NAPERVILLE — The Carthage College women's volleyball team has been selected to finish second in the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll, the conference announced Tuesday. The Firebirds earned 58 points in the poll, including two of the nine possible first-place votes.
Illinois Wesleyan topped the poll with 62 points and the remaining seven first-place votes. Millikin, North Central and Wheaton rounded out the top five.

POLL RESULTS

1. Illinois Wesleyan — 62 (7 first-place votes)
2. Carthage — 58 (2 first-place votes)
3. Millikin — 49
4. North Central (Ill.) — 36
5. Wheaton (Ill.) — 35
6. Elmhurst — 31
7. Carroll (Wis.) — 23
8. North Park — 20
9. Augustana (Ill.) — 10

Carthage women's volleyball returns to action following a 21-12 season in 2025. The Firebirds went 5-3 in conference play and reached the 2025 CCIW Championship before ultimately falling to Illinois Wesleyan in the final match. The Firebirds spent one week in the AVCA Top 25 during the season.

The Firebirds enter the 2026 season with a strong mix of familiar names and new faces on the roster. Head Coach Leanne Ulmer returns to the helm of the Carthage women's volleyball program for her 26th season. Ulmer enters the year with 649 wins and a .743 career winning percentage. Joining Ulmer on the sideline are first-year Graduate Assistant Coach Sheridan Cool and part-time Assistant Coach Alexis Chambers.

Leading the charge on the court is 2025 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and First-Team All-CCIW honoree Kristina Manojlovic. Manojlovic, a senior from Skokie, Ill., led the Firebirds in 2025 with 482 kills (3.83 kills per set) and enters the upcoming season with 1,110 career kills. Manojlovic will be joined by fellow senior Ava McTeague, who was a recipient of the 2025 CCIW Elite 26 Award.

Ava Dettwiler, a 2025 Second-Team All-CCIW honoree, will lead the junior class in 2026. Dettwiler earned 272 kills, 686 assists and 40 service aces offensively last season while registering 304 digs and 65.0 total blocks on the defensive end. The junior class also will feature Tessa Davison, Lisa Keating and Macy Wente.

The Firebirds will also feature a stacked sophomore class, led by Emma Crow and Hailey Wierzgac, who combined for 272 kills and 194 blocks during their freshman seasons. Also returning for their second years are Kate Badrov, Taylor Baratta, Hannah Bendoff, Sydney Horacek, Sophia Verplanke, Della Walsh and Grace Wenthold.

Ulmer welcomes nine new members to the Carthage program, including sophomore transfer Brianna Gritzman, who spent a year at the NCAA Division II level with Thomas Jefferson University. The freshman class includes Alena Amel, McKenzie Bronder, Maddie Hellrung, Kara Lodes, Rylee Neu, Mina Reichart, Tessa Schlaak and Elise Webster.

The Firebirds will begin the 2026 season with a road game against Lakeland on Tuesday, Sept. 1, in Plymouth, Wis. Following the season opener, the Firebirds will kick off the home schedule with the Carthage Tournament in Tarble Arena on Sept. 4-5. Carthage's home opener will be Friday, Sept. 4, as the team hosts Centre at 7 p.m. A doubleheader will follow Saturday, Sept. 5, with matches against Wartburg at 2 p.m. and Wis.-Stevens Point at 4 p.m.

The remainder of the Firebirds' home schedule includes UChicago on Sept. 8, Wis.-Eau Claire on Oct. 3, North Central on Oct. 7, Millikin on Oct. 28, Carroll (Senior Night) on Oct. 31 and Elmhurst on Nov. 4.

The Firebirds will open conference play on the road against Wheaton on Sept. 22 in Wheaton, Ill. Other notable road contests include the St. Norbert Chick-fil-A Invitational on Sept. 11-12, the Edgewood Triangular on Sept. 15, the Hope College Tournament on Sept. 25-26, Wis.-Whitewater on Oct. 9 and Illinois Wesleyan on Oct. 21.

For the complete schedule, visit athletics.carthage.edu.