Box Score MISHAWAKA, Ind. — On Friday, April 17, the No. 8 Bethel Pilots advanced to Saturday's WHAC Championship matchup with a 3-1 semifinal victory over Lawrence Tech inside the Goodman Gymnasium.

After dropping the opening set 25-18, the Pilots responded in dominant fashion, taking the next three sets 25-15, 27-25, and 25-23 to secure their spot in the conference final.

Bethel found its rhythm offensively after the first set, hitting more efficiently and limiting errors to control the match. The Pilots were especially strong in the middle frames, using a balanced attack to keep Lawrence Tech on the defensive.

Ling Pak Him led the offense with 17 kills, while Thomas Dunkley added 16 kills and a strong presence at the net. Christian Woumnga contributed 8 kills, and Santana Roybal-Benson added 7 kills while hitting efficiently.

Defensively, Bethel recorded 38 digs, with Eduardo Kerkoski leading the back row with ten. At the net, the Pilots totaled multiple key blocks, helping slow down Lawrence Tech's attack in the final three sets.

Set three proved to be the turning point, as Bethel battled through a tightly contested 27-25 win before closing out the match in set four.

Head Coach Jose Viera Cerame shared, "We had a little (bit) of a rough start because of our unforced errors, but we progressively got better. Our serving was huge during clutch moments and that's what we needed to increase our energy and create momentum. First semifinal win in program history and it feels great, but job's not finished. We have one more and we are excited! GO PILOTS!"

Following the game, the following Pilots were recognized for their WHAC All-Conference Awards: 

Thomas Dunkley: Player of the Year,  First Team All-Conference
McGwire Eigenrauch: Setter of the Year, First Team All-Conference
Santana Roybal-Benson:  First Team All-Conference
Eduardo Kerkoski: All-Freshman Team, Second Team All-Conference
Christian Woumnga: Second Team All-Conference
Ling Pak Him: Second Team All-Conference
Ben Ritzema: Champion of Character 
Head Coach Jose Viera Cerame: Coach of the Year 

With the win, Bethel advances to tonight's WHAC Championship matchup, where they will face the Indiana Tech Warriors (22-8, 15-3) at 3 PM. The Warriors defeated Lourdes 3-1 in Friday's second semifinal, and are the Pilots' only WHAC loss this season. 

For more information about Bethel Pilots Athletics, check out bupilots.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or X by searching @bupilots or #TheRightWayToPlay.