DAVIS, Calif. — In a classic battle Sunday, second-seeded UC San Diego was defeated by fifth-seeded Long Beach State, 10-8, in the title game of the Big West Championship.
Along with the conference crown, the Beach also came away with the league's automatic berth in the upcoming National Collegiate Championship.
UC Davis hosted the six-team event at Schaal Aquatics Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego had the upper hand in the first quarter, out-scoring Long Beach State 4-2. However, the Beach turned the tables in the second quarter, netting three goals while keeping the Tritons scoreless to set up a 5-4 advantage heading into halftime. Both squads scored twice in the third and Long Beach State won the final quarter, 3-2.
Landon Akerstrom and
Mason Presley each had a pair of goals for UC San Diego.
Bennett Axline,
Brendon Fezzey,
Eamon Hennessey, and
Lucas Romaguera all found the back of the net once.
Mark Laurlund assisted on two goals and Hennessey finished with two points by adding an assist to go with his goals.
Triton goalie
Logan Estes was outstanding. He finished with nine saves, including several point-blank shots and a five-meter penalty shot.
Long Beach was led in scoring by Kostantinos Kapragkos, who logged a hat trick. Gabi Acosta scored twice and five other players had single goals. Goalie Aaron Wilson was also a factor, amassing eight saves while adding a steal.
MATT USTASZEWSKI INTERVIEW
TRITON TIDBITS
• This is the second UC San Diego team to play for a Big West title as men's volleyball reached the final match in 2021.
• UC San Diego came in ranked 11th in both national polls. Long Beach State is sixth in the ACWPC poll and eighth in the CWPA rankings.
• The Tritons defeated host UC Davis in a semifinal to advance to the championship game, while Long Beach State upset top-seeded UC Irvine in the semis to move on.
2024 BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
| First Round - Friday, November 22 |
| Game 1: No. 4 UC Santa Barbara 9, No. 5 Long Beach State 12 |
| Game 2: No. 3 UC Davis 13, No. 6 Cal State Fullerton 11 |
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| Semifinals - Saturday, November 23 |
| Game 3: No. 1 UC Irvine 13 vs. No. 5 Long Beach State 15 |
| Game 4: No. 2 UC San Diego 13, No. 3 UC Davis 8 |
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| Championship - Sunday, November 24 |
| Game 5: No. 2 UC San Diego 8 vs. No. 5 Long Beach State 10 |
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
