By Jake Mewhiney
For most teams, a two-set deficit in the Elite Eight means the beginning of the end. For Cal Lutheran, it was where the fun started.
“Going into that third set down 0-2, I’m pretty sure that was the most confident we’d been all tournament,” senior libero Braden Gonzalez said. “There was just no doubt.”
That kind of unshakable belief is the identity of the 2026 Kingsmen. After surviving a five-set thriller against Endicott and then erasing a 2-0 hole to stun a red-hot MIT squad, Cal Lutheran punched its ticket to Springfield for the Division III Men’s Volleyball Final Four. The message inside the locker room was simple: stay composed, don’t panic, and trust the work.
“You can’t panic,” head coach Kevin Judd said. “You just got to take each set for what it is, and just, you know, stay calm, cool and collected in the moment, and believe in your game.”
Judd has built a team that thrives on accountability, led by senior captain Connor Crawford—a veteran who knows what winning looks after being part of a national championship run two years ago—this group doesn’t flinch. Alongside Crawford, Gonzalez and Hayden Godfrey set the standard. Godfrey brought a natural leadership style from his Moorpark College days, while Gonzalez carries extra motivation as he started his college career at Springfield.
“It means a little more,” Gonzalez admitted. “Getting back in the gym where I started, trying to earn a ring for myself… that’s a lot of motivation for the younger guys to see.”
That personal history adds a layer of spice to Thursday’s semifinal against the top-seeded host against the Springfield College Pride, a rematch of last year’s final four game. But if Cal Lutheran is worried about walking into a loud home crowd in Blake Arena, they aren’t showing it. They’ve done hostile before.
Last year at NYU, facing an undefeated No. 1 seed in front of a screaming purple sea, the Kingsmen simply flipped the script. “Coach told us, ‘All those fans making noise? Those are your fans,’” Gonzalez said. “We had the biggest smiles on our faces. We try to make that energy for us.”
That mentality will be the key to victory this week. Cal Lutheran has the talent to win a national title. But talent is everywhere in the Final Four. The difference will be confidence—the word Gonzalez hangs his hat on. This is a team that doesn’t just expect to be on this stage. They envisioned it. And when the crowd roars against them, they won’t hear a threat. They’ll hear a home crowd.
The Kingsmen arrived early, taking a bus straight from New Jersey to stay in the same time zone and save the air miles. They’ve got their eyes on the prize—and maybe a few trips to Hot Table for paninis and milkshakes. But when the lights come up Thursday night, Cal Lutheran won’t be looking for comfort food. They’ll be looking to advance to the championship game. No panic. No doubt. Just volleyball at its peak.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics