Posted: Apr 17, 2026

#1 Bethel and #2 Indiana Tech Punch Tickets To WHAC Tournament Final

MISHAKAWA, Ind. - The semifinal round of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) tournament saw both higher seeds advance in four sets to set up a #1 vs. #2 matchup on Saturday for the title. Bethel dropped the first set of the day before storming back to win three straight and advance over Lawrence Tech. Indiana Tech won sets one, three and four to earn its win over Lourdes to set up a rematch of last Saturday's regular season finale between Bethel and Indiana Tech.

Bethel will host Indiana Tech at 3 p.m. tomorrow with the WHAC's autobid to the NAIA National Tournament up for grabs.

No. 1 Bethel def. No. 4 Lawrence Tech, 3-1 | Box Score

Bethel (IN) defeated Lawrence Tech 3-1 in a Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament semifinal Friday, winning 18-25, 25-15, 27-25, 25-23 at Goodman Gymnasium.

The semifinal matchup, played before an announced attendance of 150, lasted 2 hours, 13 minutes and turned after Lawrence Tech took the opening set. The Pilots answered with wins in the next three sets, using a balanced offense and steady distribution from McGwire Eigenrauch to take control. Bethel finished with 54 kills, 50 assists, five aces and 38 digs, while Lawrence Tech posted 44 kills, 41 assists, one ace and 29 digs.

Lawrence Tech opened the night by claiming the first set 25-18, with Mario Cid delivering the final kill. Bethel responded quickly in the second. Eigenrauch capped that 25-15 set with a service ace as Bethel evened the match and shifted the momentum. Eigenrauch finished with 49 assists, one ace, three block assists and 3.5 points, helping direct an attack that produced contributions across the front row.

The third set proved to be the turning point. Bethel outlasted Lawrence Tech 27-25 in the tightest stretch of the match, getting the decisive kill from Thomas Dunkley during a late run. That edge carried into the fourth set, where the margin stayed narrow until the closing points. Ling Pak him ended the match with a kill in a 25-23 finish, one of several late swings that helped Bethel close out the semifinal.

Ling Pak him led Bethel with 17 kills and added three aces for 20.5 points, while Eigenrauch's work as the primary setter kept the offense moving throughout the final three sets. Lawrence Tech was paced by Yegor Volkov, who had 19 kills and 23 points, and Mario Cid added 10 kills and six digs. Pedro Aguiar contributed 39 assists and six digs for Lawrence Tech, which also finished with 13 team blocks.

Bethel's slight edge in attack percentage, .225 to .215, and its advantage at the service line helped separate the teams in the key moments. In a semifinal defined by close finishes after the opening set, the Blue Devils found the last points they needed, first through Dunkley in the third and then through Ling Pak him in the fourth, to secure the WHAC tournament victory.

No. 2 Indiana Tech def. No. 3 Lourdes, 3-1 | Box Score

Indiana Tech defeated Lourdes 3-1 on Friday night at Goodman Gymnasium, pulling out a tight opening set before winning the match 26-24, 18-25, 25-20, 25-21. The home side improved its position by taking sets 1, 3 and 4 in a match that turned on blocking, efficiency and a handful of timely service runs.

The opening set featured one of the night's biggest swings. Lourdes jumped out to an 11-3 lead behind an early run that included a service ace from Felipe Tramontin and multiple kills, but Indiana Tech gradually worked back into the set. Lourdes tied it at 24-24 on a kill by Jack McMurray, only for a service error by Jaber Badarne to give Indiana Tech set point. The set ended on a Lourdes attack error, allowing Indiana Tech to escape with the 26-24 win.

Lourdes answered in the second set. Joey Bianco opened with back-to-back service aces as Lourdes built an early cushion and controlled the set on the way to a 25-18 victory. Badarne, Lourdes' top attacker all night, ended the set with a kill off an assist from Brayden Moyars. That evened the match at one set apiece and briefly shifted momentum after Indiana Tech had survived the first-set rally.

Indiana Tech regained control in the third. Nolan Bosley helped create immediate separation with two service aces during a 3-0 start, and Dylan Poore added key kills along with a service ace during the middle portion of the set. Indiana Tech's cleaner attack made the difference over the course of the match. The team finished with a .248 hitting percentage and 14 attack errors, compared with Lourdes' .208 percentage and 25 errors, and closed the third set with a 25-20 decision.

The fourth set was competitive early, with Tramontin recording multiple kills to help Lourdes move in front, but Indiana Tech responded again late. Poore led Indiana Tech with 14 kills and 17.0 points, while Logan Gieseke added 11 kills and 11.5 points on a .412 hitting percentage. Indiana Tech also owned the net, finishing with 7.5 team blocks to Lourdes' 4.0, and added a slight edge from the service line with seven aces.

Lourdes actually finished with more kills, 51-43, and got a match-high 22 kills and 23.0 points from Badarne. Bianco contributed 37 assists, six kills and three aces, while Moyars posted 15 digs. But Indiana Tech's steadier finish showed up in the final points. Bo O'Leary put down the match-ending kill off an assist from Bosley to close the fourth set at 25-21 and secure the four-set victory in front of an announced crowd of 50.