SPRINGFIELD — The Carthage College men's volleyball team delivered a decisive straight-set victory over Wittenberg on Thursday night, using balanced offense and steady defensive play to secure the NCAA Semifinal win. The Firebirds controlled key stretches in each set, earning the sweep 3-0 to advance to the finals for the first time since 2022. 

• Final Score: No. 3 Carthage 3 - Wittenberg 0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-19)
• Location: Springfield, Massachusetts - Blake Arena
• Records: No. 3 Carthage 25-3, Wittenberg 22-6

• Both sides battled early before Hudson Sweitzer evened the score at 4-4 with a kill.
• Ruben Emmerich later gave Carthage a 9-7 edge with a kill, followed by Ben Heise extending the lead to three.
• Out of the first media timeout, Carthage used a 3-0 run, capped by an Emmerich kill, to force a Wittenberg timeout.
• Sweitzer delivered a touch kill to make it 21-13.
• Despite Wittenberg trimming the deficit, Ryan Bartz closed the set with a kill, 25-16.
• Bartz opened the second set strong, tying it 4-4 with a kill.
• Wittenberg responded with a 3-point advantage before Ryan Morey evened the set at 11.
• Bartz followed with a kill to give Carthage a 12-11 lead.
• After a Tigers timeout, Wittenberg cut it to one, but a service error made it 15-13.
• Heise added a kill for a 20-16 advantage.
• Following another timeout, Bartz pushed the lead to 23-17 with a kill.
• Sweitzer sealed the set with a kill, 25-18.
• In the third, a Bartz kill made it 4-2 before an Emmerich ace prompted an early Wittenberg timeout.
• Heise recorded his 10th kill for a 9-4 lead.
• Solo blocks from Bartz and Emmerich extended the margin to seven.
• Bartz notched his 12th kill to make it 19-11, forcing another Tigers timeout.
• Emmerich delivered a kill for match point.
• Wittenberg scored twice, but Heise finished the match with a kill, 25-19.

• Carthage hit .667 in the first set with 20 kills and only two errors; the Firebirds finished the game with a .488 hitting percentage. 
• Ryan Bartz led the way in kills with 13, followed closely by Ben Heise with 12. 
• Ryan Morey registered 36 assists on the day, while Heise tallied eight digs. 

• Carthage will play No. 1 Springfield on Saturday, April 25, at 6 p.m.