A SEASON TO REMEMBER ENDS AT STATE SEMIFINALS
A Historic Run by the Hornets Come to an End.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
15 | 24 | 18 | 0 |
|
|
25 | 26 | 25 | 3 |
Team Stats
Golden West
| Game Statistics | FULL | Golden West |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .020 | .200 |
| Blocks | 5.0 | 10.0 |
| Digs | 36 | 34 |
| Aces | 1 | 6 |
A historic postseason run came to a close for the FC men's volleyball team on Thursday evening as the Hornets fell to No. 2 Golden West College in the 3C2A State Semifinals at Long Beach City College.
Making their first-ever appearance in the state semifinals, the No. 4 (South) seeded Hornets battled but ultimately dropped the match in straight sets 25-15, 26-24, 25-18 to the defending state champion Rustlers.
Golden West set the tone early jumping out to a quick 7-0 lead in the opening set and never looked back to claim the 25-15 win. The Rustlers carried that momentum into the second, but Fullerton responded with its best stretch of the night.
In a tightly contested second set, the Hornets matched Golden West point-for-point in a back-and-forth battle that featured multiple ties late. With the score knotted at 24-24, a net violation on Fullerton gave the Rustlers set point, and Golden West capitalized on a block to take the set 26-24 and a commanding 2-0 match lead.
Facing elimination in the third, Fullerton showed resilience once again. Trailing 15-10, the Hornets rallied with three straight points to close the gap to 15-13, echoing the comeback magic they pulled off in their previous playoff victory over No. 1 Orange Coast. However, Golden West's experience proved decisive as the Rustlers regained control and closed out the match 25-18 to advance to the championship.
Despite the loss, Fullerton capped off an impressive 2026 campaign finishing with a 15-9 overall record and cementing its place in program history with its deepest postseason run.
Offensively, Samuel Chavez led the Hornets with 11 kills, while Logan Busch added 6 kills and 12 digs in a strong all-around effort. Setter Emiliano Razo orchestrated the offense with 22 assists, and Saman Bagheri anchored the defense with a team-high 14 digs.
With the strong leadership of coaches Eddie Rapp and Raymond Barsemian, the Hornet's run to the state semifinals marks a significant milestone for a program that continues to rise showcasing both resilience and growth on the biggest stage.
Though the season ends short of a state title, Fullerton's breakthrough year sets the foundation for the future with a season that will be remembered as one of the best in program history.
Samuel Chavez, Fullerton
Mykolas Petritias, Santa Barbara
Ethan Hammond, Long Beach
Ezekiel Sablan, Long Beach
John Braunstein, Golden West
Frankie Gates, Golden West
*Photo by Jayden Babineau
