ERIE, Pa. (Jan. 25) -- The Thiel College men's volleyball team topped Penn State Behrend in a five-set thriller Saturday at Junker Center Gym to finish the AMCC/PAC Crossover 2-1. 

The Tomcats won by set scores of 25-22, 29-27, 20-25, 18-25 and 15-11 to rise to 3-3 on the year while the Lions fall to 2-4.

Penn State Behrend jumped to a 6-3 set-five lead before the Tomcats responded with a 4-0 run capped off by an Ezra Oesterling (Shelocta, Pa./West Shamokin) kill to go ahead 7-6. Leading 11-10, the Tomcats got back-to-back kills from Bryce Lizanich (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) and Will Zimmerman (Cranberry, Pa./Seneca Valley) to go ahead 13-10. After a Behrend side out, Thiel clinched the match with kills from Kaleb Proudfoot (Butler, Pa./Butler) and Eli Olszowka (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) to stave off the Lions' reverse-sweep attempt.

Oesterling logged a match-best 21 kills on .269 hitting to go with a team-leading 14 digs for his second collegiate double-double. For the day, Oesterling posted 45 kills, hit .313 and dug 20 balls.

Zimmerman had 13 kills, dug 11 balls and posted four blocks (2 BS, 2 BA) for his second career double-double. Zimmerman totaled 26 kills for the day to go with 20 digs.

Set one had 17 ties and six lead changes as Thiel took a 20-18 lead on an Oesterling kill. Back-to-back Behrend points knotted things at 20 before a 3-0 spurt put Thiel up 23-20. The Lions made it 23-22, but a kill from Lizanich and an ace from Olszowka gave the Tomcats the set.

Olszowka dished out a match-best 56 assists and dug 13 balls for his first career double-double.

Behrend had six set-point opportunities at 24-18 in set two before a 6-0 Thiel run capped off with back-to-back Lizanich kills made it 24 all. The Lions had two more set-point chances at 25-24 and 26-25, but the Tomcats fought them both off to stay alive. Back-to-back Zimmerman kills gave Thiel a set-point opportunity at 27-26, but a Behrend side out evened the set at 27. The Blue and Gold took the set on an attacking error followed by an Oesterling kill to go up 2-0. 

Lizanich posted career bests in kills (11), total blocks (five) and solo blocks (three) while hitting .364 in the middle. 

Behrend held a 16-12 set-three lead before kills from Kaleb Proudfoot (Butler, Pa./Butler) and Zimmerman cut the deficit to 2. The Lions notched 4 of the next 6 points to reach 20 first (20-16). Behrend played side-out ball the rest of the set to get on the board. Set four was close early but a 4-0 Behrend run gave the Lions an 11-6 lead. A 6-2 spurt ballooned the lead to 17-9 as the Lions went on to force a fifth and deciding set.

Proudfoot totaled a season-high-tying 11 kills and hit .391 from the middle. The 2024 All-AMCC Second Team selection has hit above .390 in 4-of-5 matches on the season.

Josh Hovan (Baden, Pa./Ambridge) and JC Govannucci (North Huntington, Pa./Norwin) each dug 10 balls as Thiel set a team-season-high in digs (70). 

Men's volleyball returns to action Tuesday at 7 p.m. for a non-conference tilt at Mount Union.