SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (Jan. 16) -- The Thiel College Men's Volleyball team opened the 2026 campaign with a five-set victory over Eastern Mennonite University Friday evening at Wittenberg University's Jim Coleman Memorial Invitational from Pam Evans Smith Arena.
The Tomcats (1-0) took the match by set scores of 24-26, 25-20, 27-25, 19-25 and 16-14. The Blue and Gold racked up 12 aces, which is tied for the second-most in a five-set match in team history. The victory also marked the first in head coach
Henry Gorton's era as leader of the Tomcats.
EMU led 11-8 in set five before a 3-0 Thiel run knotted things at 11. Four straight sideouts evened the score at 13 before a
Bryce Lizanich (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) kill gave Thiel match point. A Thiel service error followed by kills from
Ezra Oesterling (Shelocta, Pa./West Shamokin) and
Will Zimmerman (Cranberry, Pa./Seneca Valley) gave the Blue and Gold the set and the match.
Oesterling, the reigning PAC Player and Newcomer of the Year, picked up right where he left off in 2025 with a match-best 18 kills and contest-high-tying 13 digs. The sophomore hit .324 and served a pair of aces.
Zimmerman mashed 13 kills on .333 from the outside and dug nine balls. He added a trio of blocks and one ace. Lizanich smacked six kills in the middle and tallied a career-most four aces.
Thiel had a set-point chance in the opening frame but were ultimately downed as the Royals (0-2) closed the set on a 4-0 run. Trailing 11-9 in set two, the Tomcats answered with a 6-1 spurt ot jump ahead 15-12. A combo block from Lizanich and
George Schwalm IV (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) capped a 4-0 spurt that pushed Thiel ahead 21-16. Schwalm IV added a kill to make it 24-18 as Thiel went on to even the match at 1.
Schwalm IV notched seven kills along with four digs and a pair of blocks in his collegiate debut.
The third frame was even throughout as neither side led by more than 3. A
Tyler Hussey (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) ace capped a mini 2-0 Thiel spurt that put the Tomcats ahead 23-22. EMU saved a pair of set points at 24-23 and 25-24 before kills from
Kaleb Proudfoot (Butler, Pa./Butler) and Zimmerman gave the Tomcats a 2-1 match edge. The Royals controlled set four to force the tiebreak set.
Proudfoot notched seven kills to go with a team-leading four blocks. Hussey added four kills, two blocks and an ace.
Eli Olszowka (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) distributed a match-best 36 assists to go with three digs and two aces.
Ben Lowell (Portland, Ore./Sunset) added 15 helpers along with an ace.
The Tomcats hit .217 in the win to EMU's .229, but held a 12-5 edge in aces.
Thiel is back on the court currently against Westminster (Mo.). A full recap and box score will be posted at the conclusion of the evening.
