Follow
The semifinal matches are set for the men’s volleyball NCAA Tournament.
Check out the matchups and the historical tidbits to know before filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket.
No. 1 seed UCLA (24-5, 11-1 MPSF) vs. No. 4 seed UC Irvine (20-10, 7-3 Big West)
Match vitals: 3:30 p.m. in Long Beach, California
Season series: UCLA leads 2-0
Last meeting: UCLA defeated UC Irvine in four games in February to sweep the home-and-home series.
All-time series: UCLA leads 62-24
How they got here: UCLA after receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament swept Fort Valley State in the quarterfinals. UC Irvine received the final at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and swept Penn State in the quarterfinals.
NCAA Tournament record: UCLA (58-10); UC Irvine (9-3)
NCAA Tournament appearances: UCLA (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2016, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024); UC Irvine (2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2024)
NCAA Tournament titles: UCLA (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2023); UC Irvine (2007, 2019, 2012, 2013)
UCLA player accolades this season: Merrick McHenry (MPSF Player of the Year, First-Team All-American, First-Team All-MPSF); Andrew Rowan (First-Team All-American, First-Team All-MPSF); Ethan Champlin (First-Team All-American, First-Team All-MPSF); Grant Sloane (All-American Honorable Mention, Second-Team All-MPSF); Cooper Robinson (All-American Honorable Mention, Second-Team All-MPSF)
UC Irvine player accolades this season: Connor Campbell (All-American Honorable Mention); Max Grigoriev (All-American Honorable Mention, First-Team All-Big West); Hilir Henno (National Offensive Player of the Year, Big West Player of the Year, First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Cole Power (Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Brett Sheward (Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West)
Historical stats to know: This is the second time in the history of the NCAA Tournament that two at-large bid teams will play each other. The matchup between those two schools also will be the first time coach John Speraw has faced UC Irvine in the NCAA Tournament since leaving the school in 2012 to become the head coach at UCLA.
No. 2 seed Long Beach State (26-2, 9-1 Big West) vs. No. 3 seed Grand Canyon (26-4, 10-2 MPSF)
Match vitals: 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Long Beach, California
Season series: Did not play each other this season
Last meeting: Long Beach State defeated Grand Canyon in four games in the NCAA Tournament opening round last season.
All-time series: Long Beach State leads 2-0
How they got here: Long Beach State after winning the Big West championship to qualify for the NCAA Tournament swept Belmont Abbey in the quarterfinals. Grand Canyon won the MPSF championship to qualify for the NCAA Tournament and swept Ohio State in the quarterfinals.
NCAA Tournament record: Long Beach State (20-11); Grand Canyon (1-1);
NCAA Tournament appearances: Long Beach State (1970, 1973, 1990, 1991, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024); Grand Canyon (2023, 2024)
NCAA Tournament titles: Long Beach State (1991, 2018, 2019); Grand Canyon (none)
Long Beach State player accolades this season: Mason Briggs (Co-National Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Clark Godbold (All-American Honorable Mention); Aidan Knipe (Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Sotiris Siapanis (First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Simon Torwie (Co-National Defensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West); Lazar Bouchkov (Big West All-Freshman Team); Skyler Varga (All-American Honorable Mention, All-Big West Honorable Mention)
Grand Canyon player accolades this season: Camden Gianni (First-Team All-American, First-Team All-MPSF); Nic Slight (First-Team All-American, First-Team All-MPSF); Cameron Thorne (First-Team All-American, Second-Team All-MPSF); Jackson Hickman (Second-Team All-American, Second-Team All-MPSF); Rico Wardlow (All-MPSF Honorable Mention)
Historical stats to know: Long Beach State has the longest active home winning streak in the nation at 26 matches and has never lost a NCAA Tournament match on its home court. Grand Canyon is attempting to become the first team to reach the NCAA Tournament finals for the first time in program history since Loyola in 2014.