THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – In a highly anticipated pair of matchups out West, the top-ranked Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team (18-0) handled No. 18-ranked Marymount (Va.) (15-3) in straight sets before battling past No. 6-ranked Cal Lutheran (19-5), further establishing the start of the 2024 season as the program's most historic.

MATCH ONE: WENTWORTH 3, MARYMOUNT (VA.) 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Leopards sprung out to a 6-2 lead, kickstarted by two kills by senior Jacob LaBouliere (Pipersville, Pa.), before a kill by senior Jacob Waga (East Northport, N.Y.) pushed the lead to 9-4. Another kill by Waga continued the advantage to 13-6 before a slew of errors pushed the lead to 20-12. Kills by LaBouliere and sophomore Nicolai Bell (Moraga, Calif.) capped Wentworth's set win at 25-15.
• A kill by LaBouliere gave the Leopards a 2-1 edge in the second set before the two teams swapped scores, with another kill by the senior marking a 9-8 lead. The Saints battled back, taking a 14-12 lead, before back-to-back kills by LaBouliere later knotted the score at 17-all. The two teams swapped scores to end the set, with Wentworth prevailing with two straight to grab a 25-23 set win.
• The Black & Gold took a 4-0 advantage to begin the third set before a kill by Waga marked a 7-3 lead. Another kill by Waga helped guide Wentworth's lead to 15-10 before another paced the team to a 19-13 lead. Marymount battled, with the two teams swapping scores, until a final kill for the Leopards capped a 25-17 set win and a 3-0 match.

MATCH TWO: WENTWORTH 3, CAL LUTHERAN 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Kills by LaBouliere and Waga gave Wentworth a 2-0 advantage in the first set before the two teams swapped scores, with the Leopards holding a 10-7 lead on a LaBouliere kill. Another LaBouliere kill marked a 13-10 lead before kills by Bell, Waga, and sophomore Benjamin Moughon (Mercer Island, Wash.) pushed the advantage to 19-15. Kills by Moughon and LaBouliere combined with a slew of errors gave the Leopards a 25-21 set win.
• The hosts hopped out to a 5-2 lead in the second set before the Leopards rattled off eight straight points, taking a 10-5 lead. The Black & Gold never looked back, with two kills by Moughon pushing the advantage to 14-7. Cal Lutheran battled back, closing the gap to 17-14, but kills by Bell, Waga, LaBouliere, and graduate student Brandon Dunz (Lake View, N.Y.) held Wentworth's lead to a 25-17 set win.
• Kills by Dunz and Bell gave the Leopards a 2-0 lead before the two teams swapped points, with Cal Lutheran taking hold of a 12-11 edge. A service ace by junior Ryan Roller (West Hartford, Conn.) capped a 3-0 run for the Leopards, marking a 14-12 lead, before a kill by Waga marked a tie at 15-all. Cal Lutheran went on a 10-2 run to give themselves a 25-17 set win, cutting the match deficit to one.
• Wentworth raced out to a 9-4 lead in the fourth set, with four points coming on kills by Waga and junior Sam Etter (Massillon, Ohio). The Leopards continued the advantage to 14-11 on a kill by Etter before another marked a 16-12 lead. A kill by Bell pushed the lead to 18-14 before a kill by Waga marked a narrow 21-19 lead. A service ace by senior Tyler Jack (San Jose, Calif.) helped separate the Leopards in a 23-19 score before a kill by Dunz capped a 25-20 set win.

SERIES NOTES:

• Wentworth has won two straight matchups between the two teams and now leads the all-time series, 3-2.

NEXT UP:

• The Leopards face No. 16-ranked UC Santa Cruz in their final match of the tournament tomorrow before facing Moorpark in exhibition action later in the day.

For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on "X," Facebook and Instagram.