HUNTINGDON, Pennsylvania - January 11, 2025 - Hiram had a tale of two matches on Saturday on the campus of Juniata College, as the team lost to a national title contender in No. 5 Juniata (3-0) before roaring back with a straight set win over Chatham (3-0).
The win marks the program's first under head coach Tyler North and its first as a full-time member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference. While the win over Chatham wasn't designated as a conference match, it still gave the team a boost as it begins its journey through a 25-match schedule in the regular season.
Match Recap at No. 5 Juniata
Hiram began its 2025 season against one of the best teams in the country, with Juniata ranked No. 5 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll. The Eagles are also coming off a 2024 season that ended with a 26-7 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals, where they also lost to Stevens Institute of Technology.
The Terriers were led by senior Derek Chiang, who had a team-high seven kills in his team debut. Jackson Deubner added five kills and Matthew Albano tallied 14 assists to round out the contributions from a deep senior class.
Juniata won the match thanks to a hitting percentage of at least .560 in each of the first two sets, along with a clip of .346 in the third set. Chase Robbins was the most productive student-athlete on the court, leading all players with 12 kills.
Match Recap vs Chatham
Hiram did more than just bounce back in the second match; the team started and finished its three-set sweep of the Cougars in dominant form. The Terriers limited the opposition to just three kills in the first set and eventually put together a 12-kill performance in the third set; both of those sets were won by double-digit points.
Derek Chiang was again the team's leader in kills (eight), while Kyle Martini had seven kills and three service aces in the start of his pursuit of a third straight all-conference selection. Garrett Scheidegger was part of that defensive effort, leading all student-athletes in the match with seven total blocks.
Scheidegger led the offense with three kills in the opening set, with Chiang and Martini also having multiple kills. In the second set, Hiram erased a 3-point deficit thanks to a pair of big scoring runs: a 4-0 run made it 7-6 and a 6-0 run eventually made it 24-21.
Even with the two-set lead, the Terriers wouldn't take their foot off the gas pedal. Senior Jarod Leynes emerged for three kills in the third set alone, with Derek Chiang chipping in another three kills to punctuate a clean performance in the second match of the campaign.
What's Next
Hiram will stay on the road and take on Adrian for its next match on Thursday. Start time is slated for 7 p.m. inside the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center.
