California State University Northridge Athletics
California State University at Northridge
8-4,0-0Big West
Lincoln Memorial
7-4,0-0DI Independent
No. 17 CSUN Hits .438 to Sweep 19th-ranked Lincoln Memorial
2/18/2026 7:40:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Junior Jalen Phillips had a match-high 14 kills and hit .545 to lead No. 17 CSUN to a straight-set victory over No. 19 Lincoln Memorial in a non-conference match on Wednesday night at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
17th-ranked CSUN (8-4) cruised 25-8, 25-18, 25-20 to improve to 4-1 at home, outhitting Lincoln Memorial .438 to .081 and finishing with 11.5 team blocks, a season-best for a three-set match.
Phillips also added a match-high seven blocks and hit .500 in the decisive third set, helping the Matadors close the match in 1 hour, 13 minutes, earning their first win over a ranked team in 2026.
Junior Jordan Lucas chipped in 10 kills on .333 hitting, while redshirt freshman Grayson Albers was nearly flawless with seven kills on seven swings. Fellow middle Shane Nhem added five kills (.333) and six block assists, anchoring a defense that limited Lincoln Memorial (7-4) to just six kills in the opening set.
CSUN setter Owen Douphner directed a balanced attack with 30 assists as the Matadors hit .800 in the first set and .500 in the second while siding out at an 88% clip in each of the first two frames.
The Matadors raced to a 14-4 lead in the first set and never trailed, recording 16 kills without an error. Phillips and Lucas combined for seven kills in the opener as CSUN forced LMU into six attack errors.
CSUN maintained control in the second set, using a mid-set surge highlighted by back-to-back kills from Phillips to build a 20-13 advantage. The Matadors hit .500 in the frame and closed it on a Lucas kill.
Looking to extend the match to a fourth set, the Railsplitters led by as many as five at 18-13 in the third, but CSUN responded with a 7-2 run to take a 21-20 lead. Leading 22-20 following Phillips' 14th kill of the night, the Matadors closed the match when LMU committed three consecutive attacking errors.
Johan Negron led Lincoln Memorial with nine kills, hitting .167 on 30 swings.
HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"This was a get back on track match for us. Tip my hat to Lincoln Memorial, they're a good team, but I thought we just played really well. I thought we had a ton of pressure through the middle. Shane and Grayson were fantastic, 12 kills between them. The pins were great, Jordan hit .333, Joao (Avila) had some really great kills down the stretch, and Jalen was just being Jalen, hitting .545 with 14 kills on 22 swings. Across the board, just some really great performances."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its three-match homestand on Friday, hosting UC Merced in a non-conference match at 6 p.m.
#GoMatadors
