ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team used a well-balanced attack to earn a split at the Rockford University Tri Friday, Jan. 21 at the Seaver Center in Rockford, Ill. In the opening match of the evening, IWU (1-1) fell in a tight four-set match (25-21, 24-26, 31-29, 25-18) to Mount Mercy University. The Titans bounced back to earn a hard-fought three-set victory (25-18, 25-16, 25-17) over Rockford.
In the opening set, with the Mustangs clinging to an 8-7 lead, the Titans would utilize a four point run with a kill by sophomore Freddy Gamarra (Hackensack, N.J.-Hackensack) assisted by sophomore
Dominic Bennett (Lockport, Ill.-Plainfield Central), a pair of aces from freshman
Vince DiCosola (Aurora, Ill.-Oswego East), and a kill by sophomore
KJ Johnson (Saint John, Ind.-Marian Catholic) that created an 11-8 advantage for the Green and White. With back-and-forth play ensuing, MMU owned a slim 22-20 lead. A freshman
Jake Kougan (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) kill cut the Mustang lead to 24-21. However, Mount Mercy topped the Titans 25-21 in the first set.
IWU found themselves down 15-12 in the second set after the Mustangs rattled off five straight points. Back-to-back Mount Mercy attack errors knotted the score at 16 all. With the Titans trailing late in the set, 21-20, the team found their stride for a three point run with back-to-back Johnson kills to open up a 23-21 lead. The resilient Mustangs squad fought back to tie the score at 24 apiece. In the end, two straight Mount Mercy errors lifted the Green and White to a 26-24 second set victory.
The third set proved to be a nail biter. IWU trailed 20-14 after a strong Mount Mercy offensive attack. However, the Titans rallied to score 10 of the next 13 points to open up a 24-22 advantage. The Green and White offensive charge was led by sophomore Michael Eastman's (Chicago, Ill.-Saint Ignatius) three kills and DiCosola's two aces. Both teams staved off multiple set points as the score sat at 29 apiece. Mount Mercy welcomed back-to-back Titan attack errors to take the wild fourth set, 31-29.
The final set saw IWU up 17-15. The Mustangs closed the gap and then some by tallying 10 of the matches final 11 points to close out the set and the match with a score of 25-18.
Eastman set a career-high along with a program record 23 kills accompanied by a .318 hitting percentage while freshman Luke Hartke (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington) piled on 10 kills in his collegiate debut. Johnson added seven kills and a team-high 11 digs for the Green and White.
DiCosola led IWU with 28 assists and five aces. Bennett accumulated 17 assists for the match.
The Mustangs enjoyed advantages in kills (54-50), aces (9-7), blocks (15-3), assists (51-45), and digs (46-34).
In the night cap, the Green and White overpowered the Regents that resulted in a straight-set sweep. Rockford took the early lead, 2-1. From this point forward, the Titans never trailed in the first set. An Eastman kill created a slim 7-6 advantage for the Green and White. In the middle of the set, kills by Gamarra, Eastman, and sophomore Julian Perez (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) opened up a commanding 18-14 lead. With the score being 24-18, Johnson connected on a powerful kill from DiCosola to give the Titans a 25-18 first set victory.
The second set saw IWU leading 8-6. A seven-point run for the Titans manufactured a 15-6 cushion. The run featured back-to-back Hartke kills and three Regent attack errors. RU could not mount a comeback as the Titans' prowess proved to be too much. Kougan ended the set with a kill and a score of 25-16.
IWU carried its momentum from the second set as the Green and White quickly manufactured a 5-1 advantage in the third set. A four point run for the Titans generated a commanding 10-3 cushion. The Regents showed late life by scoring four straight points of their own to cut the Titan lead to 21-17. However, a DiCosola ace gave IWU its first win of the year after winning the third set 25-17.
Eastman and Johnson each produced 10 kills while Hartke notched seven kills. As an offense, IWU assembled a .288 hitting percentage while the Regents produced a -.075 percentage.
DiCosola dished out 13 assists while his teammate and counterpart, Bennett, poured on 12 assists.
Sophomore Adam Blackmore (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) led the defensive attack with a match-high nine digs. Kougan and Perez rejected the Regents five and three times, respectively.
The Titans enjoyed a stat stuffing performance that led to advantages in every statistical category including kills (36-15), aces (7-3), blocks (8-4), assists (35-15), and digs (36-27).
The Green and White will return to the Shirk Center for the team's home opener to host a familiar opponent, Rockford University. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 25 with a 7 p.m. first serve.
