NAPERVILLE — The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s Volleyball Championship is scheduled to begin Wednesday night with the conference’s top four teams competing for the tournament title and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Semifinal matches will be hosted by the higher-seeded teams and streamed live on the CCIW Network. No. 4 North Central will travel to No. 1 Carthage for a 7 p.m. match in Kenosha, Wis., while No. 3 Loras will visit No. 2 Illinois Wesleyan for a 7 p.m. match in Bloomington, Ill.. The championship match is scheduled for Saturday at the site of the highest remaining seed.
 
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors ages 65 and older, students, and children ages 6 and above. Children ages 5 and under will be admitted free, as will current CCIW students with a valid conference ID. No passes will be accepted for tournament competition.
 
Since the CCIW Tournament began in 2021, Carthage has been the most consistent postseason program, appearing in all five championship matches and winning three titles (2021-22, 2025). North Central (2023) and Loras (2024) have each won one tournament championship during that span.
 
#1 Carthage Firebirds (20-3, 9-1 CCIW)
Carthage enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season with a 20-3 overall record and a 9-1 mark in conference play. The Firebirds, ranked third nationally on Tuesday, secured the regular-season title with a 3-0 win over Illinois Wesleyan last Saturday. 
 
Carthage leads the CCIW in hitting percentage at .295 and service aces at 1.96 per set. Ryan Morey directs the offense and ranks first in the conference with 9.94 assists per set. Ryan Bartz has been a leading offensive contributor and posted a season-high 21 kills against Stevens, while Austin Mallory leads the team defensively with 2.20 digs per set. Carthage’s only conference loss came in five sets against Loras on March 21.
 
#2 Illinois Wesleyan Titans (21-5, 8-2 CCIW)
Illinois Wesleyan earned the No. 2 seed with a 21-5 overall record and an 8-2 conference finish. The 16th-ranked Titans lead the conference in kills at 13.44 per set and assists at 12.36 per set. 
 
Ethan Kuziela has provided production across multiple categories, leading the team with 3.21 kills per set while also averaging 6.26 assists per set. Kuziela has recorded five triple-doubles this season. Aydin Provost adds 3.24 kills per set, while Ben Zima leads the defense with 1.79 digs per set. Illinois Wesleyan swept the regular-season series against Loras, including a 3-0 win on March 25.
 
#3 Loras Duhawks (20-5, 6-4 CCIW)
Loras enters the field as the No. 3 seed with a 20-5 overall record and a 6-4 mark in conference play. The Duhawks are ranked 10th nationally and lead the CCIW in blocks at 2.36 per set. Bo Brainerd III and Roman Rothermel have each produced multiple 20-point performances this season, while Evan Dziadkowiec has handled primary setting duties. Dziadkowiec recorded 63 assists against North Central in last Saturday's win. 
 
Loras also handed Carthage its only conference loss of the season with a 3-2 victory in March.
 
#4 North Central Cardinals (10-12, 4-6 CCIW)
North Central claimed the No. 4 seed after finishing the regular season 10-12 overall and 4-6 in conference play. The Cardinals lead the conference in digs at 12.23 per set. Brannen Almarales has paced the offense with 3.65 kills per set and also averages 2.70 digs per set. Angelo Delgado has averaged 8.17 assists per set, while Chris Mactal leads the team in blocks at 0.85 per set. North Central closed the regular season with a five-set match against Loras and recorded a season-high 89 digs.