LISLE, Ill. (WLCSports.com) – No. 5 Wisconsin Lutheran College saw its postseason debut come to a close with a 3-1 loss to No. 4 Benedictine in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament Quarterfinal on Tuesday at Dan and Ada Rice Center. The Eagles defeated the Warriors by scores of 25-22, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22.
Making its first NACC Tournament appearance in program history, WLC (12-11) battled throughout the match but was unable to overcome key runs by BenU (16-10). Benedictine hit .256 for the match, while Wisconsin Lutheran finished with a .176 attacking percentage.
The opening set featured 11 ties before the Eagles used a late 4-1 surge to break a 21-21 deadlock. A pair of kills helped BenU close out a 25-22 win.
The Warriors responded in the second set, turning a 14-9 deficit into momentum late. WLC closed the frame on a decisive 12-2 run, highlighted by strong play from senior
Drew Wempner (West Allis, Wis.) and a serving run from sophomore
Noah Kern (Brookfield, Wis.), to even the match with a 25-20 victory.
The third set proved pivotal, as Benedictine used a 9-2 run to turn a 15-12 deficit into a 21-17 advantage. The Eagles maintained control down the stretch, hitting a match-high .310 in the set to secure a 25-19 win and take a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth set, BenU jumped out to an early 7-2 lead behind a strong serving run. Wisconsin Lutheran chipped away and eventually tied the set at 16-16 and later 19-19. However, Benedictine responded with a pair of late kills to regain control and close out the match, 25-22.
Wempner, who recorded a season high for kills, and sophomore
Brady Pichler (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) led the Warriors with 15 kills apiece, Freshman
Adonis Hilton (Rockford, Ill.) added 11 kills. Freshman
David Warren (Brookfield, Wis.) dished out 20 assists to pace the offense. Pichler paced the defense with a team-high 11 digs for his fourth double-double of the season, while Hilton and senior
Trevor Salutric (Lockport, Ill.) added 10 digs each. It marked the first career double-double for Hilton. At the net, WLC totaled 6.0 team blocks, led by three from Pichler.
The Eagles were led by Tucker Lambert's 20 kills, while Chris Radomski added 13. Spencer VanEngen directed the offense with 45 assists. Defensively, Jordan Cardenas recorded a match-high 17 digs, and BenU finished with 4.0 team blocks.
Wisconsin Lutheran wraps up its 2026 season 12-11 overall and 6-6 in the NACC, marking the most overall and conference victories in program history.
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