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Defending national champion Hawai’i enters the season as the co-favorites to win the Big West along with Long Beach State. However, the Big West continues to field strong teams throughout the conference that will lead to intriguing matches throughout the season.
Off the Block Senior Contributor Brandon Johnson breaks down the Big West and what to know about each team entering the 2022 season.
Hawai’i
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: No. 1
Preseason Big West poll ranking: No. 1 tied with Long Beach State
2021 record: 17-1 (10-0 Big West)
2021 postseason finish: Won Big West regular season and won the NCAA National Championship
Notable starters lost: Rado Parapunov (Three-time All-Big West First Team Selection, Two-time Big West Player of the Year, Three-time AVCA All-American, 2021 National Player of the Year, 2021 Bryan Ivie Award Winner, Three-Time Nicolas Szerszen); Pat Gasman (Four-time All-Big West First Team Selection, Three-time AVCA All-American, 2021 Ryan Millar Award Winner); Gage Worsley (Three-time All-Big West First Team Selection, Three-Time AVCA All-American, Three-Time Erik Shoji Award Winner, Two-Time Steve Shondell Award Winner); Colton Cowell (Two-time All-Big West First Team Selection, 2021 AVCA All-America Second Team).
Notable returners/additions: setter Jakob Thelle (2021 All-Big West Honorable Mention); outside attacker Chaz Galloway (2021 All-Big West Honorable Mention), middle attacker Guilherme Voss, Outside Attacker Filip Humler, opposite Dimitrios Mouchlias, middle attacker Kyle Presho (2019 All-MPSF Second Team); libero Avery Enriques.
OTB bold predictions: Hawai’i will feel the effect of losing so much star power from the 2021 squad, but will still finish in the top-2 of the Big West, firmly in the national championship picture again. — Brandon Johnson
Long Beach State
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: No. 4
Preseason Big West poll ranking: No. 1 tied with Hawai’i
2021 record: 7-5 (6-4 Big West)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in Big West Tournament semifinals
Notable starters lost: Simon Andersen All-Big West)
Notable returners/additions: libero Mason Briggs (2020 All-America Second Team, All-Big West Honorable Mention); opposite/outside attacker Clark Goldbold (Big West Freshman of the Year); opposite Simon Torwie (Big West All-Freshman Team); middle attacker Shane Holdaway; outside attacker Spencer Olivier; setter Aidan Knipe; outside attacker Alex Nikolov (U19 Bulgarian National Team)
OTB bold predictions: Long Beach will shake off a rough 2021 campaign and will win the Big West regular season behind a well-rounded core that returns nearly all of its contributors from last season — Brandon Johnson
UC San Diego
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: No. 10
Preseason Big West poll ranking: No. 3
2021 record: 5-13 (3-7 Big West)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in Big West Tournament finals
Notable starters lost: Opposite Collin Shannon
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Kyle McCauley (Two-Time All-Big West First Team); middle attacker Shane Benetz (All-Big West Honorable Mention); outside attacker Wyatt Harrison, libero Matt Palma, setter Blake Crisp, setter Gabriel Dyer.
OTB bold predictions: Outside attacker Kyle McCauley will lead the Big West in kills per game while achieving AVCA First-Team All America honors. — Brandon Johnson
UC Irvine
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: No. 12
Preseason Big West poll ranking: No. 4
2021 record: 2-14 (2-8 Big West)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in the Big West Quarterfinals
Notable starters lost: middle attacker Scott Stadick (Three-time All-Big West First Team Selection, Two-time AVCA All-American, Two-Time Blocker of the Year Award Winner); outside attacker Joel Schneidmiller (Three-time All-Big West First Team Selection, 2020 AVCA All-America Second Team)
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Francesco Sani (Big West All-Freshman Team); middle attacker Connor Campbell (Big West All-Freshman Team); outside attacker Cole Gillis (Big West All-Freshman Team); setter Dylan Zhai (Big West All-Freshman Team); opposite Alexandre Nsakanda (2020 Second-Team All-Big West); libero Cole Power
OTB bold predictions: Libero Cole Power, a transfer from UCLA, will emerge as one of the top liberos in the country and will receive votes for the Erik Shoji award. — Brandon Johnson
UC Santa Barbara
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: No. 11
Preseason Big West poll ranking: No. 5
2021 record: 16-5 (7-3 Big West)
2021 postseason finish: Won the Big West Tournament and lost in the NCAA Semifinals to Hawai’i
Notable starters lost: opposite Randy DeWeese (Two-Time AVCA All-American, Two-time All-Big West First Team Selection), setter Casey McGarry (Two-Time AVCA All-American, Two-time All-Big West First Team Selection, 2021 Lloy Ball Award Winner), middle attacker Keenan Sanders (Two-Time AVCA All-American, Two-time All-Big West First Team Selection), outside attacker Roy McFarland (2021 AVCA All-America Second Team, All-Big West First Team)
Notable returners/additions: outside attacker Ryan Wilcox (All-Big West Honorable Mention)
OTB bold predictions: Ryan Wilcox will be one of the top servers in the country and will be a contender for the Best Server award — Brandon Johnson
CSUN
Preseason national coaches poll ranking: Unranked
Preseason Big West poll ranking: No. 6
2021 record: 2-9 (2-8 Big West)
2021 postseason finish: Lost in the Big West Tournament Quarterfinals
Notable starters lost: outside attacker Maciej Ptaszynski
Notable returners/additions: middle attacker Daniel Wetter (Two-time All-Big West First Team Selection); setter Kyle Merchen (Big West All-Freshman Team)
OTB bold predictions: Middle attacker Daniel Wetter will finish in the top 10 of voting for the Ryan Millar award given to the country’s best Middle — Brandon Johnson