By Jake Mewhiney
In 2022, Carthage College stood on their home floor in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and hoisted a National Championship trophy at Springfield’s expense. Four years later, the script flipped in the most visceral way possible.
As the top-seeded Pride claimed the 2026 NCAA Division III title on Saturday, the story wasn’t just found in the box score—it was found in the rafters of Blake Arena. For a Carthage team that hadn’t dropped a single set all tournament, the approximately 2,000 fans in attendance created a variable they couldn’t quite simulate in practice. “That energy was electric,” said Carthage head coach JW Kieckhefer. “We were warming up with 30 minutes on the clock and the alums were already all over us, yelling at us in the split court space.”
That early pressure translated into a match defined by communication breakdowns. Carthage, a team known for its lethal out-of-system offense, found itself literally colliding on the court. The culprit? A level of noise that made verbal play-calling impossible. “It’s deafening when you’re out there,” noted Carthage student-athlete Ben Heise. “It makes it a lot harder to communicate with your guys. We haven’t seen that all year.”
Then there was the ceiling. Blake Arena is famous for its low, pinwheel-style structure, a technical nightmare for teams that rely on high-arcing transition balls. While Carthage’s own gym features similar beams, the combination of the low roof and the electricity of a crowd reacting to every touch created a pressure cooker. Kieckhefer noted that Springfield played free, while his squad had to develop mental fortitude just to stay in the long rallies.
Even though they were defeated, the Firebirds demonstrated the spirit of champion competitors and battled from behind in every set despite being out-matched at the net by Springfield’s Carter Durivage and Brennan Cutter. “It’s hard to stick around in this when you’re on the road in front of a thousand people,” said Kieckhefer, who admitted in the post-game press conference that it was difficult to speak about the season’s end without being overcome by emotion. “To have the mental fortitude to stick in it shows how much fight these guys have.”
Ultimately, the home-court advantage that helped propel Carthage to victory in 2022 was now giving Springfield that same edge to secure their victory over Carthage. Carthage may be the national runner-up, but they have gained an appreciation of the Alden Street effect. In championship level men’s volleyball, there is a very high probability that the team with the loudest crowd will come out on top.
Photo by Emma Bynes/The Student