• Final score: Carthage 3 - Mount Union 2
• Location: Huntingdon, Pennsylvania - Memorial Gymnasium
• Records: No. 11 Carthage 4-4, Mount Union 2-2

• Ryan Cholewinski and Ben Heise secured an 11-8 lead for Carthage in the opening set with successful kills. 
• Subsequently, a kill by Grant Veldman increased the advantage to 14-11. 
• Justin Girodat contributed by extending the lead to 20-16 with an ace. 
• Despite Mount Union narrowing the gap to two points, Heise's decisive kill secured a 25-22 set victory.
• In the second set, the Raiders initially took an 11-7 lead. 
• Mitch Geiger's strategic kill narrowed the deficit to four points, but Mount Union ultimately claimed the set with a 25-19 win. 
• Carthage, determined to turn the tide, dominated the third set with a 17-7 lead, highlighted by a combined block from Heise and Cholewinski. 
• Although the Raiders made efforts to reduce the margin to eight, crucial kills from Cholewinski and Drew Jansen secured a 25-16 set triumph.
• The fourth set showcased Mount Union holding an 8-5 lead, courtesy of an ace and two kills. 
• With the score tied at 20, both teams fiercely competed for the advantage. 
• Heise and Ethan Sprague's combined block granted Carthage set point, but Mount Union leveled the score with a solo block. 
• Jack McDonald's ace briefly put Carthage ahead, yet the Raiders secured the final two points, leading to a fifth set.
• The fifth set saw a dominant performance from the Firebirds as they surged to a 9-3 lead, fueled by two kills from Veldman. 
• Carthage sealed the victory with kills from Jansen and Heise, ultimately winning the match 15-6.

• Five Firebirds tallied double-digit kills: Grant Veldman (16), Ryan Cholewsinski (15), Ben Heise (11), Mitch Geiger (10) and Drew Jansen (10). 
• Gene McNulty and Ryan Morey each had over 20 assists, concluding with 30 and 26, respectively. 
• Geiger tallied a match-best 15 digs for Carthage. 
• The Firebird offense hit an impressive .520 in set one (15 kills, 2 errors, 25 total attacks) and .562 in set five (10 kills, 1 error, 16 total attacks). 

"Absolute battle today to end the Frog Jump Invite, and I'm proud of our belief as a unit. Tough to lose sets in extra points. But we came back strong in set 5 and made a statement.

We are really close to taking a massive step as competitors. The more we play against great teams in big moments, the more we learn about ourselves and our abilities. We are starting to turn the corner as a group and find a competitive energy. I am excited to continue that development throughout the year.

Drew Jansen was incredible today off the bench for us. He lit a spark for us, which helped drive us to victory. Mitch Geiger was great defensively in the backcourt; his vision is impressive and was on display today. Ryan Cholewinski continues to be a force at the net for us as an attacker and as a blocker. I am proud of the leadership group for being steady this weekend and striving for greatness. 

We will keep grinding and getting better daily. This team is so much fun to be around, and we battle together. I am excited to see where this journey will lead for us."

• The Firebirds return home facing Dominican (Ill.) on Thursday, February 8 at 7 p.m.