Hawaii Beats Long Beach State to Set Up NCAA Title Match With UC Irvine

The Big West will crown the champion at Pauley Pavilion on Monday at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.

Overview

Hawaii, which fell to Long Beach State in the Big West final two weeks ago, earned payback Saturday at Pauley Pavilion to return to the national championship match.
UC Irvine reached the final by beating Ball State 3-1 after ousting No. 1 UCLA earlier in the tournament to end the Bruins' home-title bid.
Hawaii setter Tread Rosenthal finished the semifinal despite a non-contact leg issue and was being evaluated, a factor to watch before the championship.
The 12-team field expansion opened the door for UC Irvine to receive an at-large bid after a conference semifinal loss, and the Anteaters have since won three straight in Los Angeles.
With Hawaii and UC Irvine meeting for the trophy, the Big West is assured its sixth national champion in eight years since launching men's volleyball in 2018.