THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – It was an exhilarating Tuesday night for Cal Lutheran men's volleyball as the Kingsmen took Division I opponent UC Santa Barbara to five sets, just barely dropping the match 27-25, 23-25, 28-26, 18-25, 10-15.

The contest was highlighted by a huge milestone for captain Ben Weber, as he reached and surpassed his 1,000th career kill to become the first Kingsman in program history to join the club.

Michael Stahl, Jordan Cooper, and Weber all recorded double-digit kills in the match while also combining for four service aces, four blocks, and 20 digs. Gavin Galanski went the distance for the Kingsmen at setter, leading the team with 47 assists.

Cal Lutheran fought back from a six-point deficit to take the opening set. A kill from Stahl tied it at the Gauchos' set point, in which they responded with another kill of their own to make it 24-25. However, back-to-back Kingsmen kills and a block by Weber and Parker Brown would seal the deal in favor of the Purple & Gold.

The third set was of the same nature, as Cal Lu and UCSB were tied in four of the last seven points. Down 25-26, the Kingsmen took advantage of two Gaucho errors and another kill from Stahl to take the lead two sets to one.

The teams exchanged the first couple points of the set five, but the Gauchos' 7-3 run put them just over the edge. The Kingsmen then benefited from two Santa Barbara errors before the Gauchos would take an even bigger lead with four-straight points.

Cal Lutheran now sits at an impressive 19-6, with only two of its losses coming from teams at the Division III level. The Kingsmen look to carry this momentum and return to the win column on Thursday when they host Simpson at 6 PM.