((Salem, Va. – April 25, 2025 – The Springfield College men's volleyball team dispatched seventh-ranked California Lutheran University in straight sets by scores of 25-19, 25-16, 25-17 in the NCAA Division III Championship National Semifinals on Friday evening inside the Cregger Center on the campus of Roanoke College.

Springfield, the fourth-ranked team in this week's AVCA Division III National Poll, improved to 25-4 and will appear in its ninth NCAA Division III National Championship contest on Monday, while Cal Lutheran, the reigning national champions, sees its season come to a close at 23-7.

Springfield men's volleyball is the second team on Alden Street to take down a defending national champion this year as football defeated Cortland in the third round of its tournament during the fall season.

As a team, Springfield hit .438 and received ten kills apiece from Carter Durivage (East Greenbush, N.Y.), Sam Levinson (LaGrange, Ill.) and Chris Rouleau (Bay Shore, N.Y.). Rouleau, who hit .909 with 11 errorless swings also contributed two of Springfield's 14 blocks on the night. Dylan Mulvaney (Reston, Va.)piloted Springfield's offense as he dished out 36 assists, while Giancarlo Carrion (San Juan, Puerto Rico)was dominant at the service line with four aces. Defensively, Springfield held Cal Lutheran to just a .161 hitting percentage – only the third time all season the Kingsmen were held under .200 for a match.

Cal Lutheran jumped out to an early 7-4 lead in the first set following swings from Jordan Cooper and Borys Horiuk, but later in the set a 9-2 run ultimately gave Springfield a 19-15 advantage off back-to-back kills from Rouleau. Durivage ignited the set ending run with swing from the outside before a pair of kills from Jake DesLauriers (Eastport, N.Y.) capped the first 25-19 for Springfield.

Springfield was in total control of the second set as the Pride scored eight of the first nine points of the stanza. Two swings from Durivage followed by a trio of aces from the line by Carrion piloted the spurt before a big block by Brennan Cutter (Trumbull, Conn.) and Durivage made it 7-1. Cal Lutheran got as close as five, but another quick run by the Pride that was highlighted by a setter dump from Mulvaney and another ace from Carrion ultimately made it 19-10. Two swings from Rouleau and an error by Cal Lutheran gave Springfield the second, 25-16.

Tied at eight early in the third, back-to-back kills from Rouleau before a block by Rouleau, Mulvaney and Durivage made it 11-9 in favor of the Pride. Another block, an ace by Mulvaney and an error by Cal Lutheran gave Springfield the lead it would need to complete the sweep. DesLauriers and Durivage traded kills to make it 20-14 before swings by Levinson and Durivage pushed Springfield back into the national championship match.

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