THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's volleyball has yet again proven to be a fifth-set team as the Kingsmen took down No. 18 UC Santa Cruz on Saturday evening 25-15, 23-25, 24-26, 25-13, 15-12.  

The win officially secures a spot for the Purple & Gold in the NCAA Tournament, giving the squad the opportunity to defend its 2024 National Championship title.

Michael Stahl led the Kingsmen with 23 kills in the match while also adding an assist, three blocks, and six digs. Jordan Cooper followed up with 18 kills, three blocks, eight digs, and a team-high two service aces.

Ben Weber recorded his second double-double of the year with 15 kills and a season-high 14 digs, and he also joined the duo of Borys Horiuk and Parker Brown as the three each hit at least .400 percent.

Gavin Galanski set a new career high in assists with 55 on the night, and Braden Gonzales led the defense with 15 digs. 

Cal Lutheran started the game with a 6-1 run, due to the errors of the Banana Slugs as well as a kill and a solo block from Cooper. Ahead 10-7, the Kingsmen would swing four-straight kills and hold their lead through the remainder of the set.

Also in its final game of the regular season, Santa Cruz did not go down without a fight. The Slugs worked to take sets two and three, just barely out-performing Cal Lu.

Stahl opened up the fourth set with a kill, followed by two back-to-back from Brown and Horiuk. The teams then evenly exchanged points until the Kingsmen rallied for five-straight to take a 17-8 lead. Cal Lutheran got ahead and stayed ahead by 12, and a Santa Cruz service error would send the teams into the fifth.

The Kingsmen took an early 5-1 advantage in the final set before the Slugs chipped away to even the score at eight. Stahl responded with two kills and two blocks alongside Brown and Horiuk, and two huge kills from Cooper put the match away in favor of Cal Lu.

The Kingsmen close out the regular season at 21-6, just one game behind from where they finished last year. They now await the results of the NCAA Selection Show, which will reveal their next matchup. The show is set for Monday, April 14 at 7 AM PT.