NAPERVILLE — The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) continued to show its national strength in men’s volleyball, as Carthage and Loras both appeared in the latest AVCA Division III Top 20 Poll released Tuesday.
 
Carthage held steady at No. 2 in the national rankings, earning 552 points and two first-place votes after opening the 2026 season with a 4-0 record. The Firebirds trailed only Springfield in the poll and posted straight-set victories over MSOE on last Tuesday and Concordia Wisconsin on Thursday. 
 
Ryan Bartz recorded a match-high 17 kills against MSOE, while Hudson Sweitzer led the offense against Concordia Wisconsin with 12 kills while hitting .923. Joe Kolwicz added 33 assists in the sweep. Carthage is scheduled to face No. 10 Aurora University on Wednesday in a rematch of last season’s NCAA Tournament meeting.
 
Loras remained ranked No. 14 in the poll with 184 points after improving to 5-0 on the season. The Duhawks earned a five-set road victory at MSOE last Friday, led by Roman Rothermel’s 17 kills and Evan Dziadkowiec’s 48 assists. Loras also went 2-0 at the UWSP Invitational on Sunday with straight-set wins over Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Illinois Tech. Connor Jaral posted 17 kills against the Pointers, while Bo Brainerd III added nine kills and five blocks versus IIT. The Duhawks will host No. 10 Aurora on Saturday.
 
North Central also received national recognition, collecting 22 votes in the latest poll after narrowly missing a spot in the Top 20.