HOBOKEN, N.J. – In a match that lived up to every bit of postseason intensity, No. 5 Cal Lutheran men's volleyball battled past No. 12 Endicott in a five-set thriller, earning a 3-2 victory (25-14, 19-25, 28-30, 25-15, 15-13) to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.

With the win, the Kingsmen not only advance to their third-straight regional final, but also snap Endicott's 22-match winning streak in a tightly contested, high-level battle between two of the nation's hottest teams.

Cal Lutheran (22-6) came out firing in the opening set, delivering one of their most dominant frames of the season. After jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead behind back-to-back kills from Tyler Linville, the Kingsmen never looked back, using a 10-4 run to build a commanding advantage. 

Brendan Hom and Mason Rowell contributed late with a block and kill, while Connor Crawford closed out the set to secure a decisive 25-14 win. The Kingsmen hit a blistering .643 in the opener, recording 18 kills with zero errors.

The Gulls responded in the second, weathering an early push from Cal Lu before turning the tide late. With the set tied at 18-18, Endicott rattled off six unanswered points to seize control and even the match at one set apiece.

The third set proved to be one of the most intense stretches of the night. Endicott built an early cushion, but the Kingsmen refused to back down. Trailing 22-16, CLU stormed back with an 8-1 run, highlighted by a dominant stretch from Matthew Wilcox, to take a 24-23 lead. The teams traded points in a tense back-and-forth finish, but the Gulls ultimately claimed the set with three straight points to take a 2-1 match advantage.

Facing elimination, the Kingsmen delivered a statement response in the fourth. Cal Lu raced out to a 7-2 lead and never let up, fueled by kills from Wilcox, Crawford, and Linville. A service run by Keaton Hendry extended the lead to 18-6, and the Kingsmen forced a fifth set behind consecutive kills from Hom and a Hendry ace to cap a dominant 25-15 frame.

The deciding set was a fitting conclusion to a match defined by razor-thin margins. Cal Lutheran grabbed an early 5-2 edge, but Endicott continued to answer, tying the set multiple times down the stretch. Trailing 12-11, the Kingsmen capitalized on a pair of Gulls errors to regain the lead. After the score knotted at 13-13, Linville rose to the moment, delivering back-to-back kills to seal the 15-13 victory and send CLU into the next round.

In a match where both teams hit over .300, the difference came down to execution in key moments. The Kingsmen held a slight edge offensively, hitting .436 as a team compared to Endicott's .322, while also narrowly leading in kills (71-69), blocks (9-8), and digs (39-36).

Cal Lu showcased its balanced attack, with four players reaching double figures in kills—all hitting above .300. Crawford led the way with 19 kills on a .429 clip, while Hom added 17 (.394), Linville recorded 14 (.303), and Wilcox turned in a standout performance with 12 kills on just 15 swings for an impressive .733 hitting percentage. Rowell was equally efficient in the middle, totaling eight kills while hitting .615.

At the center of it all was setter Gavin Galanski, who orchestrated the offense to perfection. The sophomore dished out 58 assists while adding 12 digs to record a double-double, consistently spreading the ball across all attacking options and keeping Endicott's defense off balance.

Wilcox anchored the net defensively with a match-high six blocks, while Rowell contributed three. Braden Gonzales added seven digs in the back row, helping stabilize the Kingsmen defense during key stretches.

With the victory, Cal Lutheran becomes one of just two programs in the nation—alongside No. 6 Southern Virginia—to reach the Elite Eight in each of the past three seasons.

Up next, the Kingsmen will face No. 15 MIT on Saturday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m. PT after the Engineers upset regional host No. 4 Stevens. A trip to the NCAA Semifinals will be on the line as Cal Lutheran looks to secure its third consecutive regional championship.