The fifth annual College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s Volleyball Championship begins Wednesday night with exciting semifinal matchups in Kenosha, Wis., and Dubuque, Iowa. Top-seeded Carthage will face #4 Augustana, while second-seeded Loras will take on #3 North Central. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
The winners will advance to Saturday’s title match, where the highest remaining seed will host.
Ticket Information:
Admission to all three championship matches is cash-only: $10 for adults, $5 for seniors (65+) and children aged 6 and up, while children under 5 are free. CCIW students can attend for free with a valid student ID, and no passes will be accepted.
Semifinal Matchups:
#4 Augustana at #1 Carthage – Wednesday, 7 p.m., Kenosha, Wis.
Carthage, ranked #6 nationally, enters the match riding a 9-match winning streak since February. The Firebirds clinched the CCIW regular-season title last week with a 9-1 record, their fourth in the last four years. Carthage has been dominant in the Tarble Arena, with an 11-1 record this season and looking for its third tournament title in the last four years.
Augustana, which finished 12-13 overall and 2-8 in the league, clinched the last available CCIW Championship spot by set differential over Illinois Wesleyan and North Park. The Vikings will be making their second consecutive semifinal appearance but have never won a match in the tournament, holding an 0-2 all-time record. Carthage swept the regular-season series, including a four-set win over Augustana last Saturday.
#3 North Central at #2 Loras – Wednesday, 7 p.m., Dubuque, Iowa
Defending champions Loras will host North Central in a rematch of the previous two CCIW tournament champions. Loras, ranked #10 nationally, boasts a 17-4 overall record and earned the second seed after finishing with an 8-2 league mark. The Duhawks are 7-1 at home this season, with their only home loss coming to Carthage.
North Central, ranked #14 in the latest national poll, holds a 15-6 overall record and enters the tournament with a 7-3 league mark. The Cardinals defeated Carthage in a five-set thriller on March 19, handing the Firebirds their only CCIW loss of the season.
Loras has won five consecutive meetings against North Central, including two regular-season victories this year. Wednesday’s semifinal will mark the 20th meeting between these two teams, with Loras holding a slight 10-9 edge in the all-time series.
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