HIRAM, Ohio – November 10, 2026 – A dominant start propelled the Hiram College women's volleyball team to a 3-1 victory over Washington & Jefferson in the PAC Tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday evening. The Terriers took down the Presidents by set scores of 25-12, 25-19, 22-25 and 25-23 to advance to the conference semifinals.
With the victory, Hiram advances to a semifinal matchup against No. 4 Westminster inside Price Gymnasium. The two programs met in last year's semifinals, where the Terriers defeated the Titans in four sets to advance to the championship match.
The Terriers jumped out to an electric start in the opening set as Courtney Johnson stepped up to serve with Hiram holding a one-point advantage. Johnson proceeded to serve 10 consecutive points, fueling a dominant run highlighted by three kills from Megan Chiang and two from Maggie Riley. With a commanding 22-10 lead, Hiram capitalized on attacking errors by the Presidents to close out the opening set.
Hiram carried that momentum into the second set, building a comfortable 2-0 advantage in the match. The Terriers recorded a match-high 17 kills and an impressive .333 hitting percentage in the set, with six different student-athletes contributing at least one kill. Holding a narrow 18-16 lead, Hiram created separation with Tori Burdette at the service line. Burdette delivered a service ace while Chiang added two kills to extend the advantage to 21-16. Riley then put the finishing touches on the set with back-to-back kills to give Hiram a commanding two-set lead.
The third set featured a back-and-forth battle as Hiram looked to complete the sweep in front of an energetic home crowd. However, with the score tied at 19-19, the Presidents seized momentum and rattled off five unanswered points behind strong serving. The late surge proved enough for Washington & Jefferson to steal the third set and extend the match.
Hiram responded in the fourth set, establishing an early advantage that it would not surrender. The Presidents continued to battle through the pressure of the home crowd but were unable to grab a lead in the final set. Sofia Smotek provided a spark midway through the set, delivering three kills to help the Terriers build a 15-11 advantage.
Washington & Jefferson refused to go away, trimming the deficit to 21-19 and forcing a Hiram timeout. Coming out of the break, Mia Nelson found an opening in the Presidents' defense for a timely kill. With Hiram holding a narrow 23-22 lead later in the set, Riley delivered another crucial point before Smotek sealed the victory with an emphatic match-winning kill.
The Terriers turned in one of their most efficient offensive performances when it mattered most. Chiang led Hiram with 16 kills on a .261 hitting percentage while adding 19 digs. Smotek followed with an impressive double-double, recording 14 kills on a .256 hitting percentage and 14 digs. Riley reached a career milestone, tallying 12 kills to surpass 500 career kills. The senior became the third Terrier this season to reach the milestone, joining Smotek and Chiang.
Johnson also delivered a strong all-around performance, recording a double-double with 25 assists and 15 digs while adding two service aces.
Hiram will host No. 4 Westminster in the PAC Tournament semifinals on Thursday, November 12 at 7 p.m. inside Price Gymnasium. The winner will advance to the PAC Championship match on Saturday.
