HOBOKEN, New Jersey – April 19, 2024 – The Hiram men's volleyball team saw its record-setting season end on Friday evening at Canavan Arena, as the Terriers gave everything they could against the defending national champions, No. 2 Stevens, but fell short in three sets: 25-11, 25-14, 25-15.

It marks the finish to a memorable 2024 season that included a second NCAA Tournament appearance, a second AMCC Championship and a tie for the program record with 20 wins. The Terriers entered play riding a nine-match winning streak, which also tied a program record.

Hiram took on a Stevens team that is ranked second in the country, according to the AVCA Coaches Poll, and is now 32-1 overall this season. The Ducks are the reigning NCAA Championships, having won the 2023 title over North Central.

"It's great being on the bigger stage," said Matthew Albano, who tallied 12 assists. "We love winning our conference, but being on the big stage like this is a good experience for us. It's something that we want to hopefully return to."

Jackson Deubner finished with a team-high six kills, giving him 291 for the season (T-3^rd most in a season in program history). Behind him was Kyle Martini (four kills), who tied the program record for kills in a season (304, Tom Supan in 2022).

The Terriers tied the Ducks in service aces (four) and nearly matched their opposition in digs (28-27). Some of the team's best volleyball came in the third set, when it recorded seven kills and had a hitting percentage of -.037, both of which were higher than the first and second sets.

After losing the first set, 25-11, Hiram went on a 5-0 run early in the second set to take an 8-6 lead, its largest of the match. Garrett Scheidegger started the rally with a pair of blocks, while Martini finished it off with a pair of service aces.

The score eventually evened at 10-10 before Stevens went on a 9-0 run to take control of the match. Albano later recorded his second service ace in the second set, but Stevens closed it out to take a two-set lead.

The third set provided Deubner with an opportunity to add another three kills, capping off his breakout campaign on a high note. The rest of the team's bench also got a valuable experience on the game's biggest stage; all 16 student-athletes on the Hiram roster recorded playing time.

Despite the loss, Hiram improved its record from 8-16 (6-7 AMCC) in 2023 to 20-12 (8-1 AMCC) in 2024. All four of the team's all-conference selections were juniors, with Albano and Martini leading the charge as team captains for each of those seasons.

"From where we came last season to where we are today – just enormous strides," head coach Glen Conley said. "There was just a determination. (Albano and Martini) are the captains and they were captains last year as well.

"Really, really proud of the whole team, but the leadership was tremendous."

Hiram will now direct its attention to 2025, with the core of its roster set to return for the seventh season in program history.