THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – No. 5 Cal Lutheran men's volleyball rebounded from a first-set loss with three straight victories to defeat Wentworth 22-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-21 on Thursday evening inside Gilbert Arena, opening the 2026 Cal-Lu-Fornia Invitational.

The Kingsmen improved to 15-4 overall after settling in following a slow start against the visiting Leopards.

Wentworth controlled much of the opening set, hitting .400 with 16 kills while building a late advantage. Cal Lu stayed within reach behind a swing from Aidan Godfrey and several Leopard service errors, trimming the deficit to 24-21 before a Wentworth kill sealed the 25-22 decision.

The Kingsmen responded quickly in the second set, finding a stronger offensive rhythm behind setter Gavin Galanski. Cal Lutheran hit .370 in the frame and used an 8-3 run late in the set to create separation and even the match at one set apiece.

CLU carried that momentum into the third set, turning in its most efficient offensive performance of the night. The Kingsmen committed just two errors while hitting .474, steadily building a lead behind the balanced attack of Brendan Hom, Connor Crawford and Godfrey to take a 2-1 match advantage.

The fourth set featured another tight battle, with the teams trading points through multiple ties in the middle of the frame. With the score even at 18-18, the Kingsmen produced a decisive stretch sparked by a Godfrey kill and a block from Crawford and Mason Rowell. Hom added a pair of late kills and Matthew Wilcox chipped in another to push Cal Lutheran to match point before the Kingsmen closed out the contest 25-21.

Hom led the offense with 15 kills while hitting .321, while Godfrey added 11 kills and two service aces. Crawford also reached double figures with 10 kills.

Cal Lutheran's presence at the net proved key as the Kingsmen totaled 10 team blocks. Rowell led the effort with six, while Wilcox added four and Crawford chipped in five.

Galanski directed the offense with 35 assists and added a team-high eight digs, while Braden Gonzales recorded four digs at Libero.