HIRAM, Ohio – November 14, 2026 – Hiram College women's volleyball came up just short of a conference title on Saturday evening, falling to Chatham University in a thrilling five-set battle in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship match. With an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament hanging in the balance, the Cougars rallied from a two-set deficit to stun the Terriers, 12-25, 18-25, 25-17, 25-21, 15-11, inside an electric Price Gymnasium.
Hosting its second consecutive conference championship match after falling to Grove City in straight sets in 2025, Hiram showed just how much its young roster had grown from the experience. The Terriers came out firing on all cylinders, determined to rewrite the script from a season ago.
Hiram dominated the opening two sets, delivering a nearly flawless offensive performance while keeping Chatham's attack in check. The Terriers hammered home 28 kills against just five attacking errors while holding the Cougars to 19 kills and forcing 12 attacking errors.
In the opening set, Courtney Johnson sparked a commanding run from the service line, serving eight consecutive points and delivering three aces to put Hiram ahead 20-12. The Terriers never looked back, rattling off the final five points behind two service aces from Jacey English and a pair of kills from Sofia Smotek to claim the opening frame in convincing fashion.
Hiram continued to ride the momentum in the second set, feeding off the electric atmosphere inside Price Gymnasium. With the set hanging in the balance, Megan Chiang helped ignite a decisive 6-0 surge that pushed the Terriers ahead 20-14. The offensive trio of Smotek, Chiang and Maggie Riley then delivered three consecutive kills to shut the door on the second set and give Hiram a 2-0 advantage.
However, Chatham quickly reminded everyone inside Price Gymnasium why the Cougars entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed, riding a 12-match winning streak. With their season on the line, the Cougars flipped the script and seized control of the momentum. Leading the charge was Zoie Bateman, who finished with 18 kills and found her rhythm in the third and fourth sets to help Chatham erase the two-set deficit.
 Chatham carried that momentum into the decisive fifth set, jumping out to an early 3-0 advantage. Hiram refused to back down as Riley and Chiang delivered emphatic kills to help the Terriers storm back and grab a 4-3 lead. Erin Winfield added a timely block as Hiram continued to feed off the roaring home crowd, extending its advantage to 7-4.
Bateman once again rose to the occasion, becoming the focal point of Chatham's attack as the Cougars rallied to take a 9-7 lead. The Terriers dug deep and reclaimed a 10-9 advantage, putting themselves within striking distance of the championship. However, Chatham delivered the final blow, closing out the match with a late surge to complete the reverse sweep and capture the PAC title.
Chiang capped off her impressive sophomore campaign with a team-high 17 kills and 19 digs. Smotek delivered a double-double of her own, recording 10 kills and 20 digs. Johnson turned in an outstanding all-around performance with 30 assists and 20 digs, while English anchored the defensive effort with a career-high 31 digs.
Riley, playing her final match in a Hiram uniform, left everything on the court with 15 kills. The senior closed out her Terrier career with a strong offensive showing on the conference's biggest stage.
Despite falling just short of the conference crown, the Terriers have plenty to build on following another deep postseason run. With a talented young core set to return, Hiram will look to carry that experience and hunger into a highly anticipated 2027 campaign.
