McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team is set to host the first of three triangular events this season at the Shirk Center. After a successful start to their 2025 campaign with a four-set victory over Concordia University Wisconsin, the Titans (1-0) will welcome University of Olivet and Lakeland University on Saturday, January 18.

The day's schedule includes IWU facing Olivet at 11 a.m., followed by a neutral site match between Olivet and Lakeland at 1:30 p.m. The Titans will then conclude the event against Lakeland at 4 p.m.

Illinois Wesleyan's recent win marked their third consecutive season opener victory. The match saw notable performances from four freshmen making their collegiate debuts: Ethan Kuziela, Gavin Rohlwing, Ben Zima, and Cael Whitchurch. Senior Ryan Myers led the offense with 14 kills and an impressive .458 attack percentage. Freshman Kuziela contributed with 13 kills and nine assists, while sophomore Patrick Dasbach achieved a career-high of 10 kills.

Senior Vince DiCosola and sophomore Brenden Reutter were instrumental in orchestrating the Titan offense, which hit .259 during the match. DiCosola recorded 20 assists, while Reutter added 13 assists alongside two digs each.

Defensively, Illinois Wesleyan showcased strong performance with a total of 13 blocks. Senior Jake Kougan led with seven blocks—a record for a four-set match in program history—while Rohlwing added four blocks to his nine kills tally.

This weekend's matchup against Olivet marks their second meeting after IWU defeated them in straight sets last year on January 21, 2024. In that game, now-assistant coach Mike Eastman excelled with 13 kills and eight digs.

IWU also previously faced Lakeland on January 21, 2024, securing a five-set victory in a reverse sweep. Eastman again led with an outstanding performance of 18 kills and three aces.

Lakeland enters this weekend following a loss to No.8 Carthage College on January 10.

All matches will be available via live stream featuring commentary by Matt Sosler and IWU women's volleyball player Alex Bardouniotis.