BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team looks ahead to two key College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin matches this weekend, March 18-19, with tournament hopes on the line. The Green and White will host No. 5 North Central College Friday, March 18, with a first serve set for 7 p.m. inside of the Shirk Center before making the short drive to Decatur to square off against Millikin University, Saturday, March 19 at 3 p.m. inside of the Griswold Center. 

Coming into the weekend matches, the Titans own an overall 6-11 (1-6 CCIW) record. The No. 5 Cardinals own an impressive 14-1 (6-1 CCIW) record, while the Big Blue sits at 0-16 (0-6 CCIW). 

IWU and NCC have met on the hardwood a total of three times, a series in which the Cardinals have come out victorious on all three occasions. The last matchup was Feb. 19, 2022 that saw a North Central sweep inside of the Shirk Center.

The Cardinals last took the court against a talented Fontbonne University squad, Saturday March 12. NCC took down the Griffins in a competitive four-set match.

On the flip side, the Green and White own a 3-0 series advantage against the Big Blue. The Titans' last win against Millikin took place Feb. 22, 2022 inside of Shirk. The Green and White swept a short-handed Millikin squad in straight sets.

The Big Blue also last played Fontbonne, Wednesday March 16. The Griffins powered their way to a three-set sweep over Millikin.

The Titans last took to the court Saturday, March 12, in which the team took on Loras University, who is currently receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top-15 Poll. The Duhawks swept IWU in straight sets. 

For the year, sophomore Michael Eastman (Chicago, Ill.-Saint Ignatius) leads the offense with his team-high 170 kills while sophomore Julian Perez (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) has notched 116 kills.

Freshman Vince DiCosola (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) tops the team with his 229 assists. Sophomore Bradley Benson (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont Township) has notched 221 assists on the year.

Sophomore KJ Johnson (Saint John, Ind.-Marian Catholic) is controlling the back row as he has accumulated a team-high 127 digs for the Green and White.

For the North Central match, a live video of the match can be found by clicking here. Live stats can be accessed by clicking here.

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