LATROBE, Pa. – The Thiel College women's volleyball team earned the fifth seed in this week's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament after falling 3-0 to the Saint Vincent Bearcats Saturday afternoon.
 
Saint Vincent won the first two sets 25-13, 25-16. Thiel battled in the third set, but fell 26-24.
 
The loss set Thiel up for a rematch with fourth-seeded Saint Vincent in the first round of the PAC Championship Tournament. The first-round tournament match will be played at Saint Vincent's Carey Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
 
Westminster earned the top seed in the tournament while Geneva is the second seed. Bethany, which claimed the program's second conference title in 2018, earned the third seed. Grove City captured the tournament's sixth and final seed.
 
The winner of Tuesday's first-round match between the Tomcats and Bearcats will face the top-seeded Westminster Titans on the road in the semifinals on Thursday at 8 p.m. The title match will be hosted by the highest remaining seed on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
The Tomcats, who were the sixth seed in 2018, made their first appearance in the championship tournament since 2014. Thiel qualified for six-straight championship tournaments from 2007-12 and played in three title matches (2009-10, 2012).
 
Thiel opened the 2019 season with a 1-14 record. However, since Sept. 28, the Tomcats have gone 9-5 overall and 9-4 in PAC play. Thiel defeated Saint Vincent 3-1 at Beeghly Gymnasium on Oct. 5.
 
Natalie Zucco (Cleveland, Ohio/North Royalton) paced the Tomcats Saturday with 13 digs and 10 kills. Courtney Grubbs (Freeport, Pa./Freeport) handed out 26 assists and came up with 10 digs. Taylor Williams (Tuscarawas, Ohio/Indian Valley) recorded 12 digs while Raquel McDonald (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Grimes) tallied seven kills.
 
Sarah Wozniak led the Bearcats with 12 kills and three blocks. Madi Marsico notched 23 digs while Carly Augustine recorded 19 assists.