GREENVILLE, Pa. (Dec. 17) -- Thiel College Men's Volleyball first-year head coach
Henry Gorton announced the Tomcats' 2026 schedule Wednesday afternoon.
With a loaded non-conference schedule against perennial national contenders and regularly ranked opponents, plus double round-robin action in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), the Tomcats are poised to prove themselves among the nation's elite following last season's conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance, the first in team history.
Key Dates
- Jan. 16-17: Open the season at Wittenberg's Jim Coleman Memorial Invitational on Jan. 16 against Eastern Mennonite and Westminster (Mo.) followed by matchups with Marian and Wittenberg on Jan. 17
- Jan. 23-24: Trio of matches against Misericordia (Jan. 23), Elmira (Jan. 24) and Messiah (Jan. 24) at Cougar Kickoff Classic
- Jan. 27: 2025 PAC champions ring ceremony before home opener against Mount Union
- Jan. 31: Home tri-match against Roanoke and St. John Fisher
- Feb. 12: PAC opener against Bethany
- Feb. 18 & March 14: 2025 PAC Championship rematches against Grove City on Feb. 18 (away) and March 14 (home)
- Feb. 20: Home tri-match against Geneva and Buffalo State
- March 25: Home regular season finale against Chatham
- April 3: Regular season finale at Bethany
Quote from Coach
"This schedule will challenge us from day one," Gorton said. "We'll face some of the top programs in the country throughout the year, which will prepare us for the grind of PAC play and the postseason. Our guys are excited to build on last year's championship and NCAA Tournament experience."
Full Schedule
The full 2026 schedule can be found
here or by clicking the blue box above.
Prospectus
The 2026 Tomcats return five regular starters from last seasons championship squad, including PAC Player and Newcomer of the Year
Ezra Oesterling (Shelocta, Pa./West Shamokin) along with All-PAC First Team picks
Kaleb Proudfoot (Butler, Pa./Butler) and
Ben Lowell (Portland, Ore./Sunset) as well as All-PAC Honorable Mention honoree
Bryce Lizanich (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour).
