GREENVILLE, Pa. (Feb. 25) -- The Thiel College Men's Volleyball team took down No. 12 Baldwin Wallace University in a five-set thriller Wednesday evening on Maenpa Court at Beeghly Gymnasium in non-conference action.
The Tomcats rise to 13-7 (3-0 PAC) with set score wins of 21-25, 25-17, 25-20, 22-25 and 22-20 for their third ranked victory of the season, a program record. The victory is the second straight over the Yellow Jackets (12-4, 1-0 MCVL), with each being a ranked triumph. The Cats also set a program-record for five-set wins in a season as they improve to 5-0 on the year in five.
Thiel saved 4 match points in set five before having a pair of their own that Baldwin Wallace saved at 19-18 and 20-19. Thiel pulled ahead 21-20 as
Ezra Oesterling (Shelocta, Pa./West Shamokin) notched a kill on a net violation before a
Will Zimmerman (Cranberry, Pa./Seneca Valley)-
Bryce Lizanich (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) combo block sealed the win for the Blue and Gold at 22-20.
The fifth set alone featured 12 ties and four lead changes as the 42 combined points are the most in a fifth set in team history. While Thiel had 28 service errors for the match, they had only one in the fifth set while Baldwin Wallace had five. The Cats also recorded five blocks in the deciding set.
Oesterling led Thiel with 14 kills and eight digs to go with a pair of blocks. Zimmerman smacked 10 kills and had a career-high-tying four blocks and four digs. Lizanich added four kills on .444 to go with five blocks (1 BS, 4 BA).
After dropping set one, Thiel responded in set two as a
George Schwalm IV (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) kill kickstarted a 5-2 spurt that pushed the Cats ahead 18-12.
Kaleb Proudfoot (Butler, Pa./Butler) and Schwalm IV accounted for 3 of Thiel's points in a 4-0 run that grew the lead to 22-14 as the Tomcats cruised to the set-two win to even the match at 1.
Thiel hit .423 in set two and held Baldwin Wallace to -.048
Schwalm IV blasted 13 kills on .522 from the right pin to go with a career-high-tying five blocks. Proudfoot recorded nine kills, a match-leading eight blocks (1 BS, 7 BA) and a pair of aces. His eight blocks are the second most in his collegiate career.
Thiel carried the momentum into set three as they hit .571 in the frame and held BW to .120. The Blue and Gold had four blocks in the set, and
Tyler Hussey (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) notched a pair of kills in the set-three win. Hussey finished with six kills on .333 with a block and dig each.
The Cats looked primed to take the fourth set before a late Yellow Jackets spurt pushed them past the finish line and forced the deciding set.
Thiel posted a season-high-tying 14 blocks (3 BS, 22 BA), which is tied for the sixth-most in a five-set match in team history. Baldwin Wallace logged 6.5 total blocks. The Blue and Gold hit .312, the sixth-best mark in a five-setter in team history, and held the Yellow Jackets to .210.
The Tomcats logged 33 digs on the night as
Brandon Gala (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) added six and
Josh Pugh (Wexford, Pa./Pine Richland) recorded three.
Eli Olszowka (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) dished out a team-best 25 assists with a trio of digs and two aces.
Ben Lowell (Portland, Ore./Sunset) added 23 helpers with three digs.
The Tomcats are back in action Saturday for a road PAC clash at Chatham beginning at noon.
