Kaylie Siu
On Friday, April 18, at LionTree Arena, UC San Diego men’s volleyball (17-9, 3-5 Big West) fell to Long Beach State (25-2, 7-2 Big West) in straight sets, 23-25, 10-25, 22-25, losing its final home game of the regular season.
An unprecedented 3,850 attendees packed the stands for the Tritons’ Senior Night, selling out LionTree Arena for the first time in UCSD men’s volleyball history. The Tritons were heavy underdogs entering the match, ranked No. 10 nationally against the No. 1-ranked Beach. Adding to the allure of the game was Long Beach’s freshman setter Moni Nikolov, who is widely regarded as one of the best and most popular volleyball players in the world. The young star is known for his game-wrecking creativity as a setter, earning titles like “The Bulgarian Prince” and “The Prodigy” after he joined the Bulgarian national volleyball team at just 17 years old.
“This was the most full I’ve ever seen this gym,” head coach Brad Rostratter said in a postgame interview with The UCSD Guardian. “I’m truly honored and grateful for all the support that came out tonight.”
Despite its underdog status, UCSD dominated the opening three rallies, but the Beach was quick to respond with its staggering offensive output. The teams started off neck and neck with flurries of kills across the court until the Tritons gained the advantage.
Key kills by redshirt junior outside hitter Josh Schellinger gave UCSD a presiding 4-point lead, forcing the Beach to use its first timeout. Upon its return, the visiting team had made noticeable improvements, but with the electric atmosphere in their favor, the Tritons remained on top.
Empowered by the arena, senior outside hitter Sam Warren delivered missiles into the opposing court, slamming down the Beach’s libero as the crowd gleefully cheered. Warren’s attacks rained down on the Beach, and the odds of an upset inched higher. With Long Beach now down 4 points, Nikolov miscalculated his set and sent the ball flying out of bounds, causing the team to call another timeout. For a brief moment, it seemed like the first set was in UCSD’s hands.
However, the Beach returned and immediately took the set. UCSD fought tooth and nail to maintain its leading position, but Long Beach relentlessly steamrolled through its resistance with powerful strikes and formidable blocking.
The second set marked a stark downturn for the Tritons as they struggled to keep up with the Beach’s pace. Long Beach’s efficient serving and attacks capitalized on UCSD’s error-ridden gameplay, and in an instant the Tritons found themselves with a hefty 6-point deficit. Backed into a corner, the Tritons used both of their timeouts to no avail, and by the end of the period they had only scored two kills to the Beach’s 11.
“In the second set, we were just a little slow trying to be perfect and not quite playing how we normally play,” Rostratter said.
Having lost the opening two sets, it was crucial for the Tritons to champion the third for any hope of an upset. The team played with these stakes in mind, regaining the momentum it had previously lost. Long Beach responded to the Tritons’ persistence with a tenacity of its own, causing the challengers to be neck and neck, once again. This time, however, the Beach took the high ground and capitalized on the ambitious aggression with which each Triton struck.
With its Senior Night on the line, UCSD’s barrage of belligerent attacks soared through the court, sometimes beating the Beach’s impervious blocks and other times driving into out-of-bounds territory. The Tritons needed consistency, but these improvements were harder to obtain as the set neared its conclusion.
“In the third, we did a better job settling in and being back and forth, but it was too late before we found our rhythm,” Rostratter said.
Both teams dragged along, but UCSD remained in Long Beach’s shadow. With only a few points left to finish out the match, the teams took turns scoring, with the final kill landing in Triton territory.
On Saturday, April 19, the Tritons challenged the Beach on the road and were swept once again, losing in straight sets, 12-25, 21-25, 18-25. UCSD is back in action on Thursday, April 24, in the first round of the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship, where they are set to take on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.
“Ultimately, it was the best case scenario for us to play against this really talented team,” Rostratter said. “We’re headed into the Big West Conference Tournament next week, so we want to be facing the toughest opponents, and we know this is a team that we’re going to have to beat.”
