Titans Claim Program-Record Three All-CCIW Honors, Two Specialty Awards

Provost named Newcomer of the Year, IWU earns Coaching Staff of the Year

4/7/2026 10:00:00 AM

CCIW Release

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Amid a year full of firsts, the No. 17 Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team hauled in a program-record three All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honors and two specialty awards after a second-place regular season finish, announced by the league Tuesday, April 7.

Sophomore Ethan Kuziela (Chicago, Ill.-Marist) was the lone Titan on the first team, becoming the first in program history to earn top team honors. Freshman Aydin Provost (Chicago, Ill.-Mount Carmel) was a Second Team All-CCIW honoree and became IWU's first recipient of the CCIW Newcomer of the Year distinction. Sophomore Gavin Rohlwing (Tower Lake, Ill.-Barrington) earned his second straight second team accolade, becoming the first Titan to earn All-CCIW status multiple times in their career. Senior Jace Milka (Bolingbrook, Ill.-Plainfield East) was IWU's recipient of the CCIW RESPECT award.

Additionally, head coach Brandon Mueller and his staff of Mike Eastman, Alec Mucha, and Joe McDonagh were named the CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year for the first time. The group guided the Titans to a program-best 8-2 record in league play, securing the first CCIW Tournament bid behind a second-place finish.

Kuziela, a CCIW Offensive Player of the Year and Setter of the Year nominee, led the Titans with 149 kills, an average of 3.82 per set, on a .353 clip, and 179 points, averaging 4.59 per set. He finished second on the team in assists with 200, an average of 5.13 per set, digs (71), aces (8), and blocks (35). Kuziela earned five CCIW Setter of the Week honors and one Hitter of the Week accolade this season. Within the conference, Kuziela led the CCIW in points per set and total kills, was second in blocks per set only to Rohlwing, third in kills per set, fifth in hitting percentage, and seventh in assists per set and aces per set. Kuziela's attacking percentage ranking checked in behind four middle blockers. Of his nation-leading five triple-doubles, two occurred in league play.

The best newcomer in the conference, Provost earned three CCIW Hitter of the Week honors in his first year donning the Green and White. The freshman finished second on the team with 94 kills, averaging 2.61 per set, and was third in points with 104.5, an average of 2.78 per set. Provost added 16 digs, 15 blocks, four assists, and three aces to his stat line. He ranked seventh in kills per set and points per set across the league.

Rohlwing repeated on the second team after being one of the top defensive threats in the CCIW. His average of 1.14 blocks per set led the league, while he also led IWU with 41 rejections. Rohlwing ranked fourth on the squad in kills with 60, averaging 1.67 per set, aces (7), and points (89.5). He was named the CCIW Defensive Player of the Week once this season.

Illinois Wesleyan eyes its first appearance in the CCIW Tournament Wednesday night, April 8. The Titans host No. 10 overall, and third-seeded Loras College, for a semifinal showdown inside Shirk Center at 7 p.m.

CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Ryan Bartz, Carthage

CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Jonathan Brown, North Central

CCIW Co-Setters of the Year
Ryan Morey, Carthage
Evan Dziadkowiec, Loras

CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year
Aydin Provost, Illinois Wesleyan

CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year
Illinois Wesleyan

All-CCIW First Team
Ryan Bartz, Carthage
Ben Heise, Carthage
Ryan Morey, Carthage
Ethan Kuziela, Illinois Wesleyan
Bo Brainerd III, Loras
Roman Rothermel, Loras
Brannen Almarales, North Central
Jonathan Brown, North Central

All-CCIW Second Team
Tom Lamb, Augustana
Ruben Emmerich, Carthage
Owen Hendricks, Carthage
Hudson Sweitzer, Carthage
Aydin Provost, Illinois Wesleyan
Gavin Rohlwing, Illinois Wesleyan
Evan Dziadkowiec, Loras
Brady Oberfoell, Loras

CCIW RESPECT Award Recipients
Ryan Huntington, Augustana
Michael Yemm, Carthage
Jace Milka, Illinois Wesleyan
Joey Garrett, Loras
BK Bartlett, North Central
Giovanni Serafini, North Park

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