Carthage selected as top pick in CCIW men’s volleyball preseason coaches poll

Defending champion Carthage has been chosen as the favorite in the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll, according to an announcement from the conference office. The Firebirds received five out of six first-place votes and totaled 25 points in the poll.

This marks the second consecutive year that Carthage has been selected as the preseason favorite and is the fifth time overall for the program. In 2025, Carthage finished with a 23-4 overall record and went 9-1 in league play. The team is led by head coach JW Kieckhefer, who has been named CCIW Coach of the Year four times since taking over. Under his leadership, Carthage has won four conference championships since 2021.

Loras was picked to finish second with one first-place vote and 20 points. The Duhawks shared the regular-season title with Carthage in 2024 and have played in each of the last two CCIW Tournament championship matches.

North Central was voted third with 17 points after winning the CCIW title in 2023 and finishing as national runner-up that season. Augustana was fourth with 12 points, followed by Illinois Wesleyan with 11 points, and North Park with five points.

The new season will begin on Tuesday, January 13 when Carthage plays at Lakeland at 6 p.m., while league competition starts on Thursday, February 19.