Ben Zima awaiting a serve against Marian Jan. 28, 2025

Men’s Volleyball Concludes Stretch of Home Contests with IWU Triangular III

Titans will host Benedictine and Wabash Sunday, Feb. 9

2/7/2025 4:55:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - After an exhilarating win over No. 19 Dominican University Thursday, Feb. 6, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team will conclude its stretch of seven straight home matches by hosting the final home triangular of the season Sunday, Feb. 9. The IWU Triangular III will see the Titans (8-2) play host to Benedictine University and Wabash College.

Illinois Wesleyan will open the tournament by taking on Benedictine (3-4) at 11 a.m., and will conclude the day against Wabash (5-0) at 4 p.m. A neutral site contest between the two visitors will take place at 1:30 p.m.

IWU enters the contests hoping to use its momentum in its favor, as the Green and White secured the first ranked win in program history, defeating the Stars (2-4) in five sets inside Shirk Center. The historic win saw sophomore Brenden Reutter (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) record the program's first triple double, as he stuffed his stat line with 25 assists, a career-high 21 digs, the second-most in a match all-time, and a career-best 10 kills on an impressive .438 attack percentage. Fellow sophomore Bryce Williams (Chicago, Ill.-Whitney M. Young) also put on a show to lead the team, finishing with a career-high 20 kills on an efficient .341 clip, with his kills total ranking tied for third-most in a match in program history.

Williams has led the offense through 10 matches this season, having recorded 88 kills, an average of 3.14 per set. Freshman Gavin Rohlwing (Tower Lake, Ill.-Barrington) is second on the squad with 80 kills, averaging 2.29 per set, doing so with an attack percentage of .376, the 30th-best mark across Division III. Reutter is third with 49 kills on the season. The trio has helped the Titans average 11.92 kills per set, which ranks 27th nationally. Reutter and Williams lead the team in aces with 11 and 10, respectively, followed by Rohlwing with six.

Illinois Wesleyan's offense has been primarily orchestrated by Reutter and senior Vince DiCosola (Aurora, Ill.-Oswego East). Reutter has accrued a team-high 168 assists, averaging 4.67 per set, while DiCosola closely follows with 158, an average of 4.39. The duo has played a crucial role in the team's average of 10.86 assists per set, which ranks 30th in the country.

On the defensive side, junior Jace Milka (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Plainfield East) leads the team with 77 digs, averaging 2.08 digs per set, while Williams' 56 is good for second on the squad. Reutter rounds out the top three with 48 on the season. IWU has seen an increase in its net presence this season, led by Rohlwing's 36 blocks. His average of 1.03 rejections per set leads the loaded College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and is 19th nationally. Senior Jake Kougan (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) is second with 23, followed by Reutter's 19 stuffs.

The first match of the tri will see the Titans and Eagles meet on the court for the third time, with BU having taken both matches prior in three sets, with the most recent battle occurring Jan. 29, 2024. Now-assistant coach Mike Eastman had a team-high eight kills, while Kougan had seven and a team-best four blocks. DiCosola led the team with 11 assists and seven digs. BenU looks to snap a three-game losing skid against Wittenberg University Friday, Feb. 7, before heading to Shirk Center. All three losses have come against ranked opponents, and most recently falling to CCIW foe 11th-ranked Loras College Saturday, Feb. 1.

Illinois Wesleyan holds a 2-1 advantage in the limited series against the Little Giants. WC was the winner of the most recent meeting, downing the Green and White in straight sets Feb. 10, 2024. Kougan posted a team-high eight kills, while Reutter and Milka finished with 11 assists and six digs, respectively. Wabash will host its own triangular Saturday, Feb. 8, before making the trek. The Little Giants defeated Greenville University in four sets Saturday, Feb. 1, and will host Greenville and Maranatha Baptist University for Saturday's festivities.

All three matches will be live streamed with Matt Sosler and women's volleyball player Alex Bardouniotis on the air, all of which can be accessed by clicking here. Live stats can be tracked here.

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