Local talent powers CLU men's volleyball into another Final Four
Five local players have played a big role in the Cal Lutheran men’s volleyball team reaching the Division III Final Four for the third straight season.
Braden Gonzales knows all about homecoming. Cal Lutheran University’s star libero, once a standout at Thousand Oaks High School, played his first year of collegiate volleyball at Springfield College in Massachusetts before returning to Moorpark College and finally donning a Kingsman jersey for his junior and senior seasons. On April 23, a Cal Lutheran roster loaded with Ventura County talent is hunting for another national championship berth, back where it all began for Gonzales.
Cal Lutheran (23-6) will play at Springfield College (23-3), the No. 1 team in the nation, at 2 p. m.
Thursday in the NCAA Division III Final Four. “Once I ended up at Cal Lu, I was like, that is the goal right there,” Gonzales said of his return to Springfield. “Every single time I have envisioned anything successful happening this entire season, that has been the image — us, ending up here, in this position.
There is really nothing I wanted more than being able to finish my career back where I started. ” It is Cal Lutheran’s third Final Four appearance in a row after winning the national title in 2024. The semifinal match will be broadcast live on NCAA.