Carthage has owned the series with Lakeland, having won every meeting played since the schools first met in 2014. The Firebirds won in three sets last year on Jan. 10, 2025 in Kenosha, prevailing 25-21, 25-9, 25-15. Carthage also won the last time the teams played at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium, taking a four-set victory on Jan. 15, 2024 as the Muskies won the first set before falling 23-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-15. Carthage has long represented a holy grail of sorts for Lakeland, who has often played the perennially high-ranked team tough, including a trio of five-set losses plus four-set losses in 2019 and 2024. The teams have met every season but two since Lakeland's first varsity season in 2014, missing out only in 2020 and 2022.

Lakeland last time out: Defeated Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) 3-0; Lost at Trine (Ind.) 3-2 Friday
The Muskies became the first Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference team to play this year and opened with a 25-14, 25-17, 25-19 win over Mount St. Joseph in Angola, Ind. Lakeland then took on host school Trine and dropped the first two sets before rallying, only for the Thunder to pull out the 25-19, 25-18, 22-25, 23-25, 16-14 win. Freshman Colin Putchinski delivered 13 kills in both matches and setter Chase Anderson finished with 72 assists on the day, and in the process became the second in the Muskies' men's volleyball varsity history to reach 2,000 career assists. Eli Weinrich also added 11 kills in the first match and 18 digs in the second and Jordan Davis-Troller added 11 kills and six blocks against Trine. Lakeland's win in the season opener was its first in a season debut since 2019, when it also defeated Mount St. Joseph.

The Muskies finished 7-17 overall last year and return "5 1/2" starters from last year, losing only all-time program kills leader Ben Busalacchi and Levi Everts, who started 15 of the team's 24 matches.

About Carthage: The Firebirds are playing their season opener and come in with high hopes for the season after another excellent campaign last year. Carthage finished 23-4 overall last year, claimed the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin regualr season and tournament titles, and advanced to the national quarterfinals in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Firebirds are a nine-time qualifier for the Division III Tournament and won back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022. The Firebirds return the bulk of their roster from last year, including first team All-American outside hitter Owen Otto, second team All-American hitter Ben Heise and honorable mention All-American setter Ryan Morey. Carthage also enters the season ranked second in the AVCA NCAA Division III Top 20 Preseason Coaches Poll.