MEN'S VOLLEYBALL HAS FOUR TIGERS EARN ALL-CONFERENCE RECOGNITION

CHICAGO, Ill. – In their second season as a program, the Olivet Nazarene University men's volleyball team had four Tigers earn all-conference recognition.

Jake Ostema, Thoralf Schmelzer, and Tomas Gonzalez were named first team all-CCAC, while Kahaku Marquez landed on the conference's second team as the CCAC announced its postseason men's volleyball awards Wednesday.

For Ostema, it marked his third-consecutive appearance on the CCAC's first team and his fifth recognition by the conference. He led the team in both hitting percentage (.432) and total blocks (82) while being second on the team in kills (216). The 6-8 graduate from Orland Park, Ill. put away double-digit kills in nine contests this season and recorded a career-best 20 kills in a 3-2 win over Lancaster Bible on Jan. 27.

Schmelzer was the Tigers' top scoring threat this season. He put down a team-leading 267 kills on a .213 hitting percentage while racking up 158 digs and 30 service aces, good for second on the team in both categories. The 6-3 freshman from Germany recorded double-digit kills in 16 of the Tigers' 26 games this season and set the record for most kills in a match with 22 in a 3-2 win over Trinity Christian on March 23.

Gonzalez earned a first-team selection after tabbing 693 assists in 22 games as ONU's primary setter. The 6-3 freshman from Bogota, Colombia recorded 40 or more assists in six games this season and also recorded 112 digs on the year. On Feb. 18, Gonzalez set a new school record with 56 assists in a five-set victory over Viterbo.

Marquez, a second team all-CCAC selection a season ago as a freshman, earned another second-team honor this year. The 6-6 Salt Lake, Hawaii native racked up 158 kills from the middle blocker position. He also led the team in solo blocks with 20 and was second in total blocks with 80.

The Tigers finished the season with an 11-2 record in the CCAC.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu