The Illinois Wesleyan University men’s volleyball team is set to begin its College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) schedule with an away match against No. 5 Carthage College on Thursday, February 19. The Titans, who have started the season with a program-best 12-3 record, will face the Firebirds (8-2) at Tarble Arena.
Illinois Wesleyan comes into the contest following a four-set win over Westminster College on February 14. In that match, junior Bryce Williams recorded 13 kills with a .385 attack percentage. Sophomore Ethan Kuziela contributed a team-high 29 assists and added 12 kills with a .458 hitting percentage. Senior Jace Milka led from the service line with five aces, while sophomore Ben Zima had 15 digs to lead defensively. Freshman Dylan Quinn finished as the team leader in blocks with three.
Freshman Aydin Provost has been a key offensive player for Illinois Wesleyan this season, earning three CCIW Hitter of the Week honors and tallying 184 kills at a .358 clip. His average of 3.61 kills per set ranks him among the top players in Division III. Kuziela, named CCIW Setter of the Week three times this year, is second on the team in kills and leads in assists with 374—averaging just over seven per set. Williams rounds out the team’s top three attackers.
The Titans’ offense leads NCAA Division III in kills per set (13.68) and assists per set (12.46). The team’s collective hitting percentage stands at .284, ranking them nationally as well.
On defense, Zima averages nearly three digs per set, placing him among national leaders in that category. Kuziela’s contributions include both digs and triple-double performances—the most by any player in Division III this season—while Quinn leads the team in blocks.
Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage will meet for the eleventh time; Carthage has won all previous encounters between the teams. Their last meeting saw Illinois Wesleyan push Carthage to five sets before falling short.
Illinois Wesleyan Titans Men’s Volleyball competes at the NCAA Division III level as part of intercollegiate athletics within the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The program features student-athletes from various undergraduate class years and is led by head coach Brandon Mueller. Home matches are played at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois.
