Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Thiel split a pair of men's volleyball matches against ranked opponents Saturday during the first day of the Golden Flyer Invitational at the Kidera Gymnasium. The Tomcats fell to the host, the 2nd-ranked Nazareth College Golden Flyers in four sets by scores of 17-25, 29-27, 20-25, 17-25. The Tomcats then raced out to a two-set lead against the 13^th-ranked Elmira College Soaring Eagles and closed out the match with a 15-13 win in the fifth and decisive set.

Thiel is 2-2 overall, while Nazareth improved to 2-1. Junior Michael Whitelock (Pittsburgh, Pa./Schenley) had 10 kills and two and a half blocks against Nazareth. He finished with eight kills against Elmira to go with a service ace and one and a half blocks.

In addition to the kills from Whitelock against Nazareth, junior Dylan Lasher (Ford City, Pa./Elderton) and senior Evan Proksell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler Area) recorded nine and six kills, respectively. Corey Hamilton (Meadville, Pa./Maplewood) and Zack Rombach (Severn, Md./Archbishop Spalding) shared the setting duties for the Tomcats. Hamilton finished with 17 assists, while Rombach recorded 13 assists. Dylan Lasher (Ford City, Pa./Elderton) and Ian Phillips (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) each tallied seven digs.

Proksell and Rombach had a service ace apiece over the course of the opening match of the Golden Flyer Invitational.

In addition to Whitelock's eight kills in the win over 13^th-ranked Elmira, Proksell and senior Kyle Turkalj (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield Area) each had six kills and junior John Turner (Cambridge Springs, Pa./Cambridge Springs) had eight. Hamilton amassed 19 assists.

Defensively, the Tomcats received nine digs from Lasher and eight from freshman Thad Paunovich (Avonmore, Pa./Kiski Area). Proksell also added two solo blocks and five assisted blocks while Turner had three solo blocks.

The Tomcats are in action again Sunday when Thiel takes on Hilbert College and the 7^th-ranked Carthage College Redmen during day two of the Golden Flyer Invitational. Thiel's first match begins at 10 a.m.