BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team is gearing up to play host to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin rival Millikin University, Tuesday, Feb. 22, inside of the Shirk Center. The conference match is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Entering the match, Illinois Wesleyan owns a 5-7 (0-2 CCIW) overall record while the Big Blue possess an 0-10 (0-1 CCIW) record. 

These two programs have met on two previous occasions, with the Green and White coming out victorious in both matches. The last meeting took place April 3, 2021 and saw the Titans take down the Big Blue in five sets.

IWU was last in action Saturday, Feb. 19 as the team traveled to Naperville to battle CCIW foe No. 6 North Central College. The Titans ultimately fell in straight sets. Meanwhile, Millikin last saw the court against non-conference opponent Wittenberg University, Saturday, Feb. 19. Wittenberg swept the Big Blue in straight sets. 

In the opening week of CCIW action, the Titans produced the third-most service aces with 1.50 a set, which equates to a total of nine aces in conference play. Additionally, the Green and White averaged the fourth-highest kills and assists in the league, averaging 10.00 kills per set and 9.33 assists per set.

Sophomore Michael Eastman (Chicago, Ill.-Saint Ignatius) has manufactured the most kills and aces by a Titan this year with 138 kills and 25 aces. Sophomore KJ Johnson (Saint John, Ind.-Marian Catholic) has tallied 94 kills for the Green and White.

Freshman Vince DiCosola (Aurora, Ill.-Oswego East) and sophomore Bradley Benson (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont Township) have assembled a total of 349 assists on the year. DiCosola leads the way with 187 while Benson accounts for 162 assists. 

Johnson's 107 digs top the team while Eastman's 64 is good for second on the team

Freshman Jake Kougan (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) has rejected opponents 31 times on the year.

Live video of the match can be found by clicking here, while live stats can be accessed by clicking here. 

To stay up to date on all things Illinois Wesleyan men's volleyball, be sure to follow the team's social media accounts for Instagram (@IWUMENSVOLLEYBALL) and Twitter (@IWUMVB).