Despite not having played in almost two weeks, Long Beach State looked razor sharp early on its way to ending Ohio State's reign as NCAA men's volleyball champion with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-27, 32-30 semifinal victory Thursday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.
Coach Alan Knipe welcomed the 12 days off, a reward for winning the inaugural Big West Conference regular-season and tournament titles while earning the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the NCAA championships. Given more time to prepare, the 49ers seemingly had all the answers against a squad seeking its third straight crown.
The 49ers are one match away from its second national title and play UCLA on Saturday at 4 p.