McLean County Times

Facing a formidable opponent, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team was defeated by Loras College in their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opener. The match, held on February 28 in Bloomington, saw IWU fall in straight sets with scores of 25-19, 25-13, and 25-21. This loss brings IWU's record to 8-7 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while Loras maintains an unbeaten streak at 13-0 overall and 2-0 in the CCIW.

Freshman Bryce Williams led Illinois Wesleyan's offense with seven kills. Fellow freshman Brenden Reutter contributed two aces and led the team with 12 assists. Junior Vince DiCosola closely followed with 11 assists. On defense, sophomore Jace Milka recorded eight digs for the Titans.

Illinois Wesleyan struggled offensively with a total of 26 kills on a -.022 attack percentage compared to Loras' .333 clip from their 33 kills. The Duhawks also had slight advantages in digs (29 to IWU's 28) and aces (30 to IWU's 26), along with recording significantly more blocks (12 to IWU's two). However, Illinois Wesleyan excelled at the service line with five aces compared to Loras' two.

In the opening set, after falling behind early, Reutter made an impact by recording an ace which helped close the gap temporarily. Despite efforts from players like Michael Eastman and Williams, who contributed key plays throughout the match, Loras maintained control.

The second set saw a similar pattern as Loras capitalized on opportunities despite Illinois Wesleyan's attempts to rally through timeouts and strategic plays by Hartke and Reutter.

The final set featured moments where Illinois Wesleyan showed potential but ultimately could not overcome Loras' lead. A timeout called by coach Brandon Mueller momentarily shifted momentum but wasn't enough to change the outcome as Loras secured victory.

Looking ahead, Illinois Wesleyan will host North Park University and Bethany College for a triangular tournament on March 2. The Titans are scheduled to face North Park at 1 p.m., followed by Bethany at 5 p.m.