Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
Men's Volleyball huddle against NYU Feb. 15, 2025
Springfield College Athletic Communications Department
0
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 10-4,0-0 CCIW
3
Winner NYU NYU 13-0,0-0 UVC
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
10-4,0-0 CCIW
0
Final
3
NYU NYU
13-0,0-0 UVC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 18 14 23 (0)
NYU NYU 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball |

Men’s Volleyball Downed by No. 1 NYU

Kuziela and Reutter named to Morgan Classic All-Tournament Team

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Facing the daunting challenge of taking on the No. 1 team, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team fell in straight sets to top-ranked New York University in the Morgan Classic Championship, hosted by Springfield College, Saturday night, Feb. 15. The Titans fell with set scores of 25-18, 25-14, 25-23. IWU concludes the non-conference portion of the season with a 10-4 record, while NYU remains perfect, upping its record to 13-0. 

After a strong weekend to lead the Green and White to a runner-up finish, sophomore Brenden Reutter (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) and freshman Ethan Kuziela (Chicago, Ill.-Marist) were named to the all-tournament team.

While each team finished with 36 kills, IWU finished with an attack percentage of .250, while NYU registered a scorching .423 clip. The Titans held the advantage in assists (34-31) and digs (26-23), but lost the battle in aces (8-1) and blocks (6-3). 

The trio of Reutter, Kuziela, and sophomore Bryce Williams (Chicago, Ill.-Whitney M. Young) led the offense with seven kills each. Reutter also finished with a team-high 16 assists, followed closely by 15 from senior Vince DiCosola (Aurora, Ill.-Oswego East). 

Junior Jace Milka (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Plainfield East) tallied a team-leading seven digs, while Reutter recorded six, and Williams and freshman Ben Zima (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South) each finished with four. Freshmen Trey Marek (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) and Gavin Rohlwing (Tower Lake, Ill.-Barrington) led the net defense with two blocks apiece. 

After trailing early in the opening set, DiCosola fed Marek for a kill, and Zima followed with an ace to trim the deficit to three, 10-7. Following a sideout for the Violets, DiCosola found Williams this time for a kill to keep the gap close, but NYU was the winner of the next four points, jumping out to a 15-8 advantage. 

IWU claimed three of four points to chip away at the run, via kills from Reutter and Kuziela, and an NYU service error to see the score stand at 16-11. The two teams traded points the rest of the way, eventually seeing the Violets claim the first set, 25-18.

Similar to the first, the Titans saw themselves down early, but Marek and Rohlwing teamed up for a block following an NYU service error to cut into the Violets lead, 5-3. The Green and White kept it close, as Rohlwing buried a dish from DiCosola to maintain the two point deficit, 7-5, and the teams once again fired off back-and-forth points. NYU went on a four-point run to go ahead 15-8, and the Titans could not find a groove the rest of the set, falling 25-14.

The most competitive set of the night, IWU hung with the top-ranked team in the final set. Going down 3-0 to start, Kuziela found Reutter, followed by Reutter returning the favor to Kuziela to get Illinois Wesleyan on the board. Marek downed a set from Reutter followed by an NYU service ace to tie the set at four all. 

Trailing 18-14, head coach Brandon Mueller called his first timeout of the set, which gave the Green and White a much needed spark, as IWU took the next five points. Rohlwing started the run with a kill, followed by three Williams kills, and another successful Rohlwing attack mixed in to see Illinois Wesleyan take its first lead of the night, 19-18. 

The Titans could not fend off the NYU attack any longer, as the Violets responded with three straight points, and the two squads traded the rest of the way, as Illinois Wesleyan ultimately fell, 25-23. 

IWU returns home to begin College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action Tuesday night, Feb. 18. The Titans host No. 19 North Central College for a 7 p.m. match inside Shirk Center. 
Print Friendly Version