MALIBU, California — The #9 Pepperdine men's volleyball team plays one of its most significant non-conference matches of the season on Saturday when the Waves visit defending national champion and #4-ranked Long Beach State.
Redshirt freshman libero
Diego Perez was named MPSF Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
MATCH #5 — Saturday (January 25) at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California: #9 Pepperdine (3-1) at #4 Long Beach State (4-0) at 7 p.m.
WATCH/ONLINE — Long Beach State will have a live webstream of the match. Links to broadcasts and/or live stats can be found at PepperdineWaves.com.
OPPONENT — Pepperdine leads the all-time series 52-46. But, the Beach has won the last five in a row, including last spring's NCAA semifinal match played in Long Beach. Long Beach State has won 44 in a row in the Walter Pyramid.
LAST WEEK — The Waves went 2-1 during their East Coast trip. They won the first two, beating Daemen in three sets and then Harvard in four sets in a match played at Daemen. Pepperdine then visited then-#13 George Mason and suffered a four-set loss. Team leaders included
Jacob Steele (2.91 kills/set),
Noah Dyer (3.91 points/set, 0.82 aces/set),
Diego Perez (2.18 digs/set),
Austin Wilmot (1.00 blocks/set) and
Rob Mullahey (7.82 assists/set).
NEW LOOK — After graduating the bulk of last year's lineup, the Waves have a much different look in 2020. 72.0% of the kills so far have been recorded by players not in last year's lineup, and 52.2% of have been made by players in their first year on the court for Pepperdine (including redshirts and transfers).
50 SEASONS — This is the 50th season for Pepperdine men's volleyball — which began in 1971 — and the program's rich history will be celebrated throughout this spring's schedule. All Pepperdine men's volleyball alums will be welcomed back for the March 15 match vs. Harvard. The Waves will also celebrate each decade at various matches, beginning with the 1970s on February 12 vs. Concordia.
NEXT — Pepperdine begins Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play with road matches at #8 Stanford (Thursday, Feb. 6) and #2 BYU (Saturday, Feb. 8).
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 18 schools to have accomplished this feat — and nine overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 25 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #50 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
