HAMBURG, N.Y. (Feb. 14) -- The Thiel College men's volleyball team swept Hilbert College Friday evening in non-conference action at Hafner Recreation Center. 

The Tomcats improve to 6-5 (1-0) with set score wins of 25-13, 25-23 and 25-22 as they sweep the season series with the Hawks 4-4 (0-0 AMCC).

Thiel used a 6-0 run in set one to pull ahead 10-4 as JC Govannucci (North Huntington, Pa./Norwin) and Jake Dies (Cambridge Springs, Pa./Cambridge Springs) combined for a pair of combo blocks in the run. A Dies ace kick started an 8-2 spurt that grew the Blue and Gold's lead to 18-8. Sam Draa (Saegertown, Pa./Saegertown) got into the action late and tallied a kill and an ace as the Tomcats closed the set with a block from Dies and Tyler Hussey (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) to go ahead 1-0.

Dies made his first start of the season in the middle and had three block assists and one stuff block to go with a trio of kills and digs each. Govannucci, the most recent member of the programs 500-kill club, added three kills and two block assists and digs each.

Hussey clubbed a season-best seven kills from the left pin and dug three balls. Draa finished with a duo of kills and one ace.
 
Set two had 12 ties and eight lead changes as neither side was able to get a grip on the frame. Thiel used a 4-0 run started by a Will Zimmerman (Cranberry, Pa./Seneca Valley) kill to go ahead 16-13. The Hawks tallied 5 of the next 7 points to knot things at 18, but a 3-0 Thiel spurt ended by another Zimmerman kill made it 21-18. A Govannucci kill gave Thiel 2 set-point chances at 24-22 as a Dies kill ultimately ended the frame and put the visitors ahead 2-0.

Zimmerman posted a match-best 13 kills on .455 hitting for his fifth 10-plus kill effort of the season. He added five digs and one ace in the win.

Kaleb Proudfoot (Butler, Pa./Butler) tallied 3 straight points in set three with a pair of kills and a solo block to give Thiel an 11-7 lead. Hilbert fought back and got even at 17 before a Proudfoot kill jump started a 6-2 spurt that gave the Tomcats a 23-19 advantage. The home side staved off 2 match points to make it 24-22 before a Govannucci kill gave the Tomcats the set and the match.

Proudfoot logged 7 kills on 11 swings with no errors to hit a season-best .636 in the middle. 

Ben Lowell (Portland, Ore./Sunset) dished out 28 assists, had a match-high-tying nine digs and dug two balls. David Gonzalez (El Paso, Texas/Eastwood) added seven digs at the libero spot.

Thiel held Hilbert to .061 hitting and has now held opponents under .100 in 3 of the past 4 matches. 

Men's Volleyball returns to action today at 5 p.m. for a non-conference tilt with SUNY Poly.