GREENVILLE, Pennsylvania - October 13, 2023 - The Terriers refused to take their foot off the gas pedal on Friday evening, as they held their opposition under 20 points in three of the four sets as part of a non-conference victory over Thiel inside Beeghly Gymnasium: 25-18, 25-19, 18-25, 25-15.
Hiram's balance again shone through in the win, with Cate Maguire (10 kills), Emily Richardson (9), Amber Fox (6) and Andrya Hanmore (5) all recording at least 5 kills. Richardson also dominated the defensive end, with 9 total blocks, which tied a career-high mark for total blocks in a single game (9 at Oberlin last season).
Brooke Fishback had team-highs in digs (23) and assists (20) in the match; the sophomore now has three matches this season with at least 20 assists. Brooke Norris was also sharp, racking up 4 service aces in a game for the second time in her career (5 service aces vs Kenyon last season).
The Terriers trailed 4-0 to start the match before going on a 9-2 run to take command of the first set. Four different Hiram student-athletes had at least one kill in the set, with the defense also playing its part to give the team an early one-set advantage.
More of the same followed in the second set, with Hiram falling behind, 2-0, prior to going on an 8-2 run. The Terriers had four separate runs of at least three points in the set; freshman Claire Brunner capped off the set with a kill.
Thiel would bounce back in the third set thanks to a 6-1 run and eventually a 25-18 result,, but Hiram would regain momentum in the fourth set.
The Terriers went on a 9-1 run to start the fourth set courtesy of multiple kills and the consistent serving of Norris. Later in the set, the team again found a groove behind Norris' serving, going on a 5-0 run to take a 23-12 lead, a margin that would hold firm through the end of the match.
After playing two matches in a span of 50 hours, Hiram will now get an extended break before taking on Kenyon next Wednesday at 7 p.m. inside Tomsich Arena in Gambier, Ohio. A win would level the team's conference record.
