KENOSHA, Wis. (April 12, 2023) – Despite putting up one of its toughest fights yet, the winless streak will continue for the (RV) Loras College men's volleyball team as the third-seeded Duhawks fell 3-2 on the road at second-seeded and ninth-ranked Carthage College in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament.

The Duhawks (18-6) were vying for their first ever CCIW Tournament win on Wednesday, on top of going for their first ever win against the Firebirds (17-6), but fell short of both goals in another classic battle between the two sides.

Carthage, the two-time defending NCAA Division III champion, will play at top-seeded and fifth-ranked North Central College in the CCIW Tournament Championship on Saturday, April 15, while the Duhawks will have to wait and see if they have done enough to qualify for the NCAA Tournament field.

Wednesday marked the third match of the season between Loras and Carthage, but it was the first time that Loras did not win the opening set. Instead, it was the Firebirds that outdueled the Duhawks in a competitive opening frame. The Firebirds trailed 21-16 late but scored five straight points and nine of the last 11 to escape with a 25-23 win.

With a little frustration pent up from missing out on the first set, the Duhawks went on to claim each of the next two frames and take a 2-1 lead in the match. Early in the second, the Duhawks jumped out to a 7-3 lead after a pair of service aces for senior hitter Dorian Fiorenza, then had to stave off the Firebirds and hold on for a close 25-21 win.

In the third set, Fiorenza again made his presence known as he tallied a pair of early kills that helped get the Duhawks ahead 7-1. Fiorenza had four kills total in the set, including the final one that gave Loras a 25-20 win. Loras trailed from the start of the fourth set and never fully climbed back into it, despite a mid-set 6-1 run. Carthage held on for a 25-21 win and forced the game into a winner-take-all fifth set.

With their home crowd on their side, an incredible 8-0 run that featured five straight kills for Drew Jansen gave the Firebirds a huge lead as the sides switched benches before the Duhawks could register a point. Junior Michael Dziewior notched a pair of kills later in the set, but that hole proved to be too deep as the Firebirds prevailed 15-7 to move on to the tournament championship game.

Sophomore hitter Corey Mayotte, a First Team All-Conference selection from earlier in the week, led all players in the match with 16 kills. He was joined in double figures by Fiorenza with 13 and senior middle blocker Patrick Mahoney with 11. Mahoney, the CCIW's Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year, led all players with six block assists while senior Joe Horn, another First Team All-Conference player, tallied 41 assists to mark his fourth straight game with 40 or more.