CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The Thiel College men's volleyball team opened  its inaugural conference season dropping consecutive matches vs #14 Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and #10 Carthage College on Saturday February 19 at Mount Saint Joseph's College in Cincinnati.

Thiel lost the first match of the day to MSOE in five sets. After losing the first game 25-19, the Tomcats came back to take game two 27-25. Thiel then split the next two sets (19-25, 25-17) before falling in set five 15-12. 

Outside hitters, Sophomore Dante McCoy (Reading, Pa., Holy Name) and freshman Grant Kocher (Venetia, Pa., Peters Township) each led the way for the Tomcats as they registered 17 kills and 7 digs a piece. Freshman middle hitter Kyle Turkalj (Greensburg, Pa., Hempfield) added 13 kills and freshman setter Corey Hamilton (Meadville, Pa., Maplewood) set the offense up nicely as he registered 52 assists for the contest.

In the second game of the day, Thiel once again fell; this time in straight sets to #10 Carthage College (25-18, 25-16, 25-17). McCoy led the charge once again with 12 kills and Hamilton added 32 assists. Kocher registered seven kills while Turkalj added six.

Thiel will look to even their conference record at 2-2 as they continue Midwest-III conference play Sunday as they play Fontbonne University and Mount Saint Joseph's. Their first game is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start time.