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Real Madrid: 2021-22 UEFA Champions League Winners
So often victorious having had their backs against the wall in this season's competition, Madrid were once again the less assertive team for long stretches of this game. As ever, though, they found a way.
Thibaut Courtois warrants enormous credit, having pulled off a string of fine saves to keep Liverpool at bay. Mohamed Salah was denied on multiple occasions, though it was Sadio Mané who went closest in the first half – this time Courtois had a post to thank for completing the job.
Karim Benzema did have the ball in the net before half-time only for VAR to intervene. The Merengues' celebrations were given full voice just before the hour, however, Federico Valverde's cross-shot picking out Vinícius in space at the back post. Madrid's No20 could not miss.
Courtois was at it again with seven minutes left, Salah again the man denied by his lightning-fast reactions. Madrid threatened to add a second on the break thereafter, but not for the first time, they had done just enough.
PlayStation® Player of the Match: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Player of the Match: Thibaut Courtois
"Crucial saves at critical moments during the first half when Liverpool were on top. Also an extraordinary save to deny Salah late on."
UEFA Technical Observer panel
Joseph Walker, Real Madrid reporter
What can you say? Madrid just know how to win finals. They get the job done, whatever it takes, and thanks to Courtois and Vinícius they are 14-time European champions. Once they took the lead they didn't look like losing and kept Liverpool at arm's length. Chapeau, as they say round these parts.
Rio Ferdinand, BT Sport
"I've never seen a harder route to the final. Madrid have beaten the champions of France, the champions of England. It's taken my breath away. They put in a magnificent performance."
Matthew Howarth, Liverpool reporter
Had it not been for Courtois, Liverpool would be celebrating a seventh European Cup. The Belgium keeper was simply sensational in Paris, producing save after save to frustrate the likes of Salah and Mané. Given their exploits in previous rounds of the competition, perhaps this was always destined to be Real Madrid's year – but that will be no comfort whatsoever to Jürgen Klopp and his players. They have enjoyed an outstanding campaign domestically and in Europe, but it's a huge shame it had to end in this most painful of defeats.
Reaction
Carlo Ancelotti: 'We've achieved something nobody expected'
Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach: "I cannot believe I've won four Champions Leagues! It was a difficult game, we suffered in the first half but in the end with all the games we played I think we deserved to win this competition. We’ve achieved something that nobody expected of us at the start of the season, and we've done that thanks to our quality, our commitment, our history, everything. We're very happy."
Karim Benzema, Real Madrid captain: "We're so happy and proud of this team. We've done the double and deservedly so. It was a tough game but it always is in the Champions League, and more so in a final. It means so much to me to win another Champions League here in my home country."
Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool manager: “The problem is when you play against Real Madrid and they play that deep, their counterattacking threat is immense. I saw us doing a lot of good things, but it was not enough. We accept that. They scored a goal and we didn't – that's the easiest explanation in the world of football. It's harsh, but we respect that of course."
Key stats
Madrid have now won twice as many European Cups as any other club (AC Milan have won seven); they have won all eight finals in which they have played in the UEFA Champions League era.
Carlo Ancelotti is the first coach to win the European Cup four times; he is also the only one to have taken a team to five finals.
Karim Benzema finished as 2021/22 Champions League top scorer with 15 goals.
Benzema, Dani Carvajal and Luka Modrić have all equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of five UEFA Champions League titles.
1-0 is now the most common score in UEFA Champions League finals. This is the sixth final – and third in succession – to feature just one goal; five have finished both 1-1 and 2-1.
Fantasy star performers
Thibaut Courtois – 12
Éder Militão – 9
Dani Carvajal – 8
Line-ups
Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson (Keïta 77), Fabinho, Thiago (Firmino 77); Salah, Mané, Luis Díaz (Jota 65)
Real Madrid: Courtois; Carvajal, Éder Militão, Alaba, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Modrić (Ceballos 90); Valverde (Camavinga 86), Benzema, Vinícius Júnior (Rodrygo 90+3)
AS Roma: 2021-22 UEFA Europa Conference League Winners
Nicolò Zaniolo made the difference as Roma clinched their first major UEFA club competition title by winning the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League.
Roma defeated a feisty Feyenoord side in Tirana to claim the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League title and become the first Italian team to win a European club competition since 2009/10, with José Mourinho becoming the first coach to win all three current men's UEFA club trophies.
