NAPERVILLE — Opening-week performances across the league highlighted the start of the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s volleyball season, as the league office announced its Student-Athletes of the Week on Monday afternoon.
 
Illinois Wesleyan claimed two of the three weekly honors behind standout efforts from freshman hitter Aydin Provost and sophomore setter Ethan Kuziela, while Loras junior Roman Rothermel earned defensive recognition following a strong showing at the net.
 
Hitter: Aydin Provost, Illinois Wesleyan
In his first four collegiate matches, Provost totaled 51 kills across 15 sets, averaging 3.40 kills per set with a .345 hitting percentage, while adding 11 blocks, 29 digs and six service aces for 63.0 total points. He opened his career with nine kills and six blocks against Concordia Chicago and followed with an 11-kill, 11-dig double-double in a five-set victory over Wisconsin–Stevens Point.
 
Provost closed the week with a record-setting performance against Lakeland, breaking the Illinois Wesleyan three-set match record with 21 kills while hitting .531 from the floor. The mark ranks as the sixth-best single-match percentage in program history, while his 21 kills tied for the third-most in a match by a Titan. Provost reached double-digit kills in three of four matches and helped Illinois Wesleyan tie its best start in program history.
 
Setter: Ethan Kuziela, Illinois Wesleyan
Across four matches, Kuziela directed an offense that hit .258 while totaling 129 assists (8.60 per set) and 37 kills on a .325 attack percentage. He added 26 digs, 11 blocks and three service aces for 46.0 total points. Kuziela opened the week with his first collegiate double-double, recording 15 kills and 24 assists in a four-set victory over Concordia Chicago.
 
Kuziela followed with record-setting performances during the weekend, beginning with a career-high 39 assists in a five-set win over Wisconsin–Stevens Point to establish a new program record. He added 15 kills on .429 hitting and eight digs. The sophomore then set the three-set match record with 37 assists against Lakeland, which also stands as the second-most in school history.
 
Defensive: Roman Rothermel, Loras
Rothermel recorded a career-high seven blocks, including two solo stops and five assists, in the No. 14-ranked Duhawks’ season-opening sweep of Benedictine. He anchored a defense that limited the Eagles to a .056 hitting percentage and currently leads the CCIW with 2.33 blocks per set.
 
Rothermel also added six kills on eight attempts for a .625 hitting percentage and 10.5 total points. He recorded blocks in each set, including a key stop during a third-set run that helped Loras extend its lead and close out the match.