TIGERS CONCLUDE THE REGULAR SEASON SPLITTING A DOUBLEHEADER IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The RV Olivet Nazarene University men's volleyball program (18-7, 11-2 CCAC) concluded the 2023 regular season by splitting a doubleheader in Grand Rapids, Mich. Saturday afternoon. The Tigers began the day with a 3-1 victory over Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) (19-7, 13-5 WHAC) before falling to Cornerstone (Mich.) (18-12, 8-10 WHAC) 3-1 in the second match. Jake Ostema's outstanding performance included 14 total blocks on the day including a season-high 10 versus MVNU on ONU's way to the win.

Game 1: Olivet Nazarene 3, Mount Vernon Nazarene 1

The Tigers took the first set holding the Cougars to just 16 points. ONU claimed four of the set's final five points. Jake Ostema and Thoralf Schmelzer won the set point with a block. They recovered from a 24-22 deficit for set-point in the second to go ahead 2-0 in the match. Ostema sparked a 4-0 run with a pair of kills set up by Tomas Gonzalez sending the set to extra rallies. Cade Ooms and Ostema completed the comeback with a block for set point. MVNU narrowly avoided the sweep winning the third set 26-24. The Purple and Yellow-Gold registered their 18^th win of the year after a victorious 25-15 fourth set.

ONU held Mount Vernon Nazarene to just a .062 kill percentage. Olivet minimized the Cougars' attack totaling 48 digs and 25 blocks in the match. James Ballance tallied a team-high 15 digs with Schmelzer close behind with 12. Following Ostema's lead, Ooms totaled five blocks and Kahaku Marquez registered four including two solos.

Ostema and Schmelzer provide the bulk of the Tigers' attack with each credited for 13 kills. Four different hitters finished the match with 20 or more attacks with Ooms' leading the group with 26.  Gonzalez doled out a game-high 46 assists. He now has five 40-plus assist matches to his name this season.

Game 2: Cornerstone 3, Olivet Nazarene 1

Olivet started strongly to win the first set 25-20. They opened up a 12-7 lead following back-to-back kills from Kahaku Marquez and lead the entire way. Thoralf Schmelzer scored the set point from his third kill of the set assisted by Tomas Gonzalez. The Golden Eagles would respond to tied up the match winning the second set 25-21. They would carry that momentum for the rest of the contest winning the third set 25-17 and the fourth set 25-20.

Schmelzer would lead the team with 11 kills from 29 total attacks. Ostema carried a team-high 11.5 points registering nine kills and four total blocks. He had the most efficient kill percentage of any player in the match with 10 or more attacks hitting at a .438 clip. James Ballance followed up his 15-dig performance against MVNU with 14 digs against CU. He leads the team on the year totaling 249 this spring.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Tigers will begin their journey through the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament in search of the program's first-ever championship. As the second seed in the bracket, they will await the winner of the first round and begin play Friday, March 31, at Saint Xavier in Chicago, Ill. Please visit ONUTigers.com for all the links to follow the action.

--ONU—

*Contact: Patrick Kaindl, Sports Information Graduate Assistant; email pkaindl@olivet.edu