It was a cagey opening in Tirana, as both sides cautiously probed and looked to test their opponents' mettle. The National Arena was bouncing, as over 21,000 supporters filled the stadium for the competition's climax, Feyenoord's Legioen inspiring their side from the north stand as their Italian counterparts bellowed from the south.
Roma made the first meaningful advance, but Nicolò Zaniolo's outstretched leg was a whisker away from a cute Lorenzo Pellegrini through ball. However, not long after, the forward took his chance, this time latching on to Gianluca Mancini's delivery, bringing it under control, and clipping over Justin Bijlow to break the deadlock.
Spurred on by their supporters, Feyenoord swiftly looked to reply, forcing Rui Patrício to deal with a succession of threats – Orkun Kökçü's rifled effort the most dangerous of the bunch.
In a rapid start to the second half, Mancini diverted onto his own post, before Rui Patrício sprawled to tip Tyrell Malacia's long-range effort onto the woodwork. Danger averted, Mourinho's men could take a breath.
As the stadium rocked, momentum continued to swing in Feyenoord's favour and Cyriel Dessers was next to have a sniff as he attempted to bundle his way through the Roma penalty area, only to be thwarted by last man Chris Smalling.
With the full-time whistle looming, Arne Slot ordered his charges forward. However, as Feyenoord piled on the pressure, a now compact Roma side dropped deep. Bryan Linssen had an opportunity at the death, but the Giallorossi had done enough to see out the final minutes.
Mourinho said beforehand that he wanted to write history – and he did, as his team captured the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League trophy and Roma's first piece of silverware in 14 years.
Laufenn Player of the Match: Chris Smalling
"It was a great defensive display. He always won his individual duels and was as solid as a rock in the heart of the Roma defence."
UEFA Technical Observer panel
Vieri Capretta, Roma reporter
Watch Roma's full-time celebrations
History has been written! Roma won their first ever UEFA trophy, the first ever edition of the Europa Conference League, and did so by taking their best chance, holding firm at the back and keeping that vital clean sheet.
Feyenoord could have scored, Roma should have done better in possession, but what matters is that one-goal margin. The Giallorossi lifted the trophy as Mourinho once again delivered in a final and became the first coach to win the Europa Conference League, the Europa League and the Champions League.
Derek Brookman, Feyenoord reporter
This was Feyenoord's first ever European final defeat, and what a bitter one it was. Their second-half performance was infinitely superior to their showing before the break, yet ultimately they didn't have the guile to get the better of a street-smart Roma side.
How different things may have been if they'd managed to play with such intensity before the break as well. Yes, they hit the aluminium twice after half-time, but in general their pressure and domination of possession didn't create sufficient jeopardy for Rui Patrício.
Owen Hargreaves, BT Sport
It's fantastic for these Roma players – they've worked incredibly hard all season. Let's be honest, they were the better team, but Feyenoord had a decent campaign. They pushed tonight and dominated the ball, but defensively Roma were so good. Rui Patrício made a magnificent save in the second half which made a big difference in the game.
Reaction
José Mourinho, Roma coach: "Winning is very difficult. You need many ingredients. Our team has played 55 games. We reached the final being tired, but we kept it hidden. This is a fantastic group of players; that makes me emotional. We struggled in the second half; our opponents played well and they forced us to make defensive changes."
Tammy Abraham, Roma striker: "I said when I came here that I'm going to help my team get to the final and one day I want to win a trophy. In my first season, I've achieved that. Credit to my team-mates for excellent performances. We've deserved it; we worked hard all year."
Chris Smalling, Roma defender: "We knew how much it would mean to everyone in Rome and you can see how together we are until the end. We dropped a bit deeper than we needed to, but you could see strikers running back – everyone knew we had to win."
Arne Slot, Feyenoord coach: "I told the players during the break what they had to do better. In the second half, we were sharp from the first moment, but you need a bit of luck and we didn't get it. We had the time and opportunity to score and we didn't. Maybe that's to do with the quality of the opponent."
Justin Bijlow, Feyenoord goalkeeper: "The first half, we didn't put them under as much pressure as we did in the second. We played the ball round at the back, and that suits them. In the second half, we had more possession and opportunities. It's a pity we didn't start this way."
Key stats
Mourinho is the first coach to win all three current men's UEFA club competitions – UEFA Champions League (Porto 2003/04, Inter 2009/10), UEFA Europa League (Manchester United 2016/17) and UEFA Europa Conference League (Roma 2021/22).
