HIRAM, Ohio – November 7, 2026 – The Hiram College women's volleyball team clinched the PAC regular-season title and secured the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament for the second consecutive season with a 3-1 victory over Washington & Jefferson on Saturday afternoon. The Terriers took down the Presidents by set scores of 17-25, 25-16, 25-19 and 25-22 inside Price Gymnasium.
The accomplishment adds to Hiram's impressive run of success since joining the PAC two seasons ago. The Terriers have established themselves as a conference powerhouse, winning 24 of 27 matches, securing the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament in each of their first two seasons and advancing to the PAC Championship match in 2025. With tournament match ups yet to be announced, Hiram will turn its attention to preparing for another postseason run as the Terriers look to reach the championship match for the second consecutive season.
Prior to the match, Hiram also took time to recognize its lone senior, Maggie Riley, during Senior Day festivities. Riley has made a lasting impact on the program since transferring to Hiram in 2025. In just two seasons with the Terriers, Riley has recorded 487 kills, putting her within reach of the 500-kill milestone. She has also contributed 83 service aces and 50 total blocks. Riley earned All-PAC Honorable Mention honors in 2025 following a standout season.
As for the match, Hiram found its rhythm in the second set as Rebecca Volpe erupted for five early kills to ignite the offense and build a 13-7 advantage. The Terriers capitalized on attacking errors by the Presidents, while a service ace from Jacey English helped seal the set and even the match at one set apiece.
Riley came out strong in the third set, delivering a handful of early kills before the Presidents rallied to grab a 10-8 lead. The Terriers settled in from there, posting their highest hitting percentage of the match (.213), fueled by a flurry of kills from Megan Chiang down the stretch. Hiram closed out the set with five unanswered points to secure a 25-19 victory.
Sofia Smotek and Madison Dustman sparked the offense early in the fourth set, helping Hiram jump out to a 15-10 lead. Smotek continued to make her presence felt, adding two more kills to extend the advantage to 19-14. Chiang and Dustman delivered the finishing touches, recording key points down the stretch to seal the four-set victory.
Chiang led the Terriers with 11 kills and 20 digs, while Volpe turned in a strong performance with nine kills, a .353 hitting percentage, one solo block and two block assists. Courtney Johnson also recorded a double-double, dishing out 24 assists and collecting 10 digs.
As the No.1 seed - Hiram will host No. 8 seed Washington & Jefferson on Tuesday, November 10th, inside of Price Gymnasium.Â
