McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team began its College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play with a three-set loss to North Central College. The match took place on Tuesday night, February 18, inside the Shirk Center. The Titans, now holding a record of 10-5 overall and 0-1 in CCIW play, were defeated by the Cardinals, who are ranked No. 18 nationally and have an overall record of 8-3 with a conference record of 1-0.

Sophomore Bryce Williams led the Titans with six kills while maintaining a .267 hitting percentage. Fellow sophomore Brenden Reutter contributed five kills and achieved team-highs in assists and digs, each totaling eight. Senior Vince DiCosola added seven assists and four digs to the team's efforts. Freshman Gavin Rohlwing led defensively with two blocks.

Overall, the Titans struggled offensively against North Central College, managing only 20 kills with an attack percentage of -.027 compared to the Cardinals' 40 kills on a .436 clip. North Central also led in blocks (7-3) and aces (5-0), though both teams recorded 27 digs each.

During the opening set, Illinois Wesleyan tied the score at five all after a point by Rohlwing but fell behind as North Central pulled ahead to win the set 25-18 following a strong run.

The second set mirrored the first's tight start before North Central extended their lead for a decisive 25-14 victory, gaining a two sets to none advantage.

In the third set, Illinois Wesleyan was unable to recover from an early deficit of 8-2, ultimately losing 25-9.

Illinois Wesleyan will next host Carthage College on Saturday, February 22nd at the Shirk Center as they continue CCIW play. The match is scheduled for a first serve at 3 p.m.