LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western’s men’s volleyball team will head to California over the Christmas break, playing four games in six days in Los Angeles and Long Beach against some of the very best NCAA Division I teams.
The Spartans will take on both of last year’s NCAA championship finalists including UCLA, who are the back-to-back defending champions, and Long Beach State, who have played in four of the last six national championship matches. TWU is also set to play Pepperdine, who slotted in at No. 10 in the final AVCA/NVA National Collegiate MVB Poll of the 2024 season, and UC San Diego, who were No. 20.
TWU and UCLA will play Dec. 30 (3 p.m.) in an exhibition that is scheduled to be streamed live on Big Ten Plus. The Spartans will have then take on Pepperdine (Jan. 3 at 12 p.m.), Long Beach (Jan. 3 at 7 p.m.) and UC San Diego (Jan. 4 at 4:30 p.m.) in the North American Challenge.
2025 California Tour
Dec. 30 vs. UCLA – 3 p.m. | Pauley Pavilion | Los Angeles
North American Challenge
Jan. 3 vs. Pepperdine – 12 p.m. | The Gold Mine | Long Beach, Calif.
Jan. 3 vs. Long Beach – 7 p.m. | Walter Pyramid | Long Beach, Calif.
Jan. 4 vs. UC San Diego – 4:30 p.m. | The Gold Mine | Long Beach, Calif.
The Spartans, who are currently ranked No. 5 in the U SPORTS Top 10 and are 14-3 overall this year with a 7-3 record in Canada West league play, have a record of 14-9 all-time against the four opponents they will face in California.
TWU’S ALL-TIME RECORD vs. 2025 California Tour Opponents || 14-9
UCLA – 5-2
Pepperdine – 5-5
Long Beach – 4-2
UC San Diego – 0-0
The last time TWU’s men’s volleyball team took a trip to California, the Spartans finished with a 5-2 record, with two wins over Pepperdine to go with victories over UCLA, Long Beach and UC Santa Barbara. A five-set loss against Long Beach and a four-set loss to USC in a morning contest prior to TWU’s same day contest with UCLA marked the only blemishes on the Spartans trip.
The Spartans own a 28-21 all-time record against NCAA Division I opponents.
TWU’S ALL-TIME RECORD vs. NCAA Division I Opponents // 28-22
BYU – 2-2
Cal State Northridge – 1-1
George Mason – 0-1
Lewis – 2-2
Long Beach – 4-2
Pacific – 3-1
Pepperdine – 5-5
Purdue Fort Wayne – 2-0
Stanford – 0-1
UC Irvine – 0-1
UCLA – 5-2
UC Santa Barbara – 2-2
USC – 2-2
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women’s and men’s soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women’s rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men’s rugby and women’s and men’s disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 34 Canada West team championships.
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in CIS sports. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
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