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RIVER FOREST, IL - The Illinois Wesleyan men’s volleyball team collected its third win of the 2023 campaign following a 3-1 defeat of Adrian College on Friday, January 27, 2023. (Photo by Kodiak Creative/Jimmy Naprstek)
Kodiak Creative
0
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 3-1,0-0 CCIW
3
Winner Benedictine (IL) BenU 2-1,0-0 NACC
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
3-1,0-0 CCIW
0
Final
3
Benedictine (IL) BenU
2-1,0-0 NACC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 23 18 23 (0)
Benedictine (IL) BenU 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball |

Men’s Volleyball Bested by No. 16 Benedictine

Titans host Aurora & Trine Saturday, Feb. 3

LISLE, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team saw its three-game win streak halted Monday night, Jan. 29, with a three-set loss at 16th-ranked Benedictine University. IWU (3-1) fell to BU (2-1) by set scores of 25-23, 25-18, and 25-23.

The Titans were led by senior Michael Eastman (Chicago, Ill.-Saint Ignatius) and juniors Vince DiCosola (Aurora, Ill.-Oswego East) and Jake Kougan (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East). Eastman notched a team-high eight kills on a .313 clip. DiCosola finished with the team lead in assists (11) and digs (7). Kougan added seven kills on a .545 attacking percentage, while pacing the team with four blocks, three of which were solo. The trio tied for the team lead with one ace apiece.

Illinois Wesleyan hit .120 for the match with 29 kills on 92 attempts, but saw Benedictine post a .244 clip with 40 kills on 86 swings. The Eagles also recorded leads in aces (6-3), blocks (8-7), and digs (39-24).

In the first set, back-to-back plays by Kougan pushed IWU ahead by three, 19-16. The junior notched a kill on an assist from freshman Brenden Reutter (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East), and then followed with a block, but Benedictine rattled off four straight points to grab a 20-19 advantage.

A service error paused the Eagle run, but back-to-back miscues forced a Titan timeout, trailing, 22-20. Kougan once again got the Green and White back on track with a block and an ace to level the score at 22, but a service error ultimately gave BU the set, 25-23.

After dropping the second set, Illinois Wesleyan grabbed a five-point lead on an Eastman kill from DiCosola. An 18-13 lead slipped away though as the Eagles scored eight of the next nine points to force an IWU timeout with BU leading, 21-19.

The Titans clawed back within one four times, including staving off match point, but ultimately fell, 25-23.

Illinois Wesleyan will return to action at home this weekend, Feb. 3, as host to a triangular with Aurora University and Trine University inside the Shirk Center. The Titans will take on Aurora, which is receiving votes in national polls, at 12 p.m. before battling Trine at 5 p.m.

 
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