NEW CONCORD, Ohio - November 6, 2024 - For the second time this season, Hiram and Muskingum went the distance in another five-set thriller, with Wednesday's match ending in favor of the Fighting Muskies at the Anne C. Steele Center: 25-13, 20-25, 25-14, 22-25, 15-13.
The NCAC-OAC matchup also took place on Aug. 31, when Muskingum won in five sets at the Cedar Point Invitational.
The regular-season finale marked the final tune-up for the NCAC Tournament for a Terriers team that has battled through injuries, showed determination and locked in a postseason berth for the 24th straight season. On Wednesday, that mentality was on full display yet again, with Hiram firing back for a fourth-set win and erasing a 12-7 deficit in the fifth set before Muskingum scored the final three points to earn the tightly contested victory.
It was a match of momentum over the first four sets, with Muskingum winning the first and third sets and the Terriers winning the second and fourth sets. Hiram had 14 kills in each of those winning sets, while the Fighting Muskies had a combined 30 kills in their first two winning sets.
The contrasting styles of the two teams was also evident, with Muskingum winning the kills battle (64 to 47) but Hiram having more blocks (11 to 6) and digs (98 to 92). Emily Richardson highlighted the road team's production with a career-high 18 kills, while Cate Maguire chipped in 13 kills of her own.
After falling into a 2-1 hole through three sets, Hiram regained its footing with a 25-22 win in the fourth set. The Terriers never trailed in the set, with Maguire recording kills on each of the team's first three points and eventually totaling five kills for the entire span.
The back-and-forth nature of the contest stayed true to form in the fifth set, with Hiram leading 3-0, Muskingum battling back to lead 12-7, and Hiram roaring back with a 6-0 run to take a 13-12 advantage. The team's six consecutive points in the later stages were fueled by the serving of Brooke Fishback, who put the opposition in a tough spot and forced them into three attack errors.
With Hiram just two points away from victory, the Fighting Muskies bounced back thanks to a kill by Emma Johnson and a pair of service aces by Cierra Lathrop to close out the match. A home crowd of nearly 200 fans rose to its feet throughout the dramatic finish.
The Terriers will next return to competition on Tuesday, Nov. 12, when they travel to Springfield, Ohio for the quarterfinals of the NCAC Tournament. No. 5 Hiram and No. 4 Wittenberg will play for a spot in the semis, with Denison awaiting the winner for a semifinal match on Friday that same week.
