Nov. 4 – SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Hiram College volleyball team saw their quest for a North Coast Athletic Conference title come to a close as they dropped a 3-0 decision to Ohio Wesleyan University in the quarterfinal round on Friday afternoon on the campus of Wittenberg University.

The Battling Bishops earned the set one victory, holding the Terriers to a hitting percentage of -.079. Hiram started the set in control, rolling out to an 8-5 lead thanks to a kill from junior Grace Wilson. From there, however, Ohio Wesleyan controlled the match, outscoring Hiram 20-10 to earn the 25-18 set win.

In set two, the Battling Bishops, who came into the match as the #4 seed, ran out to a 5-1 lead in the game and never trailed, taking a 2-0 advantage into the third set. The advantage climbed to as many as nine, before settling on the final score.

The Terriers battled back in the third set, taking an early 4-2 advantage thanks to kills from both Wilson and Jessica Fontana. However, OWU came back, using a 7-0 run to re-take control of the set, 9-4. Hiram would pull to as close as three (12-9) and would stay within three (16-13) until a 9-0 run by the Battling Bishops ended the third set 25-13, handing the Terriers the quarterfinal loss.

Offensively, senior Marissa Jay posted eight kills to lead the way. The kills increased her season total to 467, which passed Lindsay Brewer for third on the single-season list. Other offensive leaders included Wilson and Laura Kelly. Wilson totaled six kills in the match, with Kelly adding four kills and a game-high 23 digs.

The Terriers will be back in action on Saturday, as they will play in the consolation bracket against the Yeowomen of Oberlin College, who dropped a 3-1 decision to top-seeded Wittenberg. That game is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start.