The No. 5 California Lutheran University Kingsmen will head to New Jersey for a four-team regional pod hosted by No. 4 Stevens Institute of Technology. The 2024 national champions would reach the semi-finals with a pair of wins.
Regional Site
No. 5 California Lutheran (NPI rank: 5)
Roster |
Schedule |
Statistics
Third Round
Sat, Apr. 18 def. No. 10 MIT (NPI rank: 15),
3-2
Second Round
Fri, Apr. 17 def. No. 19 Endicott (NPI rank: 12),
3-2
First Round
BYE
Hoboken, N.J.
--
Courtesy of Cal Lutheran Athletics--
Cal Lutheran men's volleyball is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight season, continuing a remarkable run of sustained success as one of Division III's premier programs.
The Kingsmen enter postseason play with a 21-6 overall record, including an impressive 9-3 mark against AVCA-ranked opponents. Riding momentum from a hard-fought 3-1 road win over UC Santa Cruz to close the regular season, CLU now shifts its focus to the national stage once again—this time traveling to Hoboken, New Jersey, for the Stevens Regional.
Cal Lutheran, now ranked No. 5 nationally, will face No. 12 Endicott in the opening round on Friday, April 17 at 3:30 p.m. PT. Endicott advanced after sweeping its play-in match and enters the contest on a significant winning streak after capturing the New England Volleyball Conference (NEVC) title.
On the other side of the pod, host Stevens will take on MIT, who also advanced via a straight-set play-in victory. The winners of Friday's matches will meet on Saturday with a trip to the NCAA Semifinals on the line. The national semifinals and championship will be held at top-ranked Springfield.
THE KINGSMEN
Cal Lutheran has built one of the strongest resumes in the country, combining high-level wins with consistent production across all facets of the game. The Kingsmen are hitting .274 as a team while averaging 11.7 kills per set, backed by a disciplined defense that records 9.2 digs and 2.0 blocks per set.
Leading the charge is AVCA All-Region selection
Brendan Hom, who has emerged as a dynamic offensive force in his first season with the program. The junior outside hitter leads the team with 3.26 kills per set while hitting .307 and pacing the squad with 36 service aces.
Defensively, senior Libero
Braden Gonzales anchors the back row. Also an AVCA All-Region honoree, Gonzales is averaging a program-record 2.97 digs per set and continues to rewrite the record books after setting the single-season digs mark last year.
The Kingsmen feature a balanced attack, with
Connor Crawford (2.74 kills/set),
Tyler Linville (2.99 kills/set), and
Matthew Wilcox—who leads the team with 1.01 blocks per set—providing key contributions. Sophomore setter
Gavin Galanski orchestrates the offense with 8.70 assists per set, guiding one of the top attacks in the nation.
With a veteran core, impactful transfers, and championship experience—including the 2024 national title and a 2025 semifinal appearance—Cal Lutheran enters the tournament battle-tested and poised for another deep run.
Follow the SCIAC on Threads (@theSCIAC), X - formerly Twitter (@theSCIAC) and Instagram (@thesciac) with hashtags #SCIACtion and #SoCalSoGood. Watch all home SCIAC games, matches, and meets online through FloSports: https://flosports.link/SCIAC