By: Andrew Korba

GRANVILLE, Ohio -- The Hiram College volleyball team fell in a five set thriller (28-30, 25-15, 27-25, 19-25, 15-13) to Denison on Saturday afternoon.

The Terriers drop to 14-6 overall and 3-2 in the NCAC, while the Big Red improve to 9-8, 2-1.

Senior Katie Barton (Newbury, Ohio) led the Hiram offensive attack with 19 kills. Senior Lindsay Brewer (New Franklin, Ohio/Manchester) added 17 kills in the match.

Junior Laura Kelly (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) led four Terriers in double figure digs with 17. Senior Ashton Webb (Wadsworth, Ohio/Norton) added 12 and both Barton and Brewer each had 10.

Junior Megan Schaefer (Elyria, Ohio) recorded a season-best 43 assists.

Hiram trailed 13-9 in the fourth set before storming back to win it and force a deciding fifth set by a 25-19 count.

In the fifth set, the Big Red jumped out to a 8-2 lead. But the Terriers would counter and win the next five points to trim the deficit to 8-7.

Denison would push its lead back out to 13-9, before Hiram won the next four points to knot the score at 13-13. But the Big Red would win the final two points to capture the set and match, 15-13.

The Terriers finished with 57 kills and a .148 hitting mark, while Denison had 53 kills and a .135 hitting percentage.

Hiram will play next on Tuesday, when it hosts No. 24-ranked Case Western in a non-conference matchup at 7 p.m.