BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Thursday night marked the opening of the 2025 season for Concordia University Wisconsin's men's volleyball team, as they traveled to Illinois Wesleyan. Despite a strong effort, the Falcons fell to the Titans in four sets, with scores of 18-25, 27-25, 20-25, and 21-25.
The first set was a back-and-forth battle early on, with ties at 6-6, 7-7, and 9-9 before CUW took a brief 10-9 lead, thanks to a block from juniors Tate Miller (Anthem, Ariz.) and Chase Ammons (Brookfield, Wis.).
However, Illinois Wesleyan gained momentum after a 13-13 tie, slowly building a 20-16 advantage. A kill by Ammons off a pass from freshman Hayden Hurley (Gilbert, Ariz.) brought CUW within three, but the Titans responded with a 3-0 run to close out the set 25-18.
In the second set, Concordia surged to a 6-3 lead, fueled by a four-point run that featured a kill from junior Will Wood (Savage, Minn.) and a block from Ammons and freshman Owen Kolozsy (Carol Stream, Ill.). Kolozsy also recorded his first career service ace during the set, helping tie the score at 10-10.
Despite Illinois Wesleyan maintaining a slight advantage at 18-16, the Falcons rallied with three straight points, including a kill from Ammons and an ace from Koloszy, to take a 20-19 lead. The Titans answered with another point, but CUW pushed ahead with a 3-0 run to take a 23-20 lead, capped off by a solo block from Ammons.
After a Titans timeout, CUW would finish strong, with a kill from Tate Miller bringing up set-point at 24-20. Illinois Wesleyan attempted a comeback, scoring four straight points, but a kill from senior Lucas Beres (Germantown, Wis.) leveled the score at 25-25.
The Falcons then capitalized on a Titans' error and Miller's kill to take the second set, 27-25, and tie the match 1-1.
The third set was once again tightly contested, but Illinois Wesleyan managed to pull away, claiming a 15-10 lead. Despite Concordia's best efforts, the Titans maintained their slim advantage and closed out the set 25-20, taking a 2-1 match lead.
Concordia came out strong in the fourth set, quickly jumping to an 8-2 lead, with contributions from Beres, Scott, Kolozsy, Miller, and Ammons.
However, Illinois Wesleyan gradually chipped away at the lead, cutting the Falcons' advantage to 13-12. CUW held firm, pushing back with a series of Titan errors to extend their lead to 17-13.
But the Titans were relentless, tying the score at 18-18 before taking a 20-19 lead. Illinois Wesleyan would complete the comeback, winning the fourth set 25-21 and securing a 3-1 match victory.
Despite the loss, the Falcons had standout performances, with Tate Miller and Owen Kolozsy each recording nine kills. Kolozsy also led the team with two service aces. Reid Scott and Will Wood contributed seven kills apiece, while Beres added five kills with a .500 attack percentage.
Senior Logan Kebisek (Brookfield, Wis.) handed out 20 assists, and Hayden Hurley (Gilbert, Ariz.) had 16 in his collegiate debut.
Defensively, Ammons led the team with three total blocks (two assists and one solo), while Beres contributed 2.5 blocks.
Junior Parker Pearson (Keller, Texas) anchored the back row with a team-high nine digs.
Looking ahead, the Falcons will focus on their home opener this Saturday against the nationally-ranked North Central College Cardinals.
