SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – Cal Lutheran men's volleyball (6-1) was defeated by #8 NYU (2-0, 0-0 UVC) in its final match of the UC Santa Cruz Invitational on Saturday evening. The Kingsmen suffered their first loss of the young season to the Violets 22-25, 29-27, 22-25, 20-25.

Both teams traded blows early, and a kill from Tyler Linville gave Cal Lutheran a 7-5 advantage in the opening set. NYU responded with five-straight points, but the Kingsmen recovered shortly after with a 4-0 run behind two kills from Brendan Hom and one from Aidan Godfrey. A Violets' 4-0 run retook the lead before the Kingsmen tied it at 20-20 on a Gavin Galanski solo block. NYU was able to hang on, however, taking the first set 25-22.

NYU kept its momentum going for the first two points of set two, but then Cal Lutheran ripped off a 9-0 run to take a commanding lead, highlighted by kills from Hom, Godfrey, and Linville. The Violets slowly crawled back, eventually tying the set at 19-19 and repossessing the lead at 24-23. Down the stretch, a block by Hom and Matthew Wilcox, two kills from Linville, a service ace from Hom, and finally a 29th-point, set-clinching kill from Godfrey evened the match at one set each.

The Violets opened set three up 8-4, but a late service ace and kill from Godfrey brought Cal Lutheran within one point at 21-20. NYU was able to hold on to win set three, 25-22. Set four was a tight one, with neither team opening more than a two-point lead until NYU went up four at 18-14. A Wilcox kill followed by a block from Wilcox and Linville put Cal Lutheran down 20-18, but NYU won five of the next seven points to clinch the set, 25-20, and the match.

Linville recorded a team-high 17 kills, adding three service aces and nine digs. Hom managed 16 kills, three service aces, and eight digs. Godfrey contributed 12 kills.

Galanski led his team with 29 set assists, and Keaton Hendry added 12 of his own.

Braden Gonzales collected a game-high 14 digs.

Cal Lutheran will take a weekend off before traveling to Chicago for a five-game road trip from January 29 to February 1.