The562's coverage of Long Beach State Track and Field for the 2022-23 season. marilyn ball.
Long Beach Wilson Athletics coverage from The562. Joel BitonioClass of 2009.
Like every summer, Long Beach sports products join the ranks of the U.S. national team and help bring the United States some big wins.
american volleyball
The Long Beach State era has arrived for the U.S. men's national volleyball team. The American took home the silver medal from his Nations League Volleyball, which is the current name and format of the World Championship. The Americans added five players from Long Beach State to their roster at various points this summer (including active players Mason Briggs and Spencer Olivier), and in their final game of the VNL, they significantly added two players from Long Beach State to their roster. I relied on it.
TJ DeFalco, a two-time NCAA Player of the Year, was one of the best players in the world this summer, serving as the USA's leading attacker as both an outside hitter and an opposite hitter. DeFalco showed off his star quality in the quarterfinals against Brazil, scoring a team-high 17 points to lead the U.S. to a four-set victory over Brazil.
DeFalco, who was the United States' leading scorer in most games this summer, has emerged as the national team's offensive leader at just 25 years old as he prepares for the Paris Olympics in two summers and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
But he wasn't the only one to trade black and gold for red, white, and blue. Fellow alumnus and two-time NCAA champion Kyle Ensing had a solid performance as an opposite hitter throughout the VNL, and he averaged eight points per game for the United States. His other member of the “Big Three” from which LBSU won the national title was also on the varsity team, setter Josh Tuaniga, who was the team's backup setter and played sparingly. All three will take home silver medals and enjoy some time back in the United States before preparing to return home to play professionally overseas.
american water polo
Long Beach and Wilson products have been a mainstay of the U.S. Men's National Water Polo Team since its inception in 1908, and this summer will be no different. Wilson alumnus Max Irving and Long Beach native Hannes Daub have both contributed significantly to the national team's appearance in the FINA World League Super Finals.
The Americans have had a successful season so far, defeating Italy 13-9 on Sunday to win the Group B title and advance to the quarterfinals. They will face Australia after the print deadline this week.
Daub and Irving combined for three of America's 13 goals in the win over Italy. Irving scored a hat trick in the United States' win over Canada earlier in the tournament, and Daub scored a hat trick in the narrow loss to France, clinching the start of the World League.
