NAPERVILLE — The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s volleyball schedule produced several results with national implications over the past week. Multiple league programs recorded wins over ranked opponents, while several individuals posted numbers that currently compare favorably on the national statistical leaderboards. 
 
Still Unbeaten: Carthage and Loras Remain Perfect
Two teams completed the week without a loss, as Carthage and Loras both remained 6-0.
 
Carthage held at No. 2 in the most recent national poll and continued to produce efficient offensive numbers. Last Saturday, Carthage won in straight sets at Benedictine, 25-16, 25-17, 25-19. Junior Ben Heise led the match with 11 kills, while Ryan Bartz added 10 kills. Carthage hit .364 for the match, supported by 31 assists from senior setter Ryan Morey. 
 
Loras moved up to No. 13 nationally after a home win over the same Aurora squad last Saturday. Loras won 3-1 (25-18, 25-27, 26-24, 28-26) in a match that turned on late points in sets three and four. Senior Bo Brainerd III finished with 20 kills, with Roman Rothermel and Connor Jaral contributing 15 and 14 kills, respectively. Sophomore setter Evan Dziadkowiec registered 47 assists and 11 digs, producing a double-double while averaging 11.75 assists per set.
 
Illinois Wesleyan Rolls Through Crawfordsville
Illinois Wesleyan continued to add non-conference results to its profile and sits at 8-2 overall following the Wabash Tri last Saturday. Freshman Aydin Provost was named the league’s Hitter of the Week after a productive stretch that included both high-efficiency and higher-volume matches.
 
In a Jan. 27 sweep of Rockford, Provost hit .889 with eight kills on nine attacks and no errors. He followed with 13 kills, three aces and three blocks in a road win over Wabash. Later last Saturday, IWU posted a .491 team hitting percentage in a sweep of Maranatha Baptist University (25-7, 25-8, 25-15), which stands as the second-highest single-match hitting percentage in program history. Lane Sunley recorded a career-high four blocks in that match..
 
In the second match of the triangular, Illinois Wesleyan defeated host Wabash in straight sets behind 13 kills apiece from Provost and Bryce Williams. Sophomore setter Ethan Kuziela has also provided notable production this season, including a triple-double earlier in January (16 kills, 10 digs, 24 assists).
 
Digging for Diamonds: The Cardinal Wall in Naperville
North Central split its home triangular last Saturday, highlighted by a five-set win over Wisconsin-Stevens Point (25-19, 25-23, 22-25, 19-25, 15-9). Junior libero Jonathan Brown anchored the match defensively and finished with a career-high 25 digs, setting an NCC single-match program record. Brown’s performance also aligned with his season-long numbers; his 3.27 digs per set currently ranks ninth nationally in Division III.
 
North Central received additional production from Mitchell Hester, who hit .619 with 15 kills on 21 attacks in the win over UW-Stevens Point. Freshman setter Angelo Delgado totaled 50 assists, tying for the seventh-most in a single match in program history. 
 
In the second match of the day, North Central fell in straight sets to No. 9 Cal Lutheran. Even in the loss, North Central hit .316 and was led by 13 kills from Brannen Almarales. The Cardinals remain a team receiving national poll votes.
 
Numerical Supremacy: The Stat Sheet Stars
Several CCIW athletes are currently positioned near the top of the national statistical charts.

Carthage’s Hudson Sweitzer leads the nation in hitting percentage at .557 ... Loras’ Bo Brainerd III is fourth nationally at .519 ... Loras setter Evan Dziadkowiec ranks second nationally with 10.77 assists per set ... Illinois Wesleyan’s Aydin Provost leads the league and ranks 15th nationally with 3.70 kills per set ... Carthage’s Ruben Emmerich leads the league with 0.60 aces per set (31st nationally) ... Loras’ Roman Rothermel averages 1.05 blocks per set (22nd nationally) ... North Central’s Jonathan Brown leads the league and ranks ninth nationally with 3.27 digs per set.

At the team level, Carthage currently leads the country in match winning percentage (1.000) and ranks fourth nationally in team hitting percentage (.345).
 
Upcoming Volleys
The conference standings as of Feb. 4 list Carthage and Loras tied for first at 6-0, followed by Illinois Wesleyan (8-2) and North Central (4-2). Augustana is 1-2, with its Tuesday match against Wisconsin-Stevens Point postponed.
 
The upcoming schedule includes several matches with national relevance. Carthage travels to face No. 3 Stevens on Thursday. Loras is scheduled to compete at the Springfield Showcase, including a Saturday match against No. 5 Southern Virginia. 
 
North Central hosts Wisconsin Lutheran on Friday, while Illinois Wesleyan plays a road match at Dominican on Thursday.