Ryan Myers and Luke Weston celebrate a point against Loras College April 8, 2023

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Men’s Volleyball Hosts Rockford for Home Opener

First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Shirk Center

1/22/2024 1:35:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - After opening the season with two wins Sunday, Jan. 21, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team will host Rockford University for its home opener of the 2024 season Tuesday night, Jan. 23. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Shirk Center.

Illinois Wesleyan (2-0) opened the season with wins over the University of Olivet and Lakeland University Sunday, Jan. 21, marking the best start in the young program's history. The offense saw senior Michael Eastman (Chicago, Ill.-Saint Ignatius) lead the way, recording 31 kills in eight sets, an average of 3.88 per set. Fellow senior Julian Perez (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) was second with 13, while juniors Ryan Myers (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.-Stevenson) and Jake Kougan (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) added 10 each. Freshman Brenden Reutter (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) and junior Vince DiCosola (Aurora, Ill.-Oswego East) orchestrated the majority of the offense, totaling 29 and 28 assists, respectively. Reutter recorded his first career double-double performance in just his second collegiate game, as he posted 21 assists and 10 digs in the five-set victory over Lakeland.

Defensively, the Titans saw a strong net presence from Kougan, Perez, and senior Javier Romano (Prospect Heights, Ill.-Wheeling). Kougan notched eight total blocks, while Perez and Romano finished with seven apiece for the weekend. Eastman led the squad with 14 digs, while sophomore Jace Milka (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Plainfield East) accumulated 12, and DiCosola added 11.

Tuesday's contest will be the fifth meeting with the Regents (0-1), who fell to Wabash College in straight sets Friday, Jan. 19. IWU has taken all four previous matches, including the most recent meeting Feb. 24, 2023, winning in three sets. Eastman paced the offense with 12 kills and three aces, while Milka added nine kills. Then-junior Bradley Benson (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont Township) led the Green and White with 18 assists, and then-junior Adam Blackmore (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) finished with a team-high six digs.

The match will be live streamed, which can be found here, and live stats can be accessed by clicking here.

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