ADRIAN, Mich. – The Tomcat men's volleyball team won their season opener on Tuesday, defeating Siena Heights University 3-1.

Thiel started the first set off by racing out to a 14-4 lead thanks in part to two of John Turner (Cambridge Springs, Pa./Cambridge Springs)'s eight kills. The Tomcats never looked back from there, taking set one 25-15.

After losing set two 25-20, the Tomcats won a hard-fought set three, a set that included four lead changes and 11 ties between the two teams. The Tomcats trailed for most of the set but got a block from Michael Whitelock (Pittsburgh, Pa./Schenley) to close it out, 25-23, and take a 2-1 overall advantage.
 
Thiel finished off the Saints by jumping out to an 18-13 lead in set four, a lead that proved to be insurmountable for Siena Heights as Thiel won 25-20 to start the 2013 season off with a win.

Offensively, senior middle hitter Dante McCoy (Reading, Pa./Holy Name) and sophomore outside hitter John Turner (Cambridge Springs, Pa./Cambridge Springs) led the Tomcats with 16 and eight kills, respectively. Setting the likes of McCoy and Turner was junior Corey Hamilton (Meadville, Pa./Maplewood), who dished out a game-high 39 assists.

Thiel was led defensively by sophomore Ian Phillips (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) with a team-high ten digs, while junior outside hitter Andrew Pohlod (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) made his presence felt at the net, recording a team-high four and a half blocks to go along with his eight kills.
 
For Siena Heights (0-3), Brandon Bowers ended the match with a game-high 19 kills. Juan Sierra dealt out 27 assists and added four blocks defensively.

The Tomcats will host the 2013 Thiel College Tournament on Saturday and Sunday, which will see the Tomcats play four matches in two days. The first match starts at 5 p.m. on Saturday, with Thiel taking on Eastern Mennonite University.