20 players to know for NCAA Tournament finals

Photo by Vinnie Lopes

There will be plenty of stars on the court for the NCAA Tournament finals between Long Beach State and UCLA.

Check out the 20 players to know for the finals on Monday.

Matthew Aziz, UCLA libero
Aziz is among the team leaders with a 1.05 digs per game average. The libero also had a season-high eight digs against Grand Canyon in April and had three digs against Belmont Abbey in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.

Georgi Binev, Long Beach State opposite
Binev primarily coming off the bench as a serving specialist this season has seven aces, including an ace in the Big West Tournament finals.

Connor Bloom, Long Beach State outside attacker
Bloom primarily coming off the bench as a serving specialist this season has 10 aces and 18 service errors

Ben Braun, Long Beach State middle attacker
Braun was inserted into the starting lineup during the second half of the season and has a 1.24 blocks per game average. The middle attacker also has a career-best .571 attack percentage and has hit at least .500 in six of the last seven matches.

Kahale Clini, UCLA outside attacker
Clini primarily coming off the bench as a serving specialist this season has 14 aces and 35 service errors.

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Luca Curci, UCLA outside attacker
Curci is second on the team with 495 receptions and has a 92.9 percent successful passing rating.

Ido David, UCLA opposite
David playing through injuries this season has come off the bench as a serving specialist in the last five matches. David was a First-Team All-American in 2023 and had 21 kills against Hawai’i in the NCAA Tournament finals.

Nato Dickinson, Long Beach State opposite
Dickinson had a match-high 19 kills on a .485 attack percentage against Pepperdine in the NCAA Tournament semifinals. The opposite also has double-digit kills and more than .400 attack percentage in four of the last six matches.

Alex Kandev, Long Beach State outside attacker
Accolades this season: First-Team All-Big West, Big West All-Freshman Team
Kandev was inserted into the starting lineup during the second half of the season and had double-digit kills in eight conference matches. The Bulgarian outside attacker had a match-high 19 kills on a .533 attack percentage against Pepperdine in the NCAA Tournament semifinals.

Sean Kelly, UCLA outside attacker
Accolades this season: All-MPSF Honorable Mention, MPSF All-Freshman Team
Kelly was inserted into the starting lineup during the second half of the season and has double-digit ills in eight matches. In addition, Kelly had 13 kills on a .435 attack percentage against Hawai’i in the NCAA Tournament semifinals.

Kellen Larson, Long Beach State libero
Accolades this season: All-American Honorable Mention
Larson leads the Beach with 544 receptions and has a 96.0 percent successful passing rating. The freshman libero also is among the team leaders with a 1.10 digs per game average

Sean McQuiggan, UCLA middle attacker
McQuiggan had a match-high seven blocks against Hawai’i in the NCAA Tournament semifinals. The middle attacker is among the team leaders with a 1.00 blocks per game average and has 14 combined kills during the NCAA Tournament.

DiAeris McRaven, Long Beach State middle attacker
Accolades this season: Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big West
McRaven leads Long Beach State and is third in the Big West with a 0.95 blocks per game average. The senior also has a career-high .461 attack percentage, including hitting more than .450 each of the last five matches entering the NCAA Tournament.

Moni Nikolov, Long Beach State setter
Accolades this season: AVCA National Player of the Year, National Freshman of the Year, First-Team All-American, Big West Player of the Year, Big West Freshman of the Year, First-Team All-Big West, Big West All-Freshman Team
Nikolov set the NCAA single-season record during the 25-point rally scoring era with 102 aces. The freshman from Bulgaria also guided the Beach to a nation-best .399 attack percentage.

Isaiah Preuitt, Long Beach State middle attacker
Preuitt coming off the bench had three blocks and four kills on a perfect 1.000 attack percentage against Pepperdine in the NCAA Tournament semifinals.

Zach Rama, UCLA outside attacker
Accolades this season: Second-Team All-American
Rama is in the top 10 of the MPSF with both a 3.24 kills per game average and a .325 attack percentage. The pin-hitter also has double-digit kills in 10 consecutive matches, including 13 kills on a .476 attack percentage against Belmont Abbey in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.

Cooper Robinson, UCLA opposite
Accolades this season: First-Team All-American, MPSF Player of the Year, First-Team All-MPSF
Robinson is in the nation’s top 25 with a 3.55 kills per game average and a .387 attack percentage, including having a season-high 25 kills on a.537 attack percentage in a victory against USC in April. The opposite also is in the conference’s top five with a 0.41 aces per game average.

Andrew Rowan, UCLA setter
Accolades this season: First-Team All-American, First-Team All-MPSF
Rowan is among the national leaders with a 10.13 assists per game average and guided the UCLA offense to the nation’s second-best attack percentage at .369. The setter also is in the top 10 of the MPSF with a 0.34 aces per game average.

Cameron Thorne, UCLA middle attacker
Accolades this season: First-Team All-American, First-Team All-MPSF
Thorne is in the nation’s top 15 with a 1.09 blocks per game average. The middle attacker also is hitting .534 and has double-digit kills in six matches.

Skyler Varga, Long Beach State outside attacker
Accolades this season: First-Team All-American,
Varga is in the nation’s top 15 with a .370 attack percentage and is among the conference leaders averaging 2.76 kills per game. The outside attacker also is second on the team with 478 receptions and has 96.9 percent successful passing rating.