This is Roma's first major UEFA club competition title. They finished runners-up in the 1984 European Cup final and the 1991 UEFA Cup showpiece.
Roma are the first Italian team to win a UEFA club competition since Inter won the Champions League in 2009/10, when they were coached by Mourinho.
Roma are unbeaten in their last eight UEFA club competition matches against Dutch opposition (W5 D3).
Mourinho has kept clean sheets in four of his five major UEFA competition finals – and those are his four most recent.
Dessers finished as this season's top goalscorer with ten goals – Tammy Abraham ended one strike behind on nine.
This was Feyenoord’s longest-ever season – they played 54 competitive games, which included 19 in the Europa Conference League (including qualifiers). Their previous record was 51 in 2001/02, when they won the UEFA Cup.
Line-ups
Roma: Rui Patrício; Mancini, Smalling, Ibañez; Mkhitaryan (Sérgio Oliveira 17), Cristante; Karsdorp (Vina 89), Zaniolo (Veretout 67), Pellegrini, Zalewski (Spinazzola 67); Abraham (Shomurodov 89)
Feyenoord: Bijlow; Geertruida, Trauner (Pedersen 74), Senesi, Malacia (Jahanbakhsh 88); Til (Toornstra 59), Aursnes, Orkun Kökçü (Wålemark 88); Nelson (Linssen 74), Dessers, Sinisterra
Olympique Lyonnais: 2021-22 UEFA Women's Champions League Winners
Lyon won the UEFA Women's Champions League for the eighth time as they dethroned holders Barcelona with a 3-1 victory in Turin, all the goals coming in the first half.
Amandine Henry, Ada Hegerberg and Catarina Macario put Lyon three up before Alexia Putellas pulled one back. The action did not stop in the second period but Lyon, 12 months after Barcelona replaced them as champions, are on top again.
The huge Barcelona travelling support in an attendance of over 30,000 was stunned at its own end six minutes in when Amandine Henry curled in a superb effort from distance. Barcelona responded swiftly and Christiane Endler was called into action by Jenni Hermoso, who was then denied by a great saving tackle from Selma Bacha.
Bacha was overlapping on the right and she made the second as she swung in a cross met by a perfect header from Ada Hegerberg, already a hat-trick scorer in the 2019 final defeat of Barcelona. Amazingly, it was three later in the half, Catarina Macario forcing the ball in after a defensive mix-up. Hegerberg was then denied by Sandra Paños but there was hope for Barcelona before the break when Alexia Putellas stole in to turn in Caroline Graham Hansen's cross, the captain's competition-leading 11th goal of the season.
Endler was relieved not long prior to the hour mark when Patri Guijarro tried a lob from the halfway line with the Lyon keeper out of her goal, only for the ball to drop on to the crossbar. Barcelona sent on Asisat Oshoala, who headed fractionally wide, and fellow substitute Ana-Maria Crnogorčević also volleyed just past the post. But in a finish as breathless as the start in a sweltering Turin, with Hegerberg hitting the post, Lyon held on and the celebrations began.
Visa Player of the Match: Amandine Henry (Lyon)
"Henry was the director of the game. She kept the team together. She was always the cover in midfield. Her clever interceptions took pressure off the defence. In attack she found the openings with great awareness, often with one-touch passes. In the early stage of the game she opened the scoring with a cracker. That first goal showed the way to victory."
UEFA Technical Observer panel
Reporter's views
Paul Saffer, UEFA.com match reporter: A final to rank with the best: Wolfsburg 4-3 Tyresö in 2014 and the Frankfurt 3-2 Umeå second leg in 2008. Ever since last year's final the European women's club game seemed to belong to Barcelona, but Lyon are back in charge after a mere 12-month interregnum. Henry was at her vintage best, Selma Bacha brilliant at left-back, Hegerberg did Hegerberg things, and Renard lifted this trophy once more.
Alexandra Jonsson, Barcelona reporter: Barcelona came into this final as the favourites. They've been unstoppable all season, winning all but one of their games, but perhaps that was their downfall in this final. Up against a very good Lyon, Barcelona were caught completely off guard. They are used to always being on the ball and getting it back quickly when they lose it; not so this evening. Barcelona have been on top of the world for some time; today they got a challenge they couldn't overcome but to look at the silver lining, perhaps that will help take them up yet another level.
