MEQUON, Wis. — On Saturday evening the No. 13 Carthage College men's volleyball team won a 3-1 match against Concordia (Wis.). 

• Final score: Carthage 3 - Concordia (Wis.) 1
• Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin - Tarble Arena
• Records: No. 13 Carthage 6-4, Concordia (Wis.) 2-5

• Carthage secured a 7-3 lead in the opening set as Ryan Cholewinski and Ben Heise combined for a crucial block. 
• Owen Otto's kill later brought the score to 15-12. 
• Despite the Firebirds narrowing the gap to a one-point deficit, Concordia (Wis.) ultimately claimed the set 25-23.
• The second set saw the Firebirds taking charge, with Heise contributing two kills and Cholewinski and Heise combining for a block, resulting in a three-point lead.
• Additional kills from Drew Jansen and Ethan Sprague extended the advantage to five, concluding with Heise's final kill for a 25-17 set win.
• Carthage faced an 11-8 score in the third set but orchestrated an impressive 8-2 run, turning the score to 16-13. 
• Grant Veldman's ace further solidified Carthage's control, securing a 25-22 set victory.
• The Firebirds dominated the fourth set, initiating with a seven-point lead and extending it to 20-9 after scoring eight of the next 12 points. 
• Keegan Brummitt's ace and an Otto kill sealed the victory for Carthage with a final set score of 25-15.

• The Firebirds offense hit .407 in set two and .619 in set four. 
• Owen Otto led Carthage in two categories: kills (17), and aces (3). 
• Ben Heise chipped in with 11 kills while Drew Jansen totaled nine. 
• Heise registered seven total blocks along with Ryan Morey and Gene McNulty recording 23 and 20 assists, respectively. 

"This team is so much fun, and I'm happy they enjoy battling with each other for wins. It's a joy to come to the gym and work with them.

The freshman duo of Owen Otto and Ben Heise were really efficient offensively today. I am proud of how they stepped up to the moment and led the team with their calm and consistent play. Their ability to take pressure swings in big moments for this group will be what we need down the season's stretch.

We have to learn how to play cleaner. There were stretches today where we made bunches of errors and had to control a match better. This team can take steps to learn how to play creative and intelligent volleyball; when we do that, we will be able to produce a fun brand of volleyball that features defensive effort, efficient offense, and a physical presence across the net."

• The Firebirds return home for a 7 p.m. match against MSOE on Thursday, February 15.