HAMBURG, N.Y. (Feb. 14) -- The Thiel College men's volleyball team pushed its winning streak to three games with a sweep of non-conference foe SUNY Poly Friday evening at Hilbert College's Hafner Recreation Center.

The Tomcats rise to 7-5 (1-0 PAC) with set score wins of 28-26, 25-13 and 25-21 as they snap the Wildcats' (8-6, 0-0 NEVC) four-game winning streak.

Set one had 14 ties and four lead changes as neither side led by more than 3 points the entire frame. The Warriors reached 15 first and had a 2-point edge before kills from Kaleb Proudfoot (Butler, Pa./Butler) and Ezra Oesterling (Shelocta, Pa./West Shamokin) tied things at 15. SUNY Poly pushed ahead 21-18 before a 3-0 Thiel run squared the frame at 21. The Warriors had set-point chances at 24-23 and 25-24, but kills from Oesterling and Tyler Hussey (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) kept the Tomcats alive. Trailing 26-25, Thiel rattled off 3 straight points, the last of which came on a Jake Dies (Cambridge Springs, Pa./Cambridge Springs) solo stuff, to take the set. The Tomcats hit .367 in set one.

Oesterling, who was rested in the first match of the day, posted a match-leading 14 kills for his 10th double-digit kill performance of the season. He hit a career-best .478, dug four balls and had one solo block. Proudfoot notched seven kills in the middle to go with two blocks (1 BS, 1 BA).

Lowell tallied a career-best six kills, dished out a match-leading 32 assists, dug four balls and had a pair of block assists. Hussey logged six kills on .364 hitting and had a team-pacing seven digs while Dies totaled four kills, served a match-best two aces and had a trio of blocks (2 BS, 1 BA). 

The Blue and Gold carried the momentum into set two and jumped to a 4-1 lead on a JC Govannucci (North Huntington, Pa./Norwin) kill. The Tomcats never trailed in the frame as they hit a season-best .684 in route to the 12-point win.

The lefty Govannucci clubbed four kills from the right side on .375 hitting to go with one solo block.

Set three had nine ties and three lead changes all in the first half of the frame. A 3-0 Thiel run gave the Tomcats a 15-12 edge on a Hussey kill as the Tomcats did not trail the rest of the way. A Dies solo block got the Blue and Gold to 20 first (20-15). Back-to-back Wildcats' points saved 2 match points, but an Oesterling kill gave the Tomcats there third consecutive sweep and second of the day.

Thiel hit .390 in the win and held SUNY Poly to .127. The Tomcats held a 28-19 edge in digs as Josh Hovan (Baden, Pa./Ambridge) dug five balls.

Men's Volleyball returns to action tomorrow with a pair of matches against Buffalo State (noon) and Elmira ( 2 p.m.) from Buffalo State's Sports Arena.