ALLIANCE, Ohio (Jan. 28) – The Thiel College men's volleyball team dropped a closely-contested non-conference five-setter at RV University of Mount Union Tuesday night at McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.
 
The Tomcats drop to 3-4 while the Purple Raiders rise to 6-4 with set score wins of 24-26, 25-21, 25-19, 24-26 and 15-11. The match was Thiel's fifth five-setter already in the young season.  

Mount Union led 3-1 in set five before back-to-back Thiel points tied things at 3. After 10 of the next 11 combined points came on side outs, Thiel notched 2 straight points to go ahead 10-8. The Purple Raiders answered with a 5-0 run to lead 13-10. Bryce Lizanich (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) got a kill to make it 13-11, but the home side logged the final 2 points to take the match. Will Zimmerman (Cranberry, Pa./Seneca Valley) totaled three kills in the final set. The deciding set had eight ties and three lead changes.

Zimmerman played the best game of his Thiel career as he posted a career- and team-best 22 kills on .306 hitting. He dug 10 balls for his second consecutive and third career double-double. Zimmerman has amassed 10-plus kills in three straight matches and 4-of-6 contests on the season.

Thiel used a 4-0 run to get even at 14 after trailing by as many as 6 (11-5) in set one. The Tomcats took its first lead of the set at 17-16 on back-to-back kills from Kaleb Proudfoot (Butler, Pa./Butler) and Lizanich. The Purple Raiders knotted things at 17 before a 3-0 run gave the Tomcats a 20-17 edge. The home side answered with a 3-0 run of its own to knot things at 20 and eventually pulled ahead 23-22. Back-to-back Thiel points on a Proudfoot kill and block from Proudfoot and Eli Olszowka (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) gave the visitors a set-point chance at 24-23, but a Mount Union side out tied things at 24. Proudfoot ended the frame with consecutive kills to give the Blue and Gold the set at 26-24.

Proudfoot had a season-best 14 kills and took a career-high 34 swings from the middle. He added two total blocks (1 BS, 1 BA) and a pair of digs. Lizanich totaled six kills, had a match-best and career-high-tying three solo blocks and led the team and tied his career high with five total blocks.

Olszowka dished out a career-high-tying 57 assists, dug six balls and had a trio of blocks (1 BS, 2 BA) and kills each. His 57 assists are tied for the third most in a match in program history. 

Thiel carried the momentum into set two and led 7-3 before a 4-0 Mount Union run made it 7-7. Thiel used a 5-1 spurt to lead 18-17, but the home side responded with 3 straight points to lead 20-18. A JC Govannucci (North Huntington, Pa./Norwin) kill cut Mount Union's lead to 22-21, but the home side ended the frame with a 3-0 run to even the match at 1.

Govannucci posted a season-high seven kills and hit .200 from the right side.

Mount Union grew a 4-point lead early in set three, but Thiel got within two at 17-15 and 18-16 on kills from Ezra Oesterling (Shelocta, Pa./West Shamokin) each time. A Lizanich block got Thiel within 3 at 20-17, but the home side totaled 5 of the final 7 points in the set to go ahead 2-1.

Oesterling, the reigning PAC Newcomer of the Week, notched his second straight and third career double-double with 17 kills (.283 hitting) and a team-leading 12 digs. Oesterling has posted 10-plus kills in all seven matches on the year.

The Tomcats jumped to a 7-3 lead in set four and extended the lead to 16-11 on a Zimmerman ace. Mount Union got within 2 at 19-17 on a 3-0 run. Kills from Oesterling and Zimmerman with a service error in between made it 21-18. The home side logged 4 of the next 5 points to tie things at 22. A pair of side outs from both sides made it 24 all before an attacking error and Govannucci block forced a fifth set.  

Thiel finished with a season-best nine total blocks (6 BS, 6 BA). 

Josh Hovan (Baden, Pa./Ambridge) dug eight balls while Connor McInnis (Southington, Conn./Southington) had a season-best seven digs. David Gonzalez (El Paso, Texas/Eastwood) added seven digs as well.

Men's volleyball returns to action Saturday, Feb. 8, for a non-conference tilt at No. 12 Baldwin Wallace (1 p.m.) followed by a non-conference matchup with Hiram (3 p.m.).