HIRAM, Ohio - November 15, 2025 - Hiram saw its historic 2025 season potentially come to a close on Saturday night at Price Gymnasium, as the Terriers lost in three sets to Grove City in the PAC Tournament Championship: 25-20, 25-20, 25-23. Hiram will now await the NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday, where the team hopes its 26-3 record and 15-1 PAC record will be enough for an at-large bid.

The Terriers were fighting for their first conference championship in nearly 20 years, facing a team that has recently found its groove and started playing its best volleyball of the fall. The Wolverines won all six sets in the semifinals and finals of the tournament against the top-two teams from the PAC North Division (Thiel and Hiram).

Despite the loss, Hiram still featured its most wins in a season since 2012 and tied for its sixth-most wins in a single season in program history. The team also came one win shy of tying its longest win streak all-time, while also winning the PAC regular-season title despite being ranked fourth in the PAC North Division preseason poll.

As for the game itself, Grove City played extraordinarily well in the later stages of each set. Hiram led 8-5 in the first set, pulled within 1 point of its opposition late in the second set (21-20) and led 21-17 in the third set; in all three sets, the Wolverines regained control and put the finishing touches on their first conference title in 24 years.

Hiram was led by first-year Sofia Smotek, who recorded 11 kills and 15 digs. Kelly Hoffman had team-highs in assists (33) and digs (24), while Maggie Riley totaled two aces and Brooke Fishback added 19 digs. The collective efforts of the group – not just in the PAC Tournament, but throughout the 2025 campaign – brought one of the most electric crowds to the Hiram College campus in recent memory.

Fishback, Hoffman and Morgan Tomblin were all named to the PAC All-Tournament Team for their performances throughout the event.

Regardless of how the NCAA Tournament bracket unfolds, Hiram women's volleyball made an immediate impact in the PAC, surpassing all preseason expectations and rising to the top in just about every statistical category on both ends of the floor. That dominance will not only earn the team multiple end-of-season awards, but it will also pave the way to an exciting 2026 season and beyond.