There was a big celebration Tuesday at Long Beach State after their men's volleyball team beat UCLA in the national championship game Monday night for the team's fourth national title.
"I've dreamt about this day," Senior Middle Blocker, DiAeris McRaven, told KNX News' Nataly Tavidian. "I grew up watching the 2018, 2019 teams win the championship, and I was just always dreaming that, hopefully, I could be on the same stage as them, and here we are."
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The Sharks were essentially a brand-new team after losing 10 seniors from last season, but McRaven said they trusted each other and came together to win the championship.
He said the team's progress to this point required a great deal of preparation and a season filled with uncomfortable moments, but the fans' support carried them through.
Coach Alan Knipe said this win means a great deal to him and the Long Beach community, but for his players, it's something that will last a lifetime.
"You know that something special just happened in these young men's lives that they'll never forget," Knipe said. "It has bonded them as a group and bonded them with the university for the rest of their lives, and because they don't have any context on this because of their age, I know this will change a lot of the trajectory of some of these young men's lives so it's, it's very, very special."
Long Beach State's championship win thwarted UCLA's attempt at becoming the first three-peat champs since the 1980s.
Long Beach claimed its first title in 1991 when coach Knipe was a player.
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