BeachReads: From Canada To California

LONG BEACH, Calif. – No participant has made a extra quick affect within the Big West Conference this season than redshirt freshman reverse hitter Logan King, incomes back-to-back Big West Freshman of the Week honors to start the 2025 marketing campaign.
After a 12 months of growth on the Division I stage, together with priceless worldwide taking part in expertise for Team Canada over the summer season, King offers the Beach cause to be optimistic forward of convention play.

King’s volleyball profession started north of the border, the place she was a member of the Canadian Excellence Program as a junior participant within the nationwide workforce pipeline earlier than being recruited by Long Beach State. She reclassified late within the recruiting course of to grow to be a part of the 2025 freshman class, and her determination is already one which head coach Natalie Reagan praises.

“She really utilized that time to grow her skills and get better,” Reagan stated. “I also think being able to train and practice with Natalie Glenn was really exciting for her, and she learned a lot from her and her game. Logan used that year to become a better person and get some things under her belt that are helping her thrive this year.”

Amidst important roster turnover, King has led the Beach to a 7-4 begin this season, tallying 17 plus kills in back-to-back matches towards Oregon State and UCLA early on within the season. In LBSU’s win over Santa Clara, King recorded her first collegiate double-double with 16 kills and 10 digs. King accrued a season-high 20 kills towards Idaho State and is sixth within the Big West in factors per set, averaging 4.20.

“I got a chance to learn, be able to watch NCAA games up close, and be able to be in the NCAA environment and not have the pressures of coming in and playing,” King stated.

Along with redshirting, King’s expertise taking part in on the worldwide stage makes her one of the vital seasoned freshmen, which has translated into quick success on the courtroom.

Not solely was King chosen as one in every of 12 gamers to the Volleyball Canada Women’s U21 National Team to compete on the U21 NORCECA Pan Am Cup in Costa Rica, however she additionally dominated,

being named the very best Opposite on the U21 Pan Am Cup because the workforce superior to the Bronze Medal match.

“My biggest takeaway from playing [internationally] was how different the styles are across different national teams. I think each game or each team that we scouted was a completely different style of play,” King stated. “I think the national program helped me widen my tool belt and be able to play against different opponents.”

King posted 20 factors towards the Dominican Republic, tying her with one different participant for the second-most factors in a match through the event. She recorded 105 factors through the FIVB U21 World Championships, the twentieth most amongst particular person gamers through the event.

“Players don’t know how to block her because she’s finding ways to get around them,” Reagan stated. “I think for Logan, that success she’s had internationally too is a confidence builder and a big reason why she’s able to play six rotations for us pretty easily and find a lot of success there.”

Senior exterior hitter Elise Agi additionally redshirted final season on account of harm, giving her important time to spend with King. That off-court chemistry has already translated into success on the courtroom.

“I remember early on when she first came in, we had these initial conversations about volleyball and about life, and I really saw a lot of myself in her. She’s just such a competitive player and a perfectionist, and we bonded quickly in that sense,” Agi stated.

Without many upperclassmen, Agi credited King for with the ability to step in and set up herself, making an instantaneous affect towards a difficult preseason schedule.

“It’s incredible being on the court with her. She really just sparks a fire under everybody. She makes everyone else’s job around her easy, which is really cool,” Agi stated.

Teammates and King alike, their objectives and expectations are lofty as convention play kicks off, with an expectation to contend for the Big West title and advance additional to the NCAA event.

“I like to push myself a lot. The biggest goal I could probably have would be ‘best player in the NCAA.’ Obviously, you’ve got to have a realistic approach to that, even if I don’t reach the goals I set for myself, I think I push myself a lot more by having super outrageous goals,” King stated.