Vanessa Tomaszewski, Lyon reporter: From the beginning Lyon piled on the pressure, and their three-goal burst both damaged Barcelona's morale and showed the efficiency of Sonia Bompastor's team. This match was also a beautiful duel between Henry and Putellas. Bacha revealed herself again as a passer, in a season where she got nine assists in this competition, three clear of the next best tally. With Bompastor herself also setting a new mark, Lyon have made yet more history.
Reaction
Sonia Bompastor, Lyon coach: "My team-talk was very easy. This is the most beautiful match and beautiful competition a club can dream of playing. So you need to be up to scratch. We were very sad for Ellie [Carpenter] ... I'm quite pessemistic, I think it is a serious injury.
"It is the first time [someone has won this competition as a player and a coach], we are making history. But what was important it was the tenth final for the club and a chance to get an eighth title. It's a victory I want to savour but it's not me who should be in the spotlight, it's my players and the staff. I am very demanding but my staff support me and help me with my emotions so it is a collective victory."
Hegerberg on 'indescribable' win
Amandine Henry, Player of the Match: "I could see a space [for the goal] and I went for it! I tried my luck and I saw exactly where it was going, didn't even wait for it to go into the top corner before I was celebrating!
"I do like these type of games. This gets into my core, I love games like this. I also have some fantastic team-mates around me, they make it like easier, The whole team has won this trophy today."
Wendie Renard, Lyon captain: "[On if Lyon were underdogs] That's what journalists said. We wanted to keep on writing our story and we had things to show, so tonight we showed what we could do and we showed it well because we're leaving with the trophy."
Jonatan Giráldez, Barcelona coach: "We knew that they would put lot of pressure on us. The first goal, an astonishing goal, made us very confused. We were a bit out of place. We knew the key to the game was to control their transitions and for some minutes we weren't able to do that. We had to go deeper and that gave them a lot of energy. We tried to get a quick equaliser but at 3-1 we were way behind. We want to congratulate them – they are an amazing team."
Lyon have now won eight titles, twice as many as the next best tally (Frankfurt with four).
Wendie Renard and Eugénie Le Sommer have played in all eight of those final wins.
Sonia Bompastor, a winner with Lyon in 2011 and 2012, became the first woman to both play and coach in a final.
Lyon became the first team to play in ten finals and Renard the first player to do so, to end a season where she became the first to pass 100 competition appearances; she is now on 102.
Hegerberg got her 59th European goal in her 60th appearance, and her sixth in finals (four against Barcelona). Only Conny Pohlers (8) has more final goals; Hegerberg is now level with Marta.
Macario is the first American to score in a final.
Barcelona had not been three behind in any match since the 2019 final against Lyon.
There were four goals in the first half of the final for the third time in four years but, unlike 2019 and 2021, not all for the same team.
Lyon set a new record for both games in a UEFA women's club season (13) and wins (11).
Line-ups
Barcelona: Paños; Torrejón (Crnogorčević 59), Irene Paredes, Mapi León, Rolfö (Pina 75); Aitana, Patri Guijarro, Alexia; Graham Hansen, Jenni Hermoso (Oshoala 46), Mariona (Martens 59)
Lyon: Endler; Carpenter (Buchanan 14), Renard, Mbock Bathy (Cayman 81), Bacha; Horan, Henry, Macario; D Cascarino (Morroni 81), Hegerberg, Malard (Le Sommer 72)
Eintracht Frankfurt: 2021-22 UEFA Europa League Champions
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Frankfurt have won their first European trophy for 42 years after overcoming Rangers 5-4 on penalties following a pulsating 1-1 draw in the UEFA Europa League final in Seville.
The first period was a half of two halves with both sides eager to seize the upper hand. The 40-year-old Allan McGregor repelled an early effort from Daichi Kamada and made a fine fingertip save to deny Ansgar Knauff as the Eagles had the better of the opening 20 minutes, before Joe Aribo curled just wide and John Lundstram's header was tipped over by Kevin Trapp as Rangers rallied.
Frankfurt started the second half on the offensive but were rocked when Tuta lost his footing trying to react to Djibril Sow's header and Aribo raced away to calmly slide Rangers in front. Oliver Glasner's men refused to panic – a sign of confidence from a team yet to taste defeat in the competition this season – and duly equalised when Filip Kostić's low cross was prodded past McGregor by Rafael Borré.
Trapp's brilliant extra-time save
Both sides continued to press for a winner in normal then extra time, but neither summoned the necessary guile or composure to break through and spare their fervent supporters the spectacle of a penalty shoot-out, Ryan Kent coming closest in the dying moments only for Trapp to produce the save of the match via an outstretched leg.
