Oct. 26 – HIRAM, Ohio – On a night that celebrated four senior members of the program, the Hiram College volleyball team concluded their regular-season North Coast Athletic Conference schedule with a 3-0 victory over Allegheny College on Wednesday night.

The win over the Gators marked the tenth straight-set victory for the Terriers this season, and their second over a conference opponent as Hiram (15-7, 4-4 NCAC) won the match by scores of 25-14, 25-17 and 25-22.

Hiram opened the match with a 7-1 run and never looked back in the first set. Senior Claire Maier paced the Terriers in the run, posting a kill and a service ace to give the hosts a six-point cushion. The advantage would then swell to its largest at the end of the set, when a pair of kills from senior Marissa Jay, coupled with an attack error by the Gators, rounded out the score at 25-14.

Once again in set number two Hiram would jump out to an early, seven-point advantage. Once again it was another senior leading the charge, as Laura Kelly provided the catalyst with a pair of kills to fuel the run.

Another Kelly kill late in the set would push the Terrier lead to as many as ten (22-12), before Hiram settled for the 25-17 set-two victory, and the 2-0 advantage.

In what proved to be the decisive third set, Hiram found themselves facing adversity, as the visiting Gators stormed out to a 7-1 lead.

Hiram would begin to chip away at the six-point lead, eventually pulling the match even (15-15) on four-straight errors by Allegheny. From there, the Terriers would score four of the next six points, including two more Kelly kills, pushing ahead 19-17.

The two teams would trade blows until the final set was tied, 22-22. It was then the Terrier seniors who would step up once again. Following a kill by Jay which broke the tie, senior Megan Schaefer served the final two points, including an ace, to cap off the win 25-22.

Playing in their final games at Price Gymnasium, the quartet of Terrier seniors led the charge in the matchup. Offensively, Jay led all players with a game-high 13 kills, while Kelly totaled 11. Both players also finished with double-doubles as Kelly added a team-best 17 digs and Jay tallied 14.

Kelly's double-double marked her second-consecutive, while Jay has posted a double-double in every match during the month of October. The outside hitter has now made it eight-straight games in the stretch run of her Hiram career, dating back to October 1.

Maier and Schaefer also finished their final game at Price Gymnasium on a high not as Maier totaled 30 assists, and Schaefer added 11 digs and a pair of service aces.

The win at home was nothing new for the four seniors, as the group is used to protecting their home court. In the quartet's four seasons, their teams have posted a .750 winning percentage at home, tallying a mark of 30-10, including 8-1 in 2016.

Overall, the group of Jay, Kelly, Maier and Schaefer have helped the Terriers to an 83-35 record over the past four years, a winning percentage of .703. Additionally, Hiram has posted a 21-11 mark in NCAC play in that same time period (.656).

Hiram has four games remaining on their regular-season schedule as the look to prepare for the NCAC Tournament which starts next week.

The Terriers will close the 2016 regular season at the Houghton College Tournament on Friday and Saturday, October 28 and 29. Their first two games, scheduled against the host Highlanders, as well as Cortland State, are scheduled for Friday at 4 and 6 p.m.