Simeon Nikolov was named "player of the match" in Long Beach's second victory at the North American Challenge. Freshman Nikolov finished with 26 assists, adding five kills from six attempts without error for 83.3% efficiency. He also recorded three digs, two aces, and two blocks in the 3-0 (25:15, 25:17, 25:15) win over Trinity Western.
In the first set, Beach led the entire time. Trinity Western managed to tie four times but could not take a lead from LBSU. An ace by Nikolov gave Long Beach State a 14-9 advantage, forcing TWU to call a timeout. Beach was unaffected by the break and quickly returned to play with a 4-0 run that put LBSU ahead 18-10. LBSU continued its strong play and took the 25-15 victory.
Despite eight ties in the second set, Long Beach State controlled the game, with the hosts making three 3-0 runs to lead 23-16. The fourth Bulgarian in Long Beach - Georgi Binev - closed the set with an ace down the line, and LBSU won 25-17.
The third set belonged to Beach, who attacked with 36.2% efficiency, while the block held the Spartans to just 13%. After two early 3-0 runs, Long Beach State did not stop and continued to build its lead thanks to another 8-0 run, bringing match point at 24-14.
Before the final matches of the tournament, Long Beach leads the standings.