McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team is set to face No. 19 North Central College on Saturday, March 22, at Gregory Arena in Naperville, Illinois. This match marks the beginning of a series of three consecutive College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin matches for the Titans.

Currently holding a record of 12-8 overall and 2-4 in the CCIW, the Titans recently secured a victory against North Park University, winning in four sets on March 19. This win marked the highest number of wins in a single season since the program's inception five years ago. Sophomore Bryce Williams from Chicago and freshman Gavin Rohlwing from Tower Lake were instrumental in this victory with 17 and 15 kills respectively. Rohlwing also achieved an impressive .650 attack percentage. Senior Vince DiCosola contributed significantly with 32 assists, while Rohlwing led defensively with five blocks.

Throughout this season, Williams has been leading the team's offense with 195 kills, averaging three per set on a .227 hitting percentage. Rohlwing follows closely with 145 kills at a .336 percentage, while freshman Ethan Kuziela holds third place with 131 kills, averaging 2.57 per set. The team’s serving is spearheaded by sophomore Brenden Reutter with 22 aces.

Reutter and DiCosola have been key figures in facilitating the team's offensive plays this season. Reutter leads in assists with a total of 356, averaging 4.88 per set, followed by DiCosola's 314 assists at an average of 4.55 per set.

On defense, junior Jace Milka has amassed a team-high of 145 digs throughout the season. Williams and Reutter follow him with totals of 117 and 112 digs respectively. At the net, Rohlwing stands out as he leads both his team and ranks seventh in Division III for blocks with a total of 81.

The upcoming match presents an opportunity for IWU to claim their first victory over North Central College after losing all previous nine encounters between the teams.

North Central recently triumphed over fourth-ranked Carthage College in five sets on March 19.

For those interested in following the game live, North Central will provide both a live stream and live stats online.