NAPERVILLE — Last week brought more strong results for the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men’s volleyball programs, with the league continuing to feature prominently in the national conversation. 
 
Carthage remained No. 1 in the AVCA Division III Men’s Volleyball Poll, while Illinois Wesleyan entered the national rankings for the first time in program history.
 
Firebirds Maintain High-Altitude Flight Path
Carthage remained at No. 1 in the AVCA Division III Men’s Volleyball Poll released on Tuesday, totaling 588 points and 24 first-place votes. The Firebirds continued to produce strong results on the court, including a 3-0 sweep of Dominican last Saturday by set scores of 25-19, 25-15 and 25-19. In the match, Carthage posted a .427 team hitting percentage. 
 
On Wednesday, the Firebirds also earned a five-set conference win over North Central, taking the match 25-19, 25-16, 21-25, 18-25, 15-10 to improve to 5-0 in CCIW play.
 
Carthage also collected two of the conference’s weekly awards. Senior Ruben Emmerich was named CCIW Hitter of the Week after recording eight kills on 10 attempts with just one error for a .700 hitting percentage against Dominican, while also adding three blocks. Senior Ryan Morey received Setter of the Week recognition after totaling 37 assists and averaging 12.33 assists per set in the same match.
 
Titan-ic Shift in the National Landscape
Illinois Wesleyan moved into the AVCA national rankings at No. 20, marking the first national ranking in program history. The Titans reached the milestone following a 17-4 start to the season and a program-record five-match winning streak.
 
IWU has also continued to rank among the national leaders statistically. Entering the weekend, the Titans ranked first in Division III in kills per set at 13.38 and second in assists per set at 12.28.
 
Building a Record-Breaking Wall in Naperville
North Central recorded a notable defensive performance last Saturday in a 3-1 win over Augustana by set scores of 25-23, 25-21, 12-25, 25-20. Junior middle blocker Mitchell Hester finished the match with nine blocks, tying the program’s single-match record. Freshman setter Angelo Delgado added 46 assists, which tied for the second-most in a four-set match in program history.
 
The Cardinals are in third place in the CCIW standings at 3-3, with a 9-8 overall record. North Central also ranked fifth nationally in digs per set at 12.01. Chris Mactal led the conference in blocks at 0.87 per set, while Jonathan Brown paced the league in digs at 3.15 per set.
 
Duhawks Do the Math in Dubuque
Loras climbed to No. 14 in the most recent AVCA poll and carried a 16-4 overall record into the later part of the week. The Duhawks most recently earned a 3-1 win over Augustana on Wednesday and continued to benefit from balanced production across the lineup. Individually, Bo Brainerd III ranked third nationally in hitting percentage at .445.
 
Evan Dziadkowiec continued to direct the offense effectively, leading the conference in assists at 10.10 per set and ranking seventh nationally in the category. As a team, Loras posted a .285 hitting percentage, good for 15th nationally.
 
The Magic Number is Three: National Leaderboard Watch
Several CCIW student-athletes remained among the national statistical leaders as of Thursday. Illinois Wesleyan’s Ethan Kuziela led the nation with four triple-doubles this season. One of his most notable performances came on Feb. 28 against North Central, when he recorded 20 kills, 12 digs and 27 assists.
 
Carthage’s Ryan Bartz also continued to rank among the Division III leaders, standing 11th in points per set at 4.53 and 12th in aces per set at 0.554. North Central’s Jonathan Brown ranked 10th nationally in digs per set at 3.15.
 
The Standings and Set Scores: A Mid-March Review
Through Thursday, Carthage held the top spot in the CCIW standings at 5-0, followed by Illinois Wesleyan at 5-1. North Central sat in third at 3-3, with Loras at 2-3, Augustana at 2-5 and North Park at 0-5.
 
In additional recent action, North Park dropped a 3-1 non-conference match to Trine last Saturday, though freshman Kevin Motallebi recorded a career-high 35 assists. Augustana also remained competitive in a four-set loss to Loras on Wednesday, led by a 19-kill performance from Aidan Bolen.
 
The Horizon: Upcoming Conference and Non-Conference Clashes
The upcoming slate includes several matches that will affect conference positioning and overall momentum heading into postseason play. Illinois Wesleyan is scheduled to face St. Norbert on Friday at 2:30 p.m., while Augustana travels to Westminster on Friday at 7 p.m. 
 
On Saturday, Carthage will travel to Loras for a 3 p.m. match, and North Central will face North Park at 3 p.m. Saturday’s match at North Park will also serve as Senior Day in Carlson Gymnasium.