DELAWARE, Ohio - October 12, 2019 – Hiram women's volleyball split their tri-match at Ohio Wesleyan, falling in five sets to the Battling Bishops, 3-2, before sweeping the Hanover College Panthers, 3-0, on Saturday at Branch Rickey Arena. Following the tri-match, the Terriers sit at 12-10 (0-4 NCAC) on the season.

MATCH 1: Ohio Wesleyan 3, Hiram 2
Hiram got off to a hot start to open the first set, racing out to a 10-1 lead. A 6-2 run brought the Battling Bishops back to within five, 12-7. But the Terriers answered with another huge run, rattling off 10 of the next 12 points to take a 22-9 lead before pulling away with a 25-11 victory in set one.

After trading points to open the second set, Ohio Wesleyan found a huge run of their own, taking a 15-5 lead. The Terriers closed the deficit to eight, but the Battling Bishops wouldn't let Hiram get any closer, eventually finishing off a 25-16 victory to knot the match at one set apiece.

The Terriers opened an 8-3 lead in the third set, Ohio Wesleyan used a 5-0 run to battle back to tie the match at 11. After the two sides traded runs, Hiram and OWU again stood tied at 15. Hiram though, held strong defensively, holding the Battling Bishops to just four points the rest of the way to take a 2-1 match lead with a 25-19 third set victory.

To open the fourth set, Hiram and Ohio Wesleyan went back-and-forth, with six ties over the first 18 serves. The Battling Bishops looked to pull away with a 7-1 run, but Hiram rallied with five-straight on Kayla Cole's serve to tie the set at 15 and take a 16-15 lead after OWU's timeout.

However, the Battling Bishops had an answer, retaking the lead, 21-18. Hiram responded with a quick three points to again tie the set, but Ohio Wesleyan scored the next three points of the set to setup set point.

Hiram twice held off set point, but a Jordan Brandt's kill gave OWU a 25-23 fourth set victory and forced a decisive fifth set.

And though Hiram jumped out to a 4-0 lead early on in the fifth set, the Battling Bishops scored eight straight to take the lead, and then seven of the next 10 to take the set, 15-7, and the match, 3-2.

Lindsey Walker led the Terriers with her second-consecutive triple-double, tallying 12 kills, 15 assists and 15 digs. Cole added 10 kills and nine digs, while Mackenzie Brannon led Hiram with 23 digs.

Emily Chrustic tallied a team-high 23 assists, while Amber Ricketts joined Walker and Brannon in double-figure digs with 10.

MATCH 2: Hiram 3, Hanover 0
Hiram came out with a fury in the opening set, racing out to a 13-3 lead. The Panthers clawed their way back though, using an 8-1 run to tie the set at 22. From there, Hiram and Hanover went back-and-forth with four ties and eight lead changes, before the Terriers scored two-straight on an attack error and kill from Madison Burns to pick up a 29-27 victory.

The Terriers again opened the second set with a run, scoring five of the first six points of the set and using a 7-3 lead to take a 12-5 lead. Once again though, Hanover stormed back, cutting the deficit to just one, 18-17.

This time though, Hiram had an answer, rattling off five-straight points on Chrustic's serve to take a 23-17 lead, eventually finishing off the set with a kill by Jaya Martin and a Hanover attack error.

After Hiram opened the third set with a 7-1 run, Hanover again came back to pull within one, 11-10. A kill by Melina Lee though, kept Hiram out in front, and the Terriers kept their lead throughout the rest of the set.

The Panthers would get no closer, as Hiram led by as many as five the rest of the way, finishing off the set and match on a kill by Cole to take the set, 25-19, and the match, 3-0.

With the win, Hiram snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Martin recorded a game-high 14 kills, while Chrustic added a team-high 22 assists. Defensively, Brannon again led the Terriers with 25 digs, while Walker added another double-double with 16 digs and 11 assists.

The Terriers will be back in action when they host Case Western Reserve University in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in Price Gymnasium.