California State University Northridge Athletics
California State University at Northridge
10-4,0-0Big West
Cal Lutheran
14-4,0-0DIII Independent
Phillips leads No. 17 CSUN to 3-0 Sweep Over Visiting Cal Lutheran
2/27/2026 7:40:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Junior Jalen Phillips had a match-high 13 kills and CSUN hit .370 as the Matadors swept Cal Lutheran 25-21, 25-21, 25-13 in a non-conference match on Friday night at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
CSUN (10-4) controlled the match from the service line and in transition, finishing with 42 kills on 81 swings and committing just 12 errors. The Matadors improved their hitting percentage in each set, punctuating the victory with a blistering .667 clip in the third.
Phillips added three blocks (two solo) and a service ace while hitting .360 to lead a balanced attack. Sophomore Joao Avila added eight kills (.375) and two assists, and Hank Kaufman contributed six kills on .400 hitting. Grayson Albers finished the night nearly perfect with six kills on seven attempts to hit .857.
Setter Owen Douphner handed out 29 assists to go with four digs and one block. The Matadors posted a 7-4 edge in total team blocks, while limiting the Kingsmen to a -.013 hitting percentage.
CSUN seized control late in the opening set. With the Matadors holding a slim 17-16 lead, CSUN used a 4-1 burst — highlighted by a Phillips ace — to extend the lead to four at 21-17. The Matadors hit .226 in the set and sided out at 81%.
The second set featured 17 ties, but CSUN capitalized down the stretch again. Leading 22-21, the Matadors scored three of the final four points, including a block by Phillips and Joao Favarim to close it out. CSUN hit .344 in the frame.
The third set was all Matadors. CSUN jumped out to an 8-3 lead and never trailed. Kaufman and Noah Douphner keyed an early run, and CSUN committed just one attacking error while recording 13 kills in 18 attempts.
Connor Crawford led Cal Lutheran (14-4) with nine kills (.174), while Brendan Hom added five kills (.154) and Braden Gonzalez had a team-high seven digs.
HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"I love playing Cal Lu, they're one of the closest teams to us and I feel like we've developed a little rivalry series with them. I thought we had some really nice performances tonight from several of the guys. Joao (Avila), Hank (Kaufman), Jalen (Phillips), Grayson (Albers), Braden (Pool-Harris), and a lot of guys coming off the bench did some great things. Overall, just a really great match for our team."
UP NEXT
CSUN opens the 2026 Big West season next Tuesday (Mar. 3) as the Matadors travel to La Jolla to meet No. 9 UC San Diego. First serve at LionTree is scheduled for 7 p.m.
#GoMatadors
