NAPERVILLE — The No. 4 Carthage College men's volleyball team capitalized on early momentum and key scoring runs in each set to secure a straight-set victory over North Central (Ill.). They defeated the Cardinals with scores of 25-21, 25-15, and 25-19, thanks to a balanced offensive effort and consistent play at the net for their eighth conference win. 

• Final Score: No. 4 Carthage 3 - North Central (Ill.) 0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-19)
• Location: Naperville, Illinois - Gregory Arena
• Records: No. 4 Carthage 19-3 (8-1 CCIW), North Central (Ill.) 10-11 (4-5 CCIW)

• Four straight kills from Carthage, courtesy of Ryan Monahan and Ryan Bartz, made it 5-2 to start. 
• North Central (Ill.) got it to 13-9 off a service error, but Bartz added another kill to make it 19-12. 
• The Cardinals rallied, getting within one, but three unanswered points and a Cardinals service error won the first set for Carthage 25-21. 
• Ryan Morey's ace put Carthage up one in the second. 
• After the home team tied it at 11, the Firebirds went on a 10-2 run, extending the set to 20-13. 
• Carthage ended the set with a kill from Ruben Emmerich and an attack error to win the set 25-15. 
• Another kill from Morey made it 9-5 Carthage in the third.
• The Cardinals got it to a five-point deficit, but another Morey kill made it 17-11. 
• Later, a combined block from Hudson Sweitzer and Bartz put Carthage up 22-17. 
• Bartz added two kills, and an ace from Sweitzer won the match for the Firebirds 25-19. 

• Ryan Bartz led the match with 16 kills, followed by Ryan Monahan with 14. 
• Ryan Morey recorded 42 assists, just three shy of his season best for a three-set match. 
• Ben Heise contributed eight digs, while Devon O'Callaghan added seven.

"I'm really proud of this group. We set the tone from warm ups and played with something to prove all match. The energy Ben Heise led with on the defensive side of the ball was impressive and elevated our entire group.

Our offense was vintage Carthage today and ran all match beautifully. Ryan Morey delivered a really consistent ball and balanced the floor all match. Ryan Monahan started the match with some big swings and I'm really proud of the complete game of volleyball he played today. Hudson Sweitzer and Ruben Emmerich found some great holes in the block today to be efficient.

Our passing was great all match today, and that's the biggest reason for our success. Devon O'Callaghan, Ryan Bartz and Ryan Monahan were locked in together to make sure we could stay aggressive all match."

• The Firebirds conclude the regular season playing No. 17 Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday, April 4 at 3 p.m.