Long Beach State's Aidan Kneipp sets the ball against UC Irvine on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Fleshman, contributing photographer)
UCLA's Andrew Rowan, Long Beach State's Aidan Kneipp and UC Irvine's Brett Sheward should feel at home at the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship this week in Long Beach.
All three discovered the sport while growing up in Orange County, went on to become star players at local high schools and are now ranked among the best college setters in the nation, and each has a legitimate chance to lead their teams to a national title. I am.
“When you have a good setter, you maximize the potential of everyone on the court,” UCLA coach John Spero said. “This setter does it.”
UCLA will take to the court at Walter Pyramid as the top seed out of eight teams, Long Beach State will be the second seed and UCI will be the fourth seed. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Tuesday, followed by the semifinals on Thursday and the championship game Saturday afternoon.
Rowan and Seward have already combined to win three NCAA titles, but Kneipp is looking for his first title after losing to Hawaii in the championship match two years ago.
“It would be a great, great way to go into the last game,” Kneipp said.
Rowan, a 6-foot-6 sophomore who played at Jaysela High School, helped UCLA dethrone Hawaii last season to win its first NCAA title since 2006.
He won the AVCA Rookie of the Year, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Rookie of the Year, and finished third in voting for the Roy Ball Award, given to the nation's top collegiate setter.
Rowan said he enjoys being the team leader.
“Theoretically, a player touches the ball on every play,” Rowan said of the setter position. “I think the setter is always one of the most important roles in terms of winning games because if that player has an off night, the whole team can be disrupted.”
Rowan is having another great season, ranking sixth in the nation in assists (1,045) and ninth in assists per set (10.15), leading the Bruins in offensive percentage for the third straight year. contributes to.
The Bruins suffered a blowout loss to third-seeded Grand Canyon in the championship game of the MPSF Tournament at UCLA on April 20, but their overall performance earned UCLA one of the two top bids to the tournament. Not only did they win, but they also secured the top seed spot. In the same way.
Spero said there isn't much difference between the top four seeds.
“It’s just one play here or there that decides who wins,” he said.
Kneipp, a redshirt senior who played at Huntington Beach High School, helped Long Beach advance to its third consecutive NCAA Tournament after defeating UCI in the Big West Conference Tournament in Hawaii on April 20.
Kneipp has ranked in the top seven in the nation in assists per set in two of the past three seasons.
Kneipp's father is longtime LBSU coach Alan Kneipp, who won national titles as a coach in 2018 and 2019 and as a player for Long Beach in 1991. Aidan has been coming to LBSU games since before he learned to walk.
“It's been an amazing journey and experience for our entire family,” Alan Kneipp said. “It would be great to be able to go to (Aidan's) third and final NCAA Championship and get it done.”
Sheward won NCAA titles with Hawaii in 2021 and 2022. He came to Honolulu as a setter from Orange Lutheran High School, but converted to libero for his final two seasons with the Rainbow Warriors and led the Big West in digs in 2023.
“It's always valuable to know that someone has been there before,” said UCI coach David Kniffin. “He won some championships as part of a different team, in a different position, but he's still there and there's definitely value there.”
Sheward said the opportunity to play as a setter in his final college season and the proximity to his hometown of Newport Beach were major factors in his decision to transfer to UCI.
“And I had the opportunity to go through the Irvine program with Kniff and see how he coaches,” Sheward said. “That’s a big plus and I really appreciate it.”
Sheward made a smooth transition to the Anteeters and returned to his old position this season, leading the nation in assists (1,143) and second in assists per set (10.58).
Sheward helped the Anteeters defeat Hawaii in the semifinals of the Big West Tournament on April 19, ending the two-time defending champions' season and helping the Anteeters earn their second tournament berth. Contributed.
“I don’t know how important winning is to Brett, but I do know that competing is very important to him,” Kniffin said.