HIRAM, Ohio – March 20, 2025 – Hiram regained the form that made it one of the best teams in the region last season, sweeping Penn State Behrend to bring an end to a two-match losing streak on Thursday evening at Price Gymnasium: 25-20, 25-19, 25-18.
It was a match built around efficiency, including a third set that included 15 kills and just two attack errors. Hiram raised its attack percentage from .143 to .346 to .722 from the first to the third set, with Kyle Martini (14 kills, three attack errors) and Jackson Deubner (nine kills, two attack errors) leading that charge.
Derek Chiang ranked second on the team with 12 kills, while Matthew Albano had 31 assists in his usual setter role. Defensively, Colin Brooks and Martini each had four total blocks, which marked a new season-high for a single match for Brooks.
Hiram started just as strong as it finished, jumping out to a 6-1 lead in the first set following a tough loss to Grove City on Wednesday. Penn State Behrend eventually evened the score at 19-19, but Hiram won six of the last seven points – including a set-clinching ace from Chiang – to take a 1-0 lead.
Chiang and Martini combined for seven kills in a second set that saw the home team never trail by more than one point. The key run came midway through the set, when Hiram scored six straight points to take a 19-13 lead. Martini had two straight service aces to cap off the run that shifted even more momentum to the Terriers and earned a 2-0 lead.
The third set was the exclamation point that Hiram needed, with Martini recording another six kills and adding a solo block that paved the way to an 18-13 lead. Moments later, Darren Chiang set up senior Jarod Leynes for the game-winning kill and a clean sweep of the team's former conference opponent.
Hiram will now set its sights on the final stretch of the regular season; four of the team's next five matches are on the road and in conference play. First on the schedule is a trip to Beaver Falls, PA, where Hiram will take on the Golden Tornadoes of Geneva next Wednesday at 7 p.m. inside Metheny Fieldhouse.
