Johnson, Wutzke Lead Red Devils to Win Over IWU JV
EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka College men's volleyball team earned a four-set victory Friday night, pulling away late to defeat Illinois Wesleyan's JV squad by scores of 25-22, 25-19, 22-25, and 25-15.
The opening set was tightly contested early, with Illinois Wesleyan jumping ahead 19-16 to claim its largest lead of the set. Eureka answered with four of the next five points to regain the advantage at 21-20, sparked by multiple kills from Mason Johnson (Grove City, Minn./Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City). After the teams traded points to tie the score at 22-22, the Red Devils closed strong behind kills from Maddox Kluesner (Magna, Utah/Stansbury) and Ignacio Hernandez (Venezuela/Saint Francis Puerto Rico) to take the set 25-22.
Eureka jumped out to a 3-0 lead to open the second set with Kawehi Kaneakua (Kalihi, Hawaii/University Laboratory School) delivering two service aces. Illinois Wesleyan responded to even the score, but Eureka soon took control with a 6-1 run to go up 10-5, highlighted by three kills from Dyson Wutzke (San Diego, Calif./El Capitan). After the visitors pulled within 13-11, the Red Devils answered with a quick burst to stretch the margin and went on to win the set 25-19 for a 2-0 match lead.
The third set stayed close throughout, but Illinois Wesleyan used a late push to move in front 19-15. Johnson ignited a rally for Eureka, and Kluesner later tied the set at 21-21 with a service ace. Javier Polacio (Colombia/CBCPM) evened the score again at 22-22, but Illinois Wesleyan closed the set with three straight points to force a fourth set.
After an early 3-3 tie in the fourth set, Eureka took control with back-to-back kills from Wutzke and Johnson, followed by a service ace from Wutzke, to open a 7-3 advantage. Illinois Wesleyan trimmed the deficit to 13-11, but the Red Devils responded by scoring six of the next seven points to extend the lead to 19-12 on a kill by Claude Peras (Philippines/Canyon Springs). Eureka closed out the match by taking five of the final six points, capped by a Wutzke kill, to secure the 25-15 set win and the 3-1 victory.
Johnson led Eureka with 11 kills and two blocks while hitting .304. Hernandez and Wutzke each recorded 10 kills, with Hernandez adding six digs, two blocks, and three aces. Kluesner finished with a team-high .385 hitting percentage to go along with six kills and two blocks. Kaneakua totaled 30 assists and added three aces, seven digs, and a block. Libero Kendall Killins (Bolingbrook, Ill./Plainfield East) chipped in 10 digs and four assists.
UP NEXT
Eureka hosts St. Thomas (Fla.) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in its final tune-up before hosting the Midwest Plains Volleyball Conference East Regional on Saturday, Jan. 31.