SANDUSKY, Ohio - August 29, 2025 - It was smooth sailing for Hiram women's volleyball on Friday, as the Terriers opened the 2025 campaign with a pair of sweeps over Kalamazoo and Kenyon inside the Cedar Point Sports Center as part of the Great Lakes Cross Over.
The Terriers made a statement in finishing both matches strong; they beat Kalamazoo by 11 points (25-14) and Kenyon by 14 points (25-11) in each of the final sets in what marked the team's first official day of regular-season competition.
Match Recap vs Kalamazoo
The Hiram debuts for Megan Chiang, Sofia Smotek and Maggie Riley were the fuel to the dominant opener; the trio combined for 28 kills and 39 digs, which included marks of 11 kills and 17 digs from Chiang. Seniors Riley France (seven kills) and Kelly Hoffman (30 assists, nine digs) rounded out the production in a match that featured the perfect balance of veteran leadership and talented rookies.
The first set was highlighted by an 11-2 run to turn a 16-14 deficit into a 25-18 win. Smotek had two kills during that span before France capped off the rally with a set-clinching kill of her own.
Another turning point came in the second set, when Hiram saved a pair of set points before taking a two-set lead. Kalamazoo led 24-22, but the Terriers rattled off four straight points – three of which came on kills – to keep the sweep intact.
That sweep would come to fruition in the third set, as the team jumped out to a 3-0 and eventually an 11-5 lead to hold a firm grip on the momentum it gained from the end of the second set. Chiang, Smotek and Riley each had two kills in the set to give Hiram the convincing win and a 1-0 record.
Match Recap vs Kenyon
The night match featured a sharp crescendo of improvement from the Terriers, as they outscored their opposition by two points in the first set, five points in the second set and 14 points in the third set. An old NCAC foe, the win gave Hiram a 28-12 record in the all-time matchup against the Owls.
Smotek followed up her nine-kill performance in the first match with a total of 13 kills in match two. Hoffman had 36 assists and Brooke Fishback had 18 digs, while Avery Clay (four blocks), Maggie Riley (three blocks) and France (two blocks) each made a major impact in the blocks department.
Kenyon went on a 4-0 run to take a 23-22 lead in the first set, but Smotek recorded a kill and service ace to help close out the opening set. Smotek finished with five of her team's 14 kills in the set.
Then came the defensive effort, as Kenyon had a hitting percentage of .056 (10 kills, eight errors) and 0 (five kills, five errors) over the final two sets. Hiram led 7-1 in the second set and 9-2 in the third set, both of which were more than enough to carry the team to a second straight sweep.
What's Next
The Terriers will wrap up their time at "America's Roller Coast" on Saturday, when they take on Saint Mary's College at 8 a.m. in Sandusky, OH.
