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Williams reaction
Sam Okewole
2
Wis.-Stevens Point UWSP 2-1,0-0 DIII Independent
3
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2-0,0-0 CCIW
Wis.-Stevens Point UWSP
2-1,0-0 DIII Independent
2
Final
3
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
2-0,0-0 CCIW
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Wis.-Stevens Point UWSP 26 26 25 16 10 (2)
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 24 28 21 25 15 (3)
3
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 3-0,0-0 CCIW
0
Edgewood EDGE 0-2,0-0 NACC
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
3-0,0-0 CCIW
3
Final
0
Edgewood EDGE
0-2,0-0 NACC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 25 25 25 (3)
Edgewood EDGE 20 23 16 (0)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball |

Men’s Volleyball Takes Two in Wisconsin

Begins season 3-0 for third consecutive year

MADISON, Wis. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team swept its first day of matches in Wisconsin Saturday, Jan. 17, to move to 3-0 on the season. IWU went the distance with University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Saturday evening, Jan. 17, pulling off a 3-2 win behind set scores of 24-26, 28-26, 21-25, 25-16, 15-10. Finishing off the day, the Titans picked up a three-set victory against Edgewood College 25-20, 25-23, and 25-16.

After dropping the opening set in extra points, Illinois Wesleyan battled back in the second to level the match at one set apiece. The Pointers secured the third, 25-21, but IWU hit .355 in the fourth to force a decisive fifth. The Green and White used an early lead and strong defense to take the set, 15-10.

The Titans held the upper hand in many of the statistical categories tallying 20 more kills than the Pointers (66-46), landing on a .217 clip. IWU allowed just two aces and scored on 10 of its own. The Titans outnumbered UWSP in assists (60-42) and digs (62-58). IWU was led by the trio of  junior Bryce Williams (Chicago, Ill.-Whitney M. Young), sophomore Ethan Kuziela (Chicago, Ill.-Marist), and freshmen Aydin Provost (Chicago, Ill.-Mount Carmel). WIlliams led the way with 19 kills followed by Kuziela's 15 and Provost's 11. Provost also accounted for a match high four aces while Kuziela tallied a match high 39 assists. On the defensive side of the ball, Ben Zima (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South) sniffed out 18 digs while freshman Dylan Quinn (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove North) swatted five blocks. 

A back and forth first set saw a 26-24 decision go in the favor of the Pointers. IWU snagged an early lead (5-2) in the opening set but UW-Stevens Point climbed back to even the score at five. The Titans then used a kill by sophomore Gavin Rohlwing (Tower Lake, Ill.-Barrington) and then he followed that with a serving ace to build a 15-12 lead. The two traded blows, eventually knotting the score at 20 on a kill from Kuziela, thanks to the assist from junior Brenden Reutter (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East). An IWU service error gave the Pointers a slim one point advantage, but the Green and White answered back on a Provost kill to tie the match at 23. With the score tied at 24 a piece, UWSP used a kill from Hudson Dresen and closed off the opening set thanks to a Titan attack error. 

The ensuing set delivered the same drama as the introductory set, this time it fell in favor of Illinois Wesleyan. With things bonded together at one, UW-Stevens points used an early 6-2 run to pin the Titans behind the eight ball, 7-2. The Pointers stretched their lead to 15-7 and forced the hand of Titan head coach Brandon Mueller to call a timeout. After the reset, IWU used a Jace Milka (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Plainfield East) kill followed by a pair of attack errors from the pointers to crawl back, 16-10. Rohlwing and WIlliams combined for back-to-back kills followed by a kill from Williams to close the gap on UWSP. Following a timeout from UW-Stevens Point at 18-15, the Titans took control of an 5-1 run boosted by a pair of kills from Provost along with Quinn and Milka made the set all-square at 20 a piece. IWU took advantage of a Keutzer service ace and a Pointer attack error for a two point lead. UWSP followed with a pair of scores tying the set at 24. The two traded set points before IWU polished off a 28-26 win on a Williams kill, set up by Ethan Kuziela. 

