HIRAM, Ohio – April 8, 2025 – Hiram protected its home floor in its first playoff match at Price Gymnasium dating back to April 2022, beating Chatham in four sets to advance to the semifinals of the first ever PAC Tournament on Tuesday evening: 25-21, 24-26, 25-18, 25-21.
With the win, the third-seeded Terriers will next travel to Grove City, PA for a semifinal showdown with #2 Grove City on Thursday at 7 p.m. The winner of that match would then play either #1 Thiel or #5 Saint Vincent in the championship match on Saturday, with a spot in the NCAA Tournament up for grabs.
Hiram was led by
Derek Chiang's 14 kills, while
Matthew Albano was a steady contributor throughout (37 assists, 10 digs).
Kyle Martini added 11 kills, four total blocks and a pair of service aces to move his team closer to a second straight conference championship (won AMCC last season).
"In the playoffs, nothing is that easy," head coach
Tyler North said. "It was a very good response after [the second set]. I think in the third and fourth set, we did what we needed to do – we held them down better."
After Hiram trailed only once in a first set that ended with a 25-21 win, the Chatham Cougars answered by erasing a seven-point deficit in the second set. The visiting team eventually leveled the match at one set apiece, with Logan Pack recording seven of his match-high 17 kills in that second set.
The Terriers then played some of their best volleyball in front of a roaring home crowd, recording a .214 attack percentage in the third set (11 kills, five attack errors) and .312 attack percentage in the fourth set (12 kills, three attack errors). Not only did Hiram win the two sets by a combined 11 points, but Chiang stepped in and tallied nine of his 14 kills during that span.
"It's exhilarating to be honest," Chiang said of the supportive home crowd. "We thrive off our energy. If we're able to get something going, it's really good if we're able to maintain that."
It's a strong result for the Terriers, who swept Chatham on the road back on Feb. 19 but lost in five sets at home on Mar. 14. The win gives Hiram a 6-2 all-time record in conference tournament matches, including three straight dating back to the start of last postseason.
Hiram will look to extend that streak on Thursday, as it takes on a Grove City team for the third time this season (1-1 record).
