SANDUSKY, Ohio - August 30, 2024 - The Hiram women's volleyball split its first two matches of the 2024 season on Friday afternoon at the Cedar Point Sports Center, sweeping Penn State Behrend in three sets before falling to Grove City in three sets.
It marks the fourth straight season in which the Terriers have won their season opener, with three of those victories coming in the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World" at the yearly event hosted by Heidelberg University.
Match 1 Recap
A lengthy first set was just what Hiram needed to break into the start of the fall campaign, as it saved a set point at 25-24 and eventually won, 28-26. First-year student-athlete Morgan Tomblin gave the Terriers a 27-26 lead on a kill before an attack error sealed the early advantage.
Tomblin's collegiate debut included five kills in that crucial opening set and nine kills throughout the entire match. Cate Maguire led the team with 11 kills, while Andrya Hanmore chipped in seven kills. Brooke Fishback (18 assists), Kelly Hoffman (14 assists, 11 digs), Samantha Telisman (four aces) and Emily Richardson (three blocks) filled out the rest of the stat sheet in the victory.
The second and third sets were fueled by scoring runs; Hiram won five straight points on Telisman's serve in the second set and went on a pair of 4-0 runs in the third set. Hanmore had three of her seven kills in the decisive set to start her senior year on a high note.
Match 2 Recap
Grove City, which was coming off a 19-11 record in 2023 as a member of the PAC, picked up where it left off in an entertaining match to close out the day. The Wolverines began by pulling ahead, 9-1 in the first set, a lead that would hold despite a late charge from Hiram (finished set on 6-4 run).
The Terriers responded and took a 4-3 lead to start the second set, but Grove City again found its form by recording kills on five of the next seven points. Despite losing the set, Hiram got multiple kills from Hanmore and Emily Richardson during that span.
The tightest set came in the third, when Hiram won four straight points on Hoffman's serve and eventually took a 20-19 lead on a service ace from Sydney Wenzel. Grove City would go on to win the set, 25-23, but the strong finish provided the Terriers with some positives to take forward into the rest of the weekend.
What's Next
Hiram will stay in Sandusky and look to end the weekend with a winning record when it takes on Ohio Northern at 8 a.m. and Muskingum at 12 p.m. inside the Cedar Point Sports Center.
