MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia Wisconsin men's volleyball team hosted No. 2 Carthage in its first home match of the 2026 season. The Falcons showed resilience against the second-ranked Firebirds but ultimately fell in straight sets, 3-0.
 
After being overpowered in the opening set, CUW responded with a strong showing in the second. Sophomore Reid Scott (Chandler, Ariz.) opened the frame with a thunderous kill that helped swing momentum in the Falcons' favor. Concordia Wisconsin battled nearly point-for-point with Carthage throughout the set.
 
The Royal Blue and Grey surprised the visitors with a late 4-1 run to take a 22-19 lead, forcing a Carthage timeout. The surge was fueled by a pair of Firebird errors and kills from sophomore Owen Kolozsy (Carol Stream, Ill.) and Scott.
 
Carthage answered with a push of its own, scoring the next two points to force a Falcon timeout. The Firebirds continued their rally and edged CUW, 25-23, to claim the set.
 
In the second set alone, the Falcons recorded 14 kills and hit .290 while holding Carthage without a block during the frame.
 
The Firebirds regained control in the third set and closed out the match.
 
Kolozsy paced the Falcons' offense with 10 kills while hitting .208. Scott added eight kills, while sophomore setter Hayden Hurley (Gilbert, Ariz.) totaled 22 assists.
 
Defensively, senior Tate Miller (Anthem, Ariz.) led the team with five digs. Freshman Drew Nelson (Oak Creek, Wis.) served as the primary libero and finished with four digs.
 
Concordia Wisconsin returns to action at the R. John Buuck Field House on Saturday, hosting Calvin and Greenville in a tri-match. The Falcons will face the Knights at 10 a.m. before closing the day against the Panthers at 2 p.m.