The Frankfurt goalkeeper would have the final say in the shoot-out too, saving from Aaron Ramsey to allow Borré the chance to seal the trophy for the German club and book them a first ever berth in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Hankook Player of the Match: Kevin Trapp (Frankfurt)
Player of the Match: Kevin Trapp
A good performance over the 90 minutes, a great save at the end of extra time to keep Frankfurt in the game and a decisive penalty save in the shoot-out.
UEFA Technical Observer Panel
James Thorogood, Frankfurt reporter
A historic night for Frankfurt as they pick up their first major European trophy in 42 years to become the first German side to win this competition in the Europa League era. In an emotionally charged encounter that had all the hallmarks of a nervy final between two relatively inexperienced sides, it ultimately came down to who could hold their nerve in the shoot-out.
And what better way for Frankfurt to redeem themselves for their painful semi-final loss in 2018/19 as they triumphed on spot kicks to join Chelsea and Villarreal in winning the tournament with an unbeaten record. It is a night that will live long in the memories of both fans and players.
Alex O'Henley, Rangers reporter
The final brought heartbreak for Aaron Ramsey and Rangers
The final brought heartbreak for Aaron Ramsey and Rangers
Getty Images
The cruelty and joy of penalty kicks. It wasn't to be for Rangers and ended in particular disappointment for Ramsey, whose miss proved decisive in the shoot-out. It's a case of so near, so far for the Light Blues, but they can be proud of a remarkable rollercoaster ride in which they beat two Bundesliga sides on the road to Seville.
Unfortunately, they couldn't do it a third time in the final and must now regroup for a Scottish Cup showpiece and the Champions League qualifiers next season.
Reaction
Oliver Glasner, Frankfurt coach: "Unbelievable! It was the 13th game in Europe and we didn't lose one. What the guys have done today and this season, I don't have the words and I am not often lost for words."
'Proud' Glasner on Frankfurt glory
Kevin Trapp, Frankfurt goalkeeper: "We believed that we could do it, but you saw we had to dig deep for this win. We never gave up, we always believed. It was the most intense experience of our lives. This is not my night. It's everyone's night. It doesn't come down to one player; it comes down to a whole team."
Djibril Sow, Frankfurt midfielder: "We beat some of the biggest teams in the world on the way to this success. We knew today was going to come down to passion and commitment. We never gave up and now we're over the moon."
Van Bronckhorst reflects on final defeat
Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Rangers coach: "The players gave everything, but in the end it was a very tight game. It's a big disappointment; we were really so close to winning a trophy. When you win, you have memories that last forever – when you lose, it hurts."
James Tavernier, Rangers captain: "It's never nice to lose a game like that. I am proud of every single one of those lads in the dressing room and the journey we've been on. We just couldn't finish it off and we are all devastated."
Kenny Miller, BT Sport
"McGregor couldn't get near any of the penalties. It was an incredible standard, under severe pressure, for them to step up and execute as they did. The Rangers players have been excellent throughout their journey; they just fell short at the end. Trapp's had a big say in this game."
South American Europa League final goalscorers
Key stats
Frankfurt and Rangers became the 17th and 18th clubs to take part in the Europa League final. They were also the first finalists from Germany and Scotland respectively.
This is the first time the Europa League has been won by a team outside of Spain or England since 2010/11, when Porto defeated Braga.
Frankfurt are the first Bundesliga team to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League since 1997, when Schalke beat Inter on penalties.
Aribo is the only player to have appeared on all 15 Europa League matchdays this season (13 starts, two substitute appearances).
Frankfurt have scored at least one goal in each of their 13 Europa League matches this season.
This was the ninth UEFA Cup/Europa League final to go to extra time since the final was changed to a one-off fixture in 1998. Five of them have now gone to penalties.
Frankfurt will play in the Champions League for the first time next season – their only season in UEFA's premier club competition previous was in 1959/60, when they made it to the European Cup final.
The Eagles finished unbeaten in this season's competition (W7 D6) and became only the third team to go through the campaign without a defeat – after Chelsea in 2018/19 and Villarreal last season.
