HIRAM, Ohio – April 15, 2025 – Hiram men's volleyball was spearheaded by a special senior class, a group of eight student-athletes who collectively took control in 2025 after the team made the NCAA Tournament the previous season.

That group was well-represented in the first-ever release of the PAC All-Conference Men's Volleyball Team on Tuesday evening.

As announced in a live broadcast, the Presidents' Athletic Conference named seniors Kyle Martini and Derek Chiang to its all-conference first team, while senior Matthew Albano earned second team honors. Senior Connor Tilton also earned a spot on the All-Sportsmanship team to cap off a season that ended with a 16-11 record and narrow loss in the semifinals of the PAC Tournament.

It marks the third straight season in which Martini has earned the most prestigious level of the all-conference award; he previously was named to the All-AMCC First Team in both 2023 and 2024. Martini joins Tom Supan as the only players in program history to earn first team all-conference in three different seasons.

Martini again was one of the biggest contributors across multiple categories, ranking second in kills (260), kills/set (2.92) and service aces (19), while ranking first in attack percentage (.298), total blocks (79) and blocks/set (0.83). His attack percentage ranks as the sixth-best mark in a single season in program history.

The senior from Cranberry Township, PA notably took his game to a new level in the later stages of the season, recording 21 kills in the final match of the regular season at Thiel and 24 kills in the final match of the playoffs at Grove City. He also set the program record for most total blocks in a single match, recording nine blocks on Feb. 4 at Mount Vernon Nazarene.

Chiang, who was in his first season with the program, immediately emerged as one of the best hitters in the conference. He led the Terriers in kills (271) and kills/set (3.30), while also chipping in on the defensive side with 149 digs and 30 total blocks.

The senior, who is set to return to the program in 2026, recorded 40 kills over two playoff matches against Chatham and Grove City. He also had a career-high 20 kills earlier in the year against the same Cougars team.

Albano is officially a two-time all-conference selection, having previously been named to the All-AMCC Second Team in 2024. A key member throughout his four years with the Terriers, Albano continued to shine with another 904 assists and a team-high 22 service aces this year.

The Huntington Beach, CA native finishes his Hiram career with a program-record 2,736 assists, which includes 900+ assists in each of the last two seasons. No other student-athlete in program history has more than 1,728 career assists.

Tilton served a key role in a variety of positions this season, which included a career-high and team-high 211 digs as a libero. His 17 digs against Saint Vincent on March 4 marked the most digs in a three-set match by any player in program history.

Like Martini and Albano, Tilton was also a part of the 2024 Hiram team that won the AMCC and advanced to a second ever NCAA Tournament.

While Hiram won't extend its season into the prestigious NCAA Tournament this spring, it still has a winning season and playoff victory to add to its record book. The Terriers will return to the court in January 2026, which will mark their second year of competition in the PAC.