Molten Championship Web Site
Nazareth 3, Carthage 2, semifinals
Carthage 3, Baruch 0, consolation
The Carthage College men's volleyball team (23-11, 8-0 Midwest-III Volleyball Conference), tied for fourth place in the April 12 American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll, won the consolation match of the final Molten Championship on Saturday, April 16, 3-0, over No. 6 Baruch College (34-16) at Nazareth College's Robert A. Kidera Gymnasium in Rochester, N.Y. The Red Men's winning set scores over Bearcats were 25-19, 25-22 and 25-17. Carthage tied for third place in the final AVCA NCAA Division III poll.
Carthage opened play in the championship on Friday, April 15 with a 3-2 loss to No. 1 Nazareth College (30-3) in the semifinals. The second-seeded Golden Flyers' winning set scores over the third-seeded Red Men were 25-14, 18-25, 27-29, 28-26 and 15-11. Top-seeded Springfield (16-13), tied with Nazareth for first place in AVCA national poll, defeated fourth-seeded and No. 6 Baruch College (34-15), 3-1, in the other semifinal contest with winning scores of 25-20, 25-20, 22-25 and 25-17. Nazareth (31-3) defeated defending-champion Springfield (16-14), 3-1, for the title with winning set scores of 25-23, 22-25, 25-23 and 25-22.
This was Carthage's fourth appearance in the Molten Championship. Both the 2005 and 2007 Red Men teams finished second in the event, and the 2010 squad finished third at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis. The Molten Championship will come to an end after this year's event, as the NCAA will launch a Division III Men's Volleyball Championship in 2012.
In the consolation match, the first set was close, with Carthage never ahead by more than more four points until going up by five, 23-18. The Red Men went on to win by six points, 25-19, Set two was tied at 16-16 before Carthage took the lead, to stay, 17-16, en route to a three-point win, 25-22. The third set was also tied, 16-16, but the Red Men scored six-straight points to take a 22-16 lead and went on to win by eight, 25-17. Randy Hansen (Jr., Oak Lawn, Ill.) led Carthage with 14 kills and a .524 attack percentage, while Tim Walker (Sr., Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette University High School) had 12 kills and hit .750 (12-0-16). Red Men setter Connor Wexter (Fr., New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central)who was named to the all-tournament team, had 43 assists. Pablo Oliveira led the Bearcats with 14 kills.
