Dupage Policy Journal

For the first time in its history, the Illinois Wesleyan University men's volleyball team has seen one of its players named as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Player of the Week. On February 11, sophomore Brenden Reutter received this recognition following an impressive week on the court. This marks not only the first AVCA award for the program but also its first national weekly accolade.

Reutter's performance was instrumental in leading the Titans to a 2-1 record for the week, including their inaugural victory over a ranked opponent. He achieved a triple-double against No. 19 Dominican University on February 6 and repeated this feat against Benedictine University on February 9. Reutter is currently the only player in Division III with two triple-doubles this season. Over the week, he accumulated 75 assists, averaging five per set, along with 30 kills at an attack percentage of .396, 40 digs averaging 2.67 per set, six blocks, and five aces.

The week began with Reutter achieving a career-best of 10 kills at a .438 clip, alongside 25 assists and a personal high of 21 digs during the match against Dominican University on February 6. The dig count is noted as the second-highest in program history for a single match. His subsequent game against Benedictine University saw him achieve another triple-double with 28 assists, 11 kills, and 12 digs while setting a new personal best with five blocks. He concluded his week's play by contributing significantly to a five-set win over Wabash College with stats including 22 assists, nine kills, seven digs, three aces, and one block.

Looking ahead, Reutter and his team will participate in the Morgan Classic hosted by Springfield College from February 14-15. Their schedule includes matches against Arcadia University on February 14 and either No.7 Springfield or No.1 NYU on February 15. The event also holds significance for IWU head coach Brandon Mueller who will return to his alma mater where he previously won two National Championships.