BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - With only eight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin matches remaining for the Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team, five are on the road, including a crucial three-game road trip starting Tuesday, March 1 as the Titans take on Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. First serve is set for 7 p.m. The Green and White enter with an overall record of 6-8 (1-3 CCIW), while the Vikings own a 5-10 (1-3 CCIW) mark.

With the Titans currently controlling fourth place in the conference standings, these next three road games could prove to be the difference between a berth into the CCIW tournament for the first time in programming history or coming up just short. 

IWU's opening four conference game slate has not been easy, playing three current nationally ranked opponents with a combined 0.750 CCIW winning percentage. However, the Titans' schedule eases up on this three-game road trip as the Green and White's next three opponents have a combined CCIW winning percentage of 0.420. 

In AC and IWU's previous two meetings, history is on the side of the Vikings with Augie coming out victorious in both matches. These two teams last met March 24, 2021 in Bloomington.
 
Illinois Wesleyan last battled on the hardwood against No. 7 and reigning NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Champions Carthage College Saturday, Feb. 26. The Green and White made history by notching the program's first ever set win against a nationally ranked opponent in the opening frame. However, Carthage prevailed in four sets.

Meanwhile, Augie last played yesterday, Sunday, Feb. 27 against non-conference opponent Benedictine University. The Eagles defeated the Vikings in straight sets.

With a third of the conference slate in the books and only looking at conference matches statistics, the Titans currently rank fourth in the CCIW with 8.54 assists per set and 1.62 aces per set. Additionally, the team ranks fifth in hitting percentage (.143), kills (9.31 per set), and digs (8.23 per set). 

Additionally, sophomore Bradley Benson (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont Township) ranks ninth in the CCIW with 0.42 service aces per set and 1.75 digs per set. The sophomore tops the conference rankings with his five aces against Millikin on Feb. 22. 

Sophomore KJ Johnson (Saint John, Ind.-Marian Catholic) currently ranks 10th in the conference with his 2.44 kills per set.

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).