GREENVILLE, Pa. (April 7) -- The Thiel College Athletic Department is proud to continue its monthly series of Alumni Spotlight's to honor and recognize past Tomcats and their successes.

April's installment recognizes Men's Volleyball alumnus Dante McCoy '13, one of the best and most dominant players in program history. 

McCoy was a three-year standout and member of the first ever Men's Volleyball team in school history in 2011. McCoy originally played one season at Division I East Stroudsburg University, but the program was cut and he lost his scholarship. Hoping to continue playing right away, he transferred to Thiel as the NCAA would not let him transfer to a DI school without redshirting one season. 

"It was terrifying playing for a brand new program because you have no idea of the program's identity since their is no track record," he said. "At the same time, you can make it your own and really influence the direction of the team in real time and that's not something you get to be a big part of in most programs."

McCoy quickly made a name for himself and, just as he hoped, influenced the program drastically as he tallied 426 kills and averaged 4.39 kills per set in that inaugural season from the right side, both of which are program records that still stand to this day. His mark in kills was seventh in all of DIII while his kills per set figure was fourth in the nation.

McCoy's success continued beyond his first year in Greenville as he followed it up with 410 kills as a junior and nearly 300 (285) as a senior. He contributes that success to playing freely and having continuous support from teammates and coaches.

"My coaches and teammates gave me an extreme green light and were supportive night in and night out," McCoy noted. "Without them and their support there was no way I could have played the way I did."

Receiving support and having the "extreme green light," as he puts it, is one thing, but there was one mantra that stayed with him when he played and helped him be such a dominant force.

"A former coach told me, 'if this ball meets your hand, good bad or ugly, the play must end,'" McCoy recounted. "I've always had an extreme sense of urgency on the court and that quote played into it as well."

A favorite memory for McCoy was a 3-1 win at American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) No. 3 Juniata in 2013 that was part of the team's eight-match winning streak, a program record that stood until March 21, 2025, when the Tomcats collected a sweep of Bethany for consecutive win No. 9. The Blue and Gold have grown that winning streak to 13 matches as they head into the PAC Championship Tournament this week.

McCoy credits the continued success, at least in part, of the current team to former teammate and current Head Coach Dylan Lasher '15 and how he is able to keep his team engaged and ready to go at all times. McCoy and Lasher were teammates for two seasons in 2012 and 2013.

"There is something to be said about Coach and how he prepares his guys," McCoy added. "Lasher has been in the thick of it first hand with me against some incredible teams. Going through that as a player and having to now pass that mentality along in the coaching role is a tough transition, but he is keeping his guys heads in it at practice and throughout the weeks and it shows greatly."

Looking at the team's success this season, the similarities between the 2013 team and the current cadre of Tomcats is striking. The 2025 team tied the 2013 record for wins in a season (20) with a 3-1 triumph over Hiram last Friday and broke the 12-year-old program-long winning streak record. Both groups picked up nationally-ranked victories. And both groups had a dominant force who wore the No. 2. 

For the Tomcats of the past, it was McCoy. For the Tomcats of the present, it is Ezra Oesterling (Shelocta, Pa./West Shamokin).

"The No. 2 is important to me and has been my number ever since Thiel," McCoy said. "I'm glad Ezra's wearing it and doing it more than justice."

Oesterling sits at 381 kills on the year with, if all goes according to plan, at least two matches remaining. McCoy believes that 14 years is long enough for a record to stand.

"It's time that someone breaks that record," he said of his 2011 record of 426 kills. "Playing with him at the alumni game in the fall was very telling as he's naturally gifted with a very live arm and a volleyball IQ that is well beyond his age and experience."

In addition to following Thiel's success this season, McCoy has remained active in the volleyball community as he plays professionally in the Volleyball League of America for the Ohio Valley Unicorns. Outdoors, he plays in Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) sanctioned events with some of the best players in the country.

Coming out of Thiel, he played internationally for three seasons before returning to America to play in the Premier Volleyball League as well as in the National Volleyball Association.

Outside of volleyball, McCoy has had strong success in the financial world as the Business Operations Manager to the CEO of Creative Financial Group.