By: Andrew Korba

| NCAC Volleyball Tournament |

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- The Hiram College volleyball team finished third in the NCAC Tournament hosted by Wittenberg.

The Terriers (22-11) fell to the top seed and No. 5-ranked Tigers (26-2) in the semifinals 25-23, 25-20, 25-20. Hiram then rebounded to top second seed Ohio Wesleyan (26-6) 25-21, 25-23, 20-25, 27-25 in the third place match.

Against Wittenberg, senior Lindsay Brewer (New Franklin, Ohio/Manchester) led Hiram with 12 kills and a .281 hitting percentage. Senior Katie Barton (Newbury, Ohio/Newbury) added eight kills for the Terriers.

Junior Claire Maier (Huntsville, Ohio/Indian Lake) had 24 assists and junior Laura Kelly (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) had a team leading 21 digs.

Wittenberg jumped out to a 16-9 edge in the first set. But Hiram would chip away and an attack error would knot the set at 21-21.

The teams would split the next two points, before the Tigers won the next two to take a 24-22 edge. An attack error by Wittenberg pulled Hiram to within one point, but a service error gave the opening set to the Tigers 25-23.

A Barton kill in the second set allowed the Terriers to open a 13-11 lead. With the score tied at 16-16, Wittenberg would reel off seven straight points to take control of the set, en route to a 25-20 win.

In Set 3, the Tigers used an early 6-1 run to build an 11-5 lead. Hiram would claw its way back to within 22-20, before Wittenberg won the final three points to clinch the match.

Hiram finished with 28 kills, compared to 45 for the Tigers.

In the match against OWU, junior Marissa Jay (Parma, Ohio/Pauda Franciscan) and Lindsay Brewer led four Terriers in double digit kills with 14 each. Senior Emily Mortimer (Mogadore, Ohio/Field) and Barton added 13 apiece.

Maier finished with 50 assists and Kelly posted a career-high 36 digs.

Hiram led 19-16 in the opening frame, before the Battling Bishops won four straight to take a 20-19 lead.

The Terriers responded by winning five of the next six points to close out the opening set 25-21.

In Set 2, the Terriers used a 6-1 run to open up a 17-12 lead midway through. OWU would answer with six straight points of their own to take the 18-17 lead.

With the score tied at 23-23 an attack error followed by a kill from senior Logan Brewer (New Franklin, Ohio/Manchester) gave Hiram the set 25-23.

The third set was tight in the early going. With the score tied at 11-11, OWU went on an 8-2 run to open up a 19-13 lead. The Terriers would get no closer than four points the rest of the way with the Battling Bishops winning the frame 25-20.

A kill by Lindsay Brewer gave Hiram a 19-13 lead in the fourth set. Ohio Wesleyan would win the next six points to tie the score at 19-19.

A kill by Jay put the Terriers in front 24-23, but the Battling Bishops won the next two points to take a 25-24 lead.

Logan Brewer would register a kill to tie the score at 25-25 and back-to-back kills by Lindsay Brewer clinched the set and match for Hiram by a 27-25 count.

The Terriers finished with 64 kills and a .199 hitting percentage, while OWU had 51 kills and hit .151.

For her efforts on the weekend, Kelly was named to the All-Tournament team.

Hiram will now await its fate for the NCAA Division III Tournament, with the selections being announced Monday at 11 a.m.