Line-ups
Frankfurt: Trapp; Tuta (Hasebe 58), Touré, N'Dicka (Lenz 100); Knauff, Sow (Hrustic 106), Rode (Jakić 90), Kostić; Lindstrøm (Hauge 70), Kamada; Borré
Rangers: McGregor; Tavernier, Goldson, Bassey, Barišić (Roofe 117); Jack (Davis 74), Lundstram; Kent, Wright (Sakala 74, Ramsey 117), Kamara (Arfield 90); Aribo (Sands 101)
How a book spurred Long Beach State’s transformation into a volleyball powerhouse
How a book spurred Long Beach State’s transformation into a volleyball powerhouse
BY THUC NHI NGUYEN
MAY 3, 2022 5 AM PT
Long Beach State’s national championship trophies greet everyone who enters the school’s volleyball offices in Walter Pyramid. Alan Knipe, who has helped the men’s volleyball team put three gleaming prizes on the table a few feet away from his office door, may soon need to clear some more space.
Three years removed from back-to-back national championships, Long Beach State is on the cusp of another successful chapter. The top seed in the NCAA tournament at Pauley Pavilion this week, the Beach (20-5) begins the quest for its third national title in five years Thursday in the semifinals against UCLA or Pepperdine, which play in Tuesday’s quarterfinal.
After winning one NCAA championship in the first 47 years of its program, Long Beach State is now a perennial power. Beach won back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019, ending a 27-year NCAA title drought for the program on the back of a vaunted senior class that included All-Americans TJ DeFalco, Kyle Ensing and Josh Tuaniga.
In the COVID-19 pandemic’s twisted reality, Long Beach State’s coronation as a men’s volleyball powerhouse feels like a lifetime ago. Two pandemic-interrupted seasons following the last title make it feel like the roster changed over in an instant, Knipe said. But changing from a veteran-laden team to a squad with just one senior hasn’t dampened expectations for the Beach.
“People don’t come here to play for second, right?” junior middle blocker Shane Holdaway said.
The championship repeat was the culmination of a rebuilding process that began in 2013 when Knipe returned from a three-season hiatus. After coaching the U.S. national team during the London Olympics, Knipe felt like a new a new coach.
The only person to be involved in all three of Long Beach State’s national titles, Knipe is as familiar as anyone with the program. He starred on the 1991 national championship as a player, moved to the bench as an assistant and took over the program in 2001. Spending almost all of his adult life in the same place made it difficult to make radical changes from within, Knipe said. The national team opportunity brought a fresh perspective.
One of the first things Knipe did to establish a new culture of trust, open communication and accountability was assign team reading, handing out copies of “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” a book that identifies things that plague even successful teams and how to address potential problems.
A junior on that team, assistant coach McKay Smith looked at the assignment with a skeptical eye. It only took a few pages for him to commit to turning the page on Long Beach State’s culture.
The book addressed how teammates can communicate, trust and confront conflicts together, setting a foundation for players and coaches who could then use valuable practice time to focus on on-court performance. The reading exercise has expanded to include different books for each class, including Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers” and “Legacy,” which focuses on the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby team.
“Our culture is by design,” Knipe said. “We work at it. We build it. We talk about it.”
Each year, players present their takeaways from their books to the team. While the books can stay the same, Smith, who is in his fourth year as an assistant, notices how each group’s impressions change. It reminds the coaching staff of how important it is to embrace the current chapter of the program’s success without comparing it to seasons past.
“We’re not trying to be the 2019 team or the 2021 team or the 2023 team,” Knipe said. “We’re only trying to be the 2022 team.”
Knipe tries not to get ahead of himself when looking at the trajectory of his program, although he could be forgiven if he’s caught smiling at the prospect of building on the success of this year’s underclassmen. Setter Aiden Knipe, a redshirt sophomore, is playing in his first full season after the pandemic altered the beginning of his college career. The head coach’s son is third in the country in assists per set with 11.08.
Big West freshman of the year Alex Nikolov leads the Beach attack with 4.6 kills and 5.56 points per set, which rank third and second in the country, respectively. The son of former Bulgarian national team captain Vladimir Nikolov, Alex is, by his head coach’s estimation, a “generational volleyball player in college volleyball.”
While the talented 6-foot-8 outside hitter had opportunities to play professionally in Europe immediately after high school, Nikolov was interested in the unique combination of academics and athletics offered in the United States. He hadn’t heard of Long Beach State until about two years ago. He quickly learned that, despite its lack of international name recognition, it was a force in men’s volleyball.
The 18-year-old intends to keep Long Beach State at the top in the coming years.
“I came here to win four national championships,” Nikolov said with a smile.
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