The back and forth play in the first and second sets continued in the third. The Green and White jumped out to a 5-4 lead before UWSP tied the set up at seven. A pair of Williams kills sandwiched a Pointer kill for a 10-9 IWU lead. Illinois Wesleyan stayed in control until midway through the third go around when a kill by UWSP's Ethan Jetzer gave the Pointers a one point advantage. Jetzer's kill spawned a 5-0 run, but the Titans answered and crawled back to within three, 22-19, on a block from Provost with help from Kuziela. The Gold and Purple grew its lead to match point on an error from the Titans, and closed out the third set, 25-21, on a kill that sniffed out the empty court,

UW-Stevens Point's momentum carried into the fourth set as it took an early lead but IWU put slowed that momentum down and took a 5-3 lead on a WIlliams kill which ensued a Provost kill. Another kill from Williams, which was set up by Kuziela, extended the lead to 7-4. Three straight kills found the hardwood floor for the Pointers which closed the Titan led to 10-9. From that point on, Illinois Wesleyan took control of the set outscoring UWSP, 15-7, capped off by a Milka service ace to keep Illinois Wesleyan alive in the match. 

A service error gave UWSP a 2-1 lead early, but kills from Williams and Provost lifted the Titans to a 3-2 lead. Illinois Wesleyan would control the rest of the way, as Quinn followed with an ace before Provost and Rohlwing teamed up for a stuff and a 5-2 IWU advantage. Another kill from Williams followed by a Pointer attack error extended the Titan advantage to 7-3, leading to a UWSP timeout. Once again, IWU came out strong after the timeout using a pair of aces from Provost combined with a Pointer error led to a rather quick fifth set.

Illinois Wesleyan 3, Edgewood 0

Controlling the entire match, Illinois Wesleyan powered past Edgewood University sweeping in 25-20, 25-23, and 25-16 fashion capping off a 2-0 Saturday. The Green and White hit .360 in the first set to grab momentum early and controlled the pace the rest of the match using multiple spurts of runs to sweep the Eagles.

Leading in nearly every statistical category, the Titans dominated with 41 kills finishing the match hitting at .216. Still on the offensive side of the ball, IWU had the upper hand in aces (7-2) and out assisted EU (37-18). Defensively, the Green and White edged out the Eagles, 35-34, while EU snagged a 6-4 advantage in blocks. 

Similar to game one, the Titans were led by Provost, WIlliams, and Kuziela. Provost closed the match as the lone student-athlete with double digit kills (10). He was followed in suit with Williams who managed eight kills and Milka close behind at seven. Kuziela led the match with 29 assists, also tallying six assists, while Zima grinded out 11 digs.

Illinois Wesleyan began game two of the day to a slow start trailing early to Edgewood, 7-3, early on in the opening set. The Titans fought back to crawl within one, 9-8, on a pair of attack errors which ensued a Williams kill. The Eagles recharged and took a 15-11 lead midway through the opening set before the Titans took control. Williams' big first set continued as he accounted for four straight points to give the Green and White a one point edge. Williams riffled off a duo of kills in a row followed by a pair of aces. A kill by Gavin Rohlwing () and Provost, followed by an Eagles attack error gave the Titans a 20-17 late. Edgewood bounced back with a pair of its own points before IWU went on a 4-0 spurt thanks to three errors from the Eagles. With match point in their hands, Quinn smashed a kill too strong for the Edgewood defense for a 25-20 win.

The Titans ground out set two with the two teams battling back and forth in the early going. A Milka kill out of the gates put IWU on top but an Eagles kill would even up the score. Down 8-9, Provost buried a kill to tie up the match which was followed up by Williams to give the Green and White the upper hand. Midway through the second set, Illinois Wesleyan began to pull away. Back-to-back kills from the Titans made it 17-15 which set up an ace from Kuziela, followed by an error on the Eagles. Provost delivered again to make it a 22-17 advantage but a 4-0 spurt from Edgewood set them back just one with the score at 22-21. A kill by Williams and a pair of attack errors from the Titans knotted the set at 23, until a Kuziela kill and a poor set from the Eagles would lead to a set win for Illinois Wesleyan.

A strong start to the final set proved to be the difference for IWU. It used a 5-0 run to jump ahead, which would fuel a 10-3 Titan lead. A kill by Kuziela and Milka tacked on points 11 and 12 before an Eagle attack error gave the Green and White a 13-4 advantage. Another 3-0 run by Milka and Kuziela boosted the lead to 18-9. IWU finished off the Eagles with more scoring from Milka and Rohlwing to set up match point from Kuziela who found the empty floor to cap off a 2-0 day for the Green and White.

The Titans' busy weekend continues tomorrow Sunday, Jan. 17 as they make the journey through Wisconsin. IWU will bus over to Plymouth for a match against Lakeland. Action from Woltzen Gymnasium will begin at 12 p.m.
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