LONG BEACH, Calif. — No. 2 Long Beach State wrapped up its final non-conference weekend Friday night with a 3-0 sweep of Jessup (25-20, 25-20, 25-14) at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid, completing a two-match sweep of the Warriors and improving to 14-2 overall heading into next week’s Big West opener against Hawai’i.<\/p>\n
Skyler Varga<\/a> led the Beach offense with 10 kills on .529 hitting while adding three service aces and two block assists. Alex Kandev<\/a> contributed six kills, one solo block and three block assists, while Wojciech Gajek<\/a> added five kills and three aces as Long Beach State hit .277 as a team and totaled 13.0 team blocks. Setter Island Doty<\/a> directed the offense with 26 assists, while the Beach added 20 digs and nine service aces in the match.<\/p>\n The opening set was tightly contested early with seven ties through the first half. Jessup grabbed a quick 3-1 lead before Varga answered with a kill to steady the Beach attack. The teams battled back and forth to a 9-9 tie before Long Beach State seized control. Varga stepped behind the end line and delivered three consecutive service aces, turning the tie into a 12-9 Beach advantage and igniting a 7-0 run that forced two Jessup timeouts and swung the momentum of the set.<\/p>\n Long Beach State continued to pressure the Warriors at the net as Kandev and Braedon Marquardt<\/a> combined on blocks and Varga added a kill to stretch the lead to 15-9. Jessup responded with a brief push, trimming the deficit to 23-20, but a block by Varga and Marquardt closed the door as the Beach claimed the first set 25-20.<\/p>\n The Beach jumped in front early in the second set, opening with a 3-0 run highlighted by a Kandev kill and a triple block from Kandev, Marquardt and Gajek. Jessup eventually tied the score at 8-8, but Long Beach State regained control midway through the frame. Gajek sparked a key stretch from the service line with back-to-back aces that pushed the lead to 16-12. Long Beach State carried that momentum into the third set, quickly building separation. Connor Bloom<\/a> delivered a pair of early kills to help the Beach take the lead before they were able to capitalize on Jessup errors and stretch their advantage to 14-7 midway through the set.<\/p>\n
\nWith Doty distributing the offense, the Beach spread the scoring around late in the set. Kills from Varga, Jackson Cryst<\/a> and Kandev helped maintain the cushion before Kandev delivered the final point of the set to secure another 25-20 win and give Long Beach State a two-set lead. The Beach hit .450 in the second set while limiting Jessup to .120 hitting.<\/p>\n