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Titans celebrating a point against Augustana March 11, 2026
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
2
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 8-6,2-3 CCIW
3
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 17-4,5-1 CCIW
Augustana (IL) AUGIE
8-6,2-3 CCIW
2
Final
3
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
17-4,5-1 CCIW
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 25 25 14 26 12 (2)
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 23 23 25 28 15 (3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball |

Men’s Volleyball Completes Reverse Sweep to Defeat Augie

Titans set program record with fifth straight win

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team completed a reverse sweep over Augustana College Wednesday night, March 11. After dropping the first two sets, 25-23, the Titans responded by taking the next three, 25-14, 28-26, and 15-12. With the win, IWU improves to 17-4 overall, and 5-1 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. It marks the fifth win in a row for the Titans, establishing a new program record.

The Titans were led by 17 kills from sophomore Ethan Kuziela (Chicago, Ill.-Marist). Freshman Aydin Provost (Chicago, Ill.-Mount Carmel) added 13 kills, doing so on a .370 clip, while junior Bryce Williams (Chicago, Ill.-Whitney M. Young) finished with 11. Senior Jace Milka (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Plainfield East) recorded a team-best four aces, followed by two from sophomore Wilson Spaulding (Tucson, Ariz.-Catalina Foothills). 

Junior Brenden Reutter (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) and Kuziela were the masterminds behind the IWU offense. Reutter led the team with 26 assists, while Kuziela closely followed with 24. Together, the duo guided an IWU offense that hit .227 on the night. 

Defensively, Milka tallied a team-leading 15 digs. Reutter added 12 to complete a double-double performance, followed by nine from sophomore Ben Zima (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South). Sophomore Gavin Rohlwing (Tower Lake, Ill.-Barrington) posted a team-high four blocks, while Kuziela and Provost each added three. 

As a team, the Titans finished with the advantage in kills (60-54), aces (9-2), assists (56-47), while each team had seven blocks. Augie (8-6, 2-3 CCIW) registered a slim lead in digs, 55-51.

After dropping both of the first two sets 25-23, Illinois Wesleyan quickly regrouped in the third. Ahead 8-7, a Vikings service error sparked an 8-2 run for the home team. Spaulding used the tape to his advantage for a kill on the following point, and after an attack error, Augustana called timeout down 11-7. The break did little to stop the Titans, as Rohlwing, Milka, and Kuziela triple blocked an attack to make it a five-point gap. Following a sideout, Kuziela buried an out of system ball off a set from Rohlwing, and an AC error saw the Titans double their opponents, 14-7. 

After the two teams traded service errors, Milka uncorked a serve for one of his four aces on the night, making it a 16-9 lead as the Vikings burned their final timeout of the set. The Green and White never looked back, as it staved off a sweep with a set three score of 25-14. 

In a must-win situation, the Titans found themselves down in the fourth, 19-13. Reutter dished one to Milka, who laced it down for a kill, getting the Green and White a much-needed sideout. Checking in to serve, junior Ethan Keutzer (St. Louis, Mo.-St. Louis University High) plopped an ace down, and Kuziela followed with a kill to trim the deficit to three, 19-16, getting the home team back into the set.

Unable to get any closer, the Titans looked doomed, as they had match point looming, 24-21. Kuziela found Provost for a kill to keep the match alive, and two straight AC errors tied the set at 24. A kill by the Vikings set up another match point, but once again Illinois Wesleyan responded, this time off a kill by Kuziela. Augustana pushed to match point once more, 26-25, but an untimely service error kept the home team's hopes alive. Kuziela buried a set from Spaulding for a kill to swing set point in favor of the Titans, and a kill by Milka forced a decisive fifth set, 28-26. 

Trailing 11-10 in the final set, Reutter found Kuziela for a kill to level the score. Milka downed a dish from Kuziela to give IWU a 12-11 edge, as Augustana used a timeout to talk things over. The Vikings caught a needed sideout via an IWU attack error, as the score stood level, 12-12. Using a set from Reutter, Milka beautifully placed a crosscourt kill on the line to break the stalemate. An Augie miscue cued match point for the Titans, and Provost ended the night with a kill, as the home team completed the reverse sweep,15-12. 

The Titans will enjoy a week off before returning to action Friday, March 20, as they host St. Norbert College. First serve is slated for 2:30 p.m. inside Shirk Center.
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