NAPERVILLE — The matchup for the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s Volleyball Championship has been set following semifinal contests held Wednesday. Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan each advanced with straight-set victories. 
 
Carthage, the tournament’s top seed, will host the championship match versus IWU on Saturday at 5 p.m. inside Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.
 
The Firebirds will appear in the championship match for the sixth consecutive season and have reached the final in each year since the event’s inception. Illinois Wesleyan advances to the title match for the first time.
 
#1 Carthage def. #4 North Central, 25-22, 25-12, 25-21
Carthage advanced with a 3-0 victory over North Central (25-22, 25-12, 25-21). Ben Heise led the Firebirds with 14 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Ryan Bartz added 10 kills and seven digs, while Ruben Emmerich and Ryan Monahan each recorded eight kills as Carthage hit .266 as a team.
 
Ryan Morey directed the offense with 42 assists and two service aces. The Firebirds recorded a .545 hitting percentage in the second set. Devon O’Callaghan led the defense with eight digs, and Hudson Sweitzer added seven kills and two blocks.
 
North Central was paced by Brannen Almarales with 14 kills and a .270 hitting percentage. Angelo Delgado totaled 19 assists and five digs, while BK Bartlett recorded 10 digs and a solo block. Jonathan Brown and Almarales each added nine digs as the Cardinals totaled 39 as a team.
 
North Central tied the third set at 20-20 before Carthage closed on a 5-1 run to secure the match.
 
#2 Illinois Wesleyan def. #3 Loras, 25-20, 25-20, 26-24
Illinois Wesleyan secured its first appearance in the CCIW final with a 3-0 win over Loras (25-20, 25-20, 26-24). The Titans posted a .314 team hitting percentage, led by Aydin Provost with 10 kills and a .375 mark. Wilson Spaulding added seven kills on eight attempts (.875), while Bryce Williams contributed eight kills and hit .400.
 
Ethan Kuziela logged eight kills, 19 assists, four service aces, six digs and two blocks. Brenden Reutter added 14 assists and nine digs, while Jace Milka finished with three aces and nine digs. Illinois Wesleyan totaled 10 service aces compared to two for Loras.
 
Loras was led by Bo Brainerd III with nine kills and a service ace, while Nolan Krygsheld added eight kills. Evan Dziadkowiec recorded 25 assists and six digs, and Brady Oberfoell led all players with 15 digs. The Duhawks finished with a .258 team hitting percentage.
 
The third set featured multiple ties, including a 24-24 score after Loras held set point. Illinois Wesleyan closed the match with consecutive points, including a service ace from Spaulding.