Box Score Hiram,OH -- October 1, 2022 -- The 12th-ranked Wittenberg Women's Volleyball team dominated set #1, 25-6, but Hiram got stronger and played well in the next two sets, losing 25-16 and 25-22 on Saturday afternoon in Hiram's Price Gym.
Wittenberg raced out to a 9-0 lead in the first set, and increased the lead to 14-1 before Hiram caught its breath. With a 15-3 advantage, the Tigers ran off another eight straight points, making it 22-3 on the way to the 25-6 romp.
The Terriers showed up in the second set, jumping out to leads of 7-4 and 9-6. The Tigers went on 9-1 run to push ahead, 15-10. Hiram pulled to within 12-15, but again Wittenberg responded with five straight points fora 20-12 bulge on the way to the 25-15 win.
Set three looked like the Terriers would win the set, playing with great effort and enthusiasm to earn leads of 10-6, 11-8 and 15-12. Three straight Tigers' kill shots tied it at 15-all. But the Terriers showed great resolve by winning the next five points -- four on blocks and kill shots from sophomore middle
Emily Richardson -- to take a 20-15 advantage, much to the pleasure of the Hiram faithful in attendance. But Wittenberg's talent captured 10 of the final 12 points -- including the last three when the score was 22-22 -- to take the victory. In the third and final set, the score was tied seven times and the lead changed hands four times.
Wittenberg's front line overpowered Hiram for much of the match, scoring on 47 kill shots to just 17 for the Terriers. The Tigers had 10 players with kill shots, led by Katie Hiestand with a match-high 11. Defensively, Wittenberg totaled 10 blocked shots, twice as many as Hiram's five.
Hiram was led by Richardson's six kills, three blocks and another block assist. Freshman outside hitter
Brooke Norris and sophomore outside hitter
Andrya Hanmore each added four kills. Norris also handled 23 of 25 receptions and was second on the team with 10 digs. Junior DS Kenzie Brannon managed a match-high 17 digs.
The Terriers have lost four tough matches after starting with a 9-3 record. The team will host Kenyon on another NCAC match on Tuesday, October 4 at 7PM.
