#14 Men’s Volleyball Falls to #5 Cal Lutheran

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The #14 Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team fell to the #5 Cal Lutheran Kingsmen on Thursday night. Eli Turner had 11 kills to lead the team while Nicolai Bell added nine finishes. Alem Dubcak and Benjamin Moughon tallied six kills each and Brayden Green dished out 33 assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The sides went back and forth to open the first set with Moughon's kill tying the game at 8-8. Wentworth and Cal Lutheran continued to exchange points until two attack errors put the Leopards in front 13-11. An ace from Dubcak and an attack error gave Wentworth a 16-14 lead before an ace from Mason Rowell evened the score once again. Moughon's ace made it 19-18 late in the set as Cal Lutheran burned a timeout. The Kingsmen battled back to make it a one-point before back-to-back kills from Dubcak put Wentworth in front 23-20. Two strong finishes from Bell secured the win in the first set, 25-22, and gave Wentworth a 1-0 lead.
• Bell and Eli Turner tallied kills to tie the game 5-5 early in the second set. Matthew Wilcox and Aidan Godfrey put the Kingsmen up 8-5 before Foxwell's finish and an attack error brought the Leopards within one. Dubcak tallied a pair of kills to keep Wentworth within one before Brendan Hom's finish made it 12-10. Wentworth burned a timeout after Cal Lutheran took a 14-11 lead. The Leopards battled back with two kills from Turner and an ace from Zuniga to make it a one-point game once again. The Kingsmen extended the lead to five late in the set as Wentworth burned another timeout. Cal Lutheran took the second set 25-19 to even the match.
• The third set began like the first two with the teams exchanging points with Turner's kill giving Wentworth a 7-6 edge. The Leopards held the lead until three stragith attack errors put the hosts in front 12-9. Finishes from Moughon and Turner made it a one-point game before the Kingsmen pushed the lead back to three. The hosts pulled away late and took the third set 25-18.
• The Leopards and Kingsmen went back and forth again to begin the fourth frame with Hom's kill giving Cal Lutheran a 7-6 edge. Cody Popp tallied his first kill of the night to help Wentworth tie the game before an attack error gave the visitors the lead. Both sides battled hard, exchanging points down the stretch with the game still tied at at 16-16. Green's ace gave Wentworth the lead and Cal Lutheran called a timeout. The Kingsmen went on a 5-1 run to lead 21-18 late in the frame. Foxwell and Moughon's finishes made it 23-21 and the hosts used another timeout. Matthew Wilcox's finish and an attack error secured the set for Cal Lutheran, 25-21, and the match, 3-1.

THE SERIES

• Tonight was the sixth all-time meeting between the teams.

NEXT UP

• The Leopards take on #7 UC Santa Cruz on Friday night.

For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on "X," Facebook and Instagram.