HIRAM, Ohio (March 28) -- The Thiel College Men's Volleyball team secured a crucial sweep of Hiram College Saturday afternoon from Price Gymnasium in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action.

Thiel improves to 19-8 (9-1) with set score wins of 25-21, 25-15 and 25-22. The victory, coupled with Chatham's win over Saint Vincent today, sets up a winner-take-all match for the top seed in the PAC Championship Tournament Wednesday when the Tomcats battle the Bearcats. The Terriers dip to 6-12 (2-7).

A 4-0 Thiel run capped with an Ezra Oesterling (Shelocta, Pa./West Shamokin) kill in set one put the visitors ahead 14-9. A Kaleb Proudfoot (Butler, Pa./Butler) kill made it 20-15 as the Cats took care of set one.

Oesterling led all attackers with 11 kills on .280. He added a contest-best three aces and dug five balls. Proudfoot smacked six kills on .455 to go with two digs and a block.

There was just one tie in set two as Thiel carried all the momentum. Bryce Lizanich (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) had a solo stuff and a kill early in the frame as Thiel led by as many as 10 points multiple times in the frame en route to the 2-0 lead.

Lizanich logged five kills, a match-best five blocks (4 BS, 1 BA) and a pair of aces to go with .400 hitting. 

Set three had 15 ties and four lead changes. Back-to-back Thiel points on a Lizanich block and an Oesterling ace made it 22-20 Thiel. The Cats ended the match with a 3-1 run as a George Schwalm IV (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) clinched the match for the Cats. 

Schwalm IV and Will Zimmerman (Cranberry, Pa./Seneca Valley) each logged four kills while Zimemrman tied for the match high with eight digs. Tyler Hussey (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) added five kills on .417.  

Thiel out-dug Hiram 34-30 as Brandon Gala (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair), Josh Hovan (Baden, Pa./Ambridge) and Ben Lowell (Portland, Ore./Sunset) each had four. Lowell added 12 assists with a pair of aces while Eli Olszowka (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) led Thiel with 18 assists.

The Cats recorded eight aces and had just 12 service errors. The Tomcats hit .295 and held Hiram to .181. 

Thiel will head to Saint Vincent Wednesday at 7 p.m. as the top spot in the PAC Championship Tournament is up for grabs.  Read Full Article