The Carthage College Firebirds saw their 2026 volleyball season conclude Tuesday night in Decatur, Illinois, after a 3-1 defeat to Millikin University in the opening round of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Women’s Volleyball Tournament at the Griswold P.E. Center.
Carthage finished the campaign with a 16-13 overall record and a .500 mark (4-4) in CCIW competition. Millikin out‑hit the Firebirds, posting a .123 hitting percentage compared with Carthage’s .045, and logged 48 kills, 12 service aces and 12 blocks versus Carthage’s 32 kills, 10 aces and nine blocks.
Match Summary
The opening set was a nail‑biter, with Carthage taking an early 4-0 lead before Millikin rallied to win 27-25. The Firebirds rebounded in the second set, edging Millikin 25-23 thanks to a three‑point run highlighted by a service ace from Elise Webster and strong blocking from Hailey Wierzgac, Tessa Davison, Manojlovic and Taylor Baratta.
Millikin seized control in the third set, winning 25-22 after a brief Carthage surge. The fourth set proved decisive, as Millikin jumped out to a 15-8 lead and closed it out 25-17, securing advancement in the tournament.
Individual Performances
Senior forward Tina Manojlovic led Carthage with 11 kills, 12 digs and four service aces. Freshman Ava Dettwiler contributed nine kills, 16 assists and nine digs. Other notable contributors included Walsh (11 assists, 10 digs), Reichert (10 digs), Wierzgac (four kills, four block assists), Davison (two service aces) and Baratta (three block assists). The Firebirds posted 64 digs on the night, just one more than Millikin’s 63.
Coach Ulmer’s Remarks
Head Coach Leanne Ulmer praised her team’s resilience, saying, “I’m so proud of the fight this team showed on the road. Losing the first set 27-25 was a gut punch after being up 19-13, but winning the second set 25-23 was encouraging. We struggled to create enough offense to sustain the winning edge, but I’m proud of how they stuck together.” She added that the program looks forward to a strong recruiting class for the 2027 season and highlighted seniors Manojlovic and Ava McTeague for their contributions.
Carthage women’s volleyball will return to Tarble Arena for the 2027 season. For more information, visit the athletics department website.
Original reporting: Kenosha.com — read the source article.
