Last Updated 10:25 PM, May 07, 2022
NCAA.com

Hawaii sweeps Long Beach State to win national championship

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Watch the final point and celebration from Hawaii's 2022 men's volleyball title
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1:56 am, May 8, 2022

Hawaii sweeps Long Beach State to win national championship

The NC men's volleyball national championship is staying in Hawaii.

The Rainbow Warriors swept Long Beach State Saturday evening to win their second straight national championship.

Hawaii took the first set by a score of 25-22. In the second set, the Rainbow Warriors prevailed 25-21. In the final set, Hawaii closed out the match 25-20.

Spyro Chakas led the Rainbow Warriors with 16.5 points and 14 kills. Dimitrios Mouchlias managed 11.5 points on 11 kills.

Long Beach State was led by Alex Nikolov's 21 points and 20 kills. Spencer Oliver added 11 points and 11 kills.

The two Big West Conference members met four times this year. Long Beach State won the April 1 and 2 meetings. But when championships were on the line, Hawaii reigned supreme.

Hawaii previously beat Long Beach State in the April 23 conference championship match.

1:14 am, May 8, 2022

Hawaii leads Long Beach State 2-0

Hawaii is just one set away from winning its second straight men's volleyball national championship.

Hawaii leads Long Beach State 2-0. Spyros Chakas added to his kills lead with 11.

Alex Nikolov paces Long Beach State with 15

12:24 am, May 8, 2022

Hawaii takes opening set

Hawaii jumped out to an early lead in the championship match by taking the first set 25-22. Spyros Chakas led the way with eight kills.

Alex Nikolov leads Long Beach state with five kills.

10:38 pm, May 7, 2022

National championship match is Saturday

The NC men's volleyball world will crown a champion Saturday night.

Hawaii and Long Beach State will face off in this year's championship match in Los Angeles. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN2.

Hawaii (26-5) is the defending champion while Long Beach State (21-5) won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. The two met in the 2019 final, with Long Beach State taking that one in four sets

This year, the two schools clashed three times. Long Beach State won the April 1 and 2 meetings, but Hawaii won the April 23 meeting to win the Big West Championship.

5:25 am, May 6, 2022

Hawaii to face Long Beach State for title after two five-set semifinals

Hawaii men's volleyball

It'll be No. 1 Long Beach State vs. defending champion Hawaii in a Big West showdown for the national championship on Saturday night, as the Rainbow Warriors beat No. 2 Ball State in five sets in the second semifinal (28-26, 19-25, 20-25, 25-20). That came a few hours after Long Beach also won in five sets by reverse sweeping UCLA (18-25, 18-25, 25-15, 25-10, 16-14).

Dimitrios Mouchilias and Spyros Chakas each had 19 kills to lead Hawaii in the second semifinal.

In the opening semifinal, Long Beach State topped UCLA by hitting .412 in the match, paced by Alex Nikolov's 20 kills on .405 hitting.

2022 NC men's volleyball semifinal: Hawaii vs. Ball State full replay

While Hawaii is going for its second consecutive title, Long Beach State is trying to win its third since 2018. The two met in the 2019 final, with Long Beach State taking that one in four sets.

Semifinals

National Championship

5:22 am, May 6, 2022

Hawaii forces fifth set

We're getting another five-setter in the national semifinals. This time, it's No. 2 Ball State vs. Hawaii after the Rainbow Warriors won 25-20 in the fourth.

Hawaii improved to .273 hitting, with Guilherme Voss getting the final kill in the set to get to eight kills on the night with .429 hitting.

4:50 am, May 6, 2022

Ball State picks up big win in third set

No. 2 Ball State is closing in on a title spot, earning a 25-20 win against defending champion Hawaii in the third set to go up 2-1.

Ball State easily outhit the Rainbow Warriors in the set, .269 to .067.

The Cardinals are 0-15 in the semis in program history, but now they're one set away.

4:17 am, May 6, 2022

Ball State wins second set to even match

No. 2 Ball State regrouped after dropping the first set to defeat Hawaii 25-19 in the second and make it 1-1.

The Rainbow Warriors hit just .062 in the second set, totaling nine attack errors.

Ball State's Kaleb Jenness has nine kills on .316 hitting.

3:41 am, May 6, 2022

Hawaii hangs on, beats Ball State in first set

A huge ace from Cole Hogland secured a big 28-26 first set win by Hawaii, holding off Ball State after the Cardinals rallied from an early 12-5 deficit.

The Rainbow Warriors outhit the Cardinals .406 to .323 in the opening set.

2:25 am, May 6, 2022

Long Beach State completes comeback, will play for title

Long Beach State's furious rally from down 2-0 ends with a spot in the final on a reverse sweep.

The top seed lost the first two sets 25-18 but rallied with 25-15, 25-10 and finally a 16-14 fifth-set win to take the thriller — and beat UCLA on its home floor.

Long Beach won consecutive titles in 2018 and 2019 and will now play for another championship.

2022 NC men's volleyball semifinal: UCLA vs. Long Beach State full replay
1:59 am, May 6, 2022

We go to 5 — Long Beach wins again

Long Beach dominated set four to force a decisive fifth set thanks to a 25-10 rout.

The top seed has improved its hitting in each set: .176 to .261 to .591 and now .625 in the fourth.

1:31 am, May 6, 2022

Long Beach State takes third, remains alive

The top seed isn't done yet.

Long Beach State hit .550 in the third set to get by UCLA, 25-15, and hold off elimination. Alex Nikolov is up to 14 kills for Long Beach to lead all players.

1:07 am, May 6, 2022

UCLA remains in control, goes up 2-0

The Bruins are one set away from playing for the title on their home floor, winning 25-18 in the second set. It's now 2-0 UCLA.

UCLA hit nearly .300 in the set to pull away from Long Beach State.

 

12:31 am, May 6, 2022

UCLA takes first set, leads 1-0

UCLA started strongly and rolled to a 25-18 win over top-seeded Long Beach State.

The Bruins hit .400 in the set and got four kills on .667 hitting from Ethan Champlin. Long Beach State hit only .176.

2:10 pm, May 5, 2022

Watch the NC men's volleyball semifinals

Come the end of Thursday night, the two teams who will battle for the national championship will be known.

To get there, two semifinal matchups will take place Thursday night. Both can be watched on NCAA.com. This page will also provide live updates throughout each game. 

Click or tap the links below to watch each matchup. All times are EST. 

Click or tap here to view the full bracket.