Long Beach State setter No. 5 Aidan Kneipp plays against UCLA during the second set of the NCAA men's volleyball championship match at Walter Pyramid on the California State University Long Beach campus on Saturday, May 4, 2024 in Long Beach. Makes shots against the Bruins. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
For UCLA fans, it was a jubilation. It was heartbreaking for Long Beach State fans.
But first, on Saturday, May 4, when the Bruins and Beach faced off in the NCAA men's volleyball tournament title match, both teams endured highs and lows of emotion inside Walter Pyramid.
UCLA ultimately won, defending its 2023 national title with a 3-set victory over Long Beach State.
Long Beach State was looking for revenge against the Bruins, who lost in last year's semifinals. However, the Bruins outplayed the Bruins in the first two seats, with Veach winning a close third set 29-27. The overtime victory sent the home crowd into a frenzy. They had hope. After all, Beach was undefeated at home this season.
However, LBSU ultimately fell short, dropping the fourth set 25-21. And the Bruins faithful cheered from the 4,000-capacity stands as UCLA won the final point and won for the 21st time in men's volleyball history.
Beach, which has yet to win a title since winning back-to-back titles in 2018-19, will have to wait until next year.
“I'm going to get it next time,” said Andre Achacon, a political science major and Associated Student Inc. senator.
Achacon added that while it was disappointing that Long Beach State lost this year, he expects the team to bounce back and win back the national title in the near future.
Despite being a freshman at Long Beach State, Ashacon said he felt high riding the emotional wave of this home game.
He and Makena Mwiti, a freshman mechanical engineering student, watched the intense competition against other students in the student section known as the sandpit. The Long Beach State crowd showed their support by holding gold and black pom-poms and signs with the famous “Go Beach!” logo. — and several students also wore shark costumes to represent the school's mascot, Elbie the Shark.
“I felt very united and it felt like we were one big community supporting each other,” Mwiti said. “I think it's really important to be there for each other, especially since volleyball is so important to our school. I'm glad everyone came.”
Although the school did not win the championship this year, Mr. Ashacon said it was a special experience to shed gold and black blood in the sandbox with his friends, celebrate victories and mourn losses together as one family. .
But UCLA students Sam Zhou and Donny Phansa knew from the beginning that their university would take home the title. Despite sitting among a crowd of beach fans, both expressed confidence that No. 1 UCLA would win right away.
“I thought Long Beach would be more resistant,” Fansa said.
“UCLA is just too good,” Fansa added. “That said, Long Beach probably has a real (chance) next year. They have some good players.”