Men's Volleyball Huddle on the court Jan. 16, 2025

Men’s Volleyball Heads to Aurora for Battle with Spartans

First serve scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Thornton Gymnasium

1/22/2025 12:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - After securing a program-best start with a sweep over Rockford University Tuesday night, Jan. 21, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team continues its stretch on the road, as the Titans (4-0) travel to Aurora University for a battle with the Spartans Thursday, Jan. 23. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Thornton Gymnasium.

The Titans took care of business in their first road trip of the season, downing the Regents (0-1) in straight sets. Freshman Gavin Rohlwing (Tower Lake, Ill.-Barrington) led the team with six kills on a whopping .750 attack percentage, along with a career-best four aces and three blocks. Sophomore Brenden Reutter (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) also notched a career-high four aces, and added nine assists, three kills, two digs, and a block. Senior Vince DiCosola (Aurora, Ill.-Oswego East) finished with a team-high 12 assists, and junior Jace Milka (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Plainfield East) registered a team-leading seven digs.

Senior Ryan Myers (Hawthorn Woods, Ill.-Stevenson) and Rohlwing have led the IWU offense through the first four matches, each having recorded 25 kills. Freshman Ethan Kuziela (Chicago, Ill.-Marist) closely follows with 24, with all three averaging over two kills per set. Reutter leads the team in aces with seven, while Kuziela and Rohlwing are tied for second with five.

Illinois Wesleyan has seen a trio of setters orchestrate the Titan offense this season. DiCosola leads the team with 51 assists, averaging 3.92 per set, followed by Reutter with 34 and Kuziela with 21.

On the defensive side, Milka leads the way with 24 digs, while Myers' 21 are good for second on the squad. DiCosola is third on the team with 14 digs. Senior Jake Kougan (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) leads the net defense with 13 blocks, and Rohlwing closely trails with 11. Reutter sits in third with six, while four Titans have four blocks.

IWU and AU will meet for the third time, with the inaugural meeting occurring in 2022. The Titans fell in the opener, 3-0, before sweeping the Spartans last season to even the series at 1-1. Now-assistant coach Mike Eastman established a program record in the contest, as his 17 kills were the most in a three-set match. Then-freshman Bryce Williams (Chicago, Ill.-Whitney M. Young) was second with 11 kills. Reutter led the team in assists with 18, and Milka led the defense with 11 digs. Aurora will open the season against the Titans.

The Spartans will provide a live stream, which can be found here, and live stats can be accessed by clicking here.

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