THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – No. 5 Cal Lutheran men's volleyball battled through a tightly contested five-set match Tuesday night but ultimately fell to No. 11 Aurora 25-22, 19-25, 23-25, 25-18, 15-5 in the final match of the Cal-Lu-Fornia Invitational inside Gilbert Arena.

The Kingsmen moved to 18-5 overall after the loss, while the Spartans improved to 14-3.

Cal Lutheran opened the match with a strong first set, using a late run to overcome an 18-15 deficit. After the teams traded points through much of the frame, the Kingsmen strung together several key plays down the stretch sparked by three straight Spartan errors. Consecutive kills from Tyler Linville along with one apiece from Matthew Wilcox and Brendan Hom helped push CLU in front before an Aurora service error sealed the set.

Aurora responded in the second set, finding its rhythm offensively and using a late surge to even the match. With the score tied at 16, the Spartans went on a 9-3 run behind six kills and a handful of Kingsmen errors to claim the set 25-19.

The third proved to be one of the most competitive of the night as both teams traded momentum throughout the frame. Cal Lutheran held a narrow edge for much of the set before Aurora used another late push to edge the Kingsmen 25-23 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

Facing a deficit, Cal Lutheran answered in the fourth set. The Kingsmen steadily built separation midway through behind a six-point run fueled by kills from Linville, Connor Crawford, and Mason Rowell, along with a Gavin Galanski service ace. Cal Lutheran maintained that control down the stretch to secure the 25-18 win and force a decisive fifth set.

Aurora seized control early in the final set, scoring seven of the first nine points to create a cushion the Kingsmen could not overcome. The Spartans closed out the match 15-5 to secure the five-set victory.

Linville led the Kingsmen offensively with 17 kills while hitting .314. Hom added 15 kills, while Crawford finished with 13 kills, nine digs, and a service ace.

Setter Gavin Galanski directed the offense with 52 assists while also recording 10 digs, and Braden Gonzales added nine digs to help anchor the defense.

Aurora was led by SJ Nelson, who recorded a match-high 20 kills.

The Kingsmen will return to action Tuesday, March 17, traveling to face NAIA opponent Hope International, which they swept at home in early January. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Fullerton.