MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College dropped its 2026 home opener in straight sets to No. 4-ranked Cal Lutheran, 25-21, 25-18, 25-21, on Thursday at Time of Grace Center.
The Warriors (5-4) battled early in the opening set and jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind a service ace from freshman
Adam Bedalov (Waukesha, Wis.) and a block by freshman
Adonis Hilton (Rockford, Ill.). The Kingsmen answered with a 7-2 run to take control and later extended the margin to 21-16. WLC pulled within three at 22-19 on a sophomore
Brady Pichler (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) ace, but CLU closed the frame with three of the next five points to secure the 25-21 win. The visitors hit .667 in the first set.
Set two saw Cal Lutheran seize momentum early with a 5-1 run for a 10-5 advantage. Back-to-back service aces by Hilton trimmed the deficit to 11-9, but the Kingsmen responded with a decisive 7-3 burst to push the lead to 18-12. Another late 3-0 spurt, highlighted by consecutive aces, stretched the margin to 24-17 before CLU finished off a 25-18 victory. Cal Lutheran hit .429 in the second set while holding Wisconsin Lutheran to a .263 clip.
The Warriors delivered their strongest push in the third set. Trailing 7-6, WLC rattled off a 4-0 run behind Bedalov's serve to move in front 10-7. Hilton and Pichler combined for multiple kills during the stretch as the hosts built a 17-12 cushion. The Kingsmen countered with a 9-1 to flip a five-point deficit into a 21-18 lead. CLU closed the match to complete the sweep with a 25-21 decision. Cal Lutheran hit .457 in the final set, while Wisconsin Lutheran swung at a .387 mark.
For the match, the Warriors posted a .329 hitting percentage (34 kills, 10 errors, 73 attempts). Hilton and Pichler paced WLC with nine kills apiece. Bedalov directed the offense with 26 assists to go along with five kills. Defensively, Pichler led the team with eight digs, and Hilton had a team-high two blocks.
The Kingsmen (12-2) finished the night hitting .526 (45-5-76). Matthew Wilcox led all players with 12 kills, Garrett Ream orchestrated the attack with 38 assists, and Braden Gonzales recorded a match-best 12 digs.
Wisconsin Lutheran returns to action on Saturday, February 21, when it opens conference play against St. Norbert (6-5, 2-1 NACC) at 6:30 p.m. at Time of Grace Center. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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