, he responded. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State libero Mason Briggs returns a shot during the third set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State University setter Aidan Kneipp, 5, reaches for a return during the third set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State University setter Aidan Kneipp, 5, reaches for a return during the third set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis, left, meets middle blocker Simon after winning the third set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. – Hugs outside hitter Nathan Harlan (9 years old) as Towie reacts. LBSU rallied to win in five sets and will face UCLA in the national championship game Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State head coach Alan Kneipp watched from the sideline during the fourth set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal against Grand Canyon Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Diarys McRaven, 19, hits opposing Grand Canyon batter Camden Gianni (1) during the fifth set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinal Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. (years old) blocked a shot. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State middle blocker Simon Towey, right, plays against Grand Canyon middle blocker Rico Wardlow in the fifth set of the NCAA men's volleyball semifinals Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. spike the ball. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Long Beach State University players rally to celebrate after defeating Grand Canyon in five sets in the NCAA men's volleyball semifinals Thursday night at Walter Pyramid. No. 2 seed LBSU will play No. 1 seed UCLA in the national championship game Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
LONG BEACH — The Long Beach State men's volleyball team faced a tough battle Thursday night in the NCAA semifinals.
Second-seeded Long Beach lost the first two sets to third-seeded Grand Canyon at Walter Pyramid, but won the next three sets to advance to its second national championship game in three years.
The 24-26, 26-28, 25-18, 25-23, 15-10 victory sets up a rematch with top-seeded UCLA on Saturday at 2 p.m. UCLA defeated fourth-seeded UC Irvine in the first semifinal.
Long Beach (27-2) and defending champion UCLA (25-5) split their regular season matches in February, each winning in four sets.
“You'll appreciate right away what happened,” LBSU coach Alan Kneipp said. “That was pretty special.”
Skyler Varga had 20 kills and five of Long Beach's 21 blocks, and Sotiris Siapanis had 16 kills.
“I'm really proud to have won against such a good team,” Siapanis said. “When you can't find energy in your body, you have to feed off of it.”
Long Beach came back from a 24-20 deficit in the first set to tie the game at 24-all.
Long Beach looked to be tied at 25-25 once again due to Grand Canyon's hitting error, but the Antelopes requested a video review and it was determined that the ball grazed an LBSU block before going out of bounds, leading to Grand Canyon I took the lead. set.Long Beach hit .367 in the first set compared to .286 for the Antelopes.
Long Beach and Grand Canyon (26-5) remained close in the second set. The Antelopes again reached set point first at 24-22, but Long Beach again reached set point at 24-all. A kill by Simon Towey gave LBSU set point at 25-24, but Long Beach couldn't get past the Antelopes, scoring the final two points on a kill and combined block from Camden Gianni.
“It was a gut check,” Kneipp said. “There's a big mountain to climb, but this team is pretty special when it comes to things like that.”
LBSU finally connected in the third set, scoring five straight points to turn an 11-8 deficit into a 13-11 lead. Long Beach held on to its advantage and extended its lead to 22-16 with its fifth ace of the set.
A serve error forced a set point, and Siapanis ended the overtime rally with a kill to give Long Beach the victory.
“They were very dialed in on timeouts and what they wanted to do,” Kneipp said.
LBSU tied the match in the fourth set and scored three straight points to take a 23-20 lead. After a hitting error by the Antelopes gave the hosts a set point, a very long service error sent the match to the fifth set.
“Not only could I hear the audience, I could feel the audience,” Kneipp said.
Long Beach never trailed in the final set, winning the final four points to seal the victory.
Nathan Harlan's ace gave Long Beach match point, and Siapanis' final blow sent the Partisan Arena crowd into a frenzy.
“Both games tonight were what everyone expected, featuring the four best teams in the country,” Coach Kneipp said.