MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin men's volleyball team fell to Illinois Wesleyan, 3-1, Thursday night at R. John Buuck Field House. The Falcons move to 0-7 on the season with conference play set to begin next week.
 
Thursday's match marked just the third meeting between the two programs, with the Titans now holding a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series.
 
The Falcons came out strong in the opening set, recording 10 kills with just two errors to force extra points. Despite the efficient attack, Illinois Wesleyan narrowly edged CUW to claim the first frame.
 
Concordia responded in the second set, jumping out to a 6-2 lead behind a 4-1 run. Three Titan errors fueled the surge, including one forced by a block from senior Chase Ammons (Elm Grove, Wis.) and sophomore Reid Scott (Chandler, Ariz.), while sophomore Owen Kolozsy (Carol Stream, Ill.) added a kill during the stretch.
 
Illinois Wesleyan battled back to take a 19-15 lead, but the Falcons answered with a decisive 7-2 run to close the set. Reid tallied two kills during the final stretch, and five of the last nine CUW points came off Titan errors. Concordia hit an impressive .365 in the set, finishing with nine kills and just one error to even the match at 1-1.
 
With momentum shifting, the Titans regrouped and captured the final two sets to secure the match victory.
 
Scott paced the Falcons offensively with eight kills, while senior Tate Miller (Anthem, Ariz.) and Kolozsy each added seven. Sophomore Hayden Hurley (Gilbert, Ariz.) dished out 22 assists and served four of the team's six aces.
 
Defensively, Hurley, Kolozsy, Miller, and Scott each recorded five digs. At the net, Scott and Ammons anchored the block with six block assists apiece, helping the Falcons total 12.5 team blocks.
 
CUW returns to R. John Buuck Field House on Thursday, Feb. 19, to open NACC play against Benedictine. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.