HIRAM, Ohio - September 8, 2026 - The Terriers took a hard-fought non-conference loss against reigning OAC champions, Marietta College on Tuesday evening, falling 3-0 in close sets (16-25, 21-24, 23-25) at Ban Johnson Arena.
Megan Chiang led her team with a near double-double (9 kills and 9 digs). Courtney Johnson put together an impressive game, both offensively and defensively, with 19 assists, 12 digs, and two service aces. Jacey English added 19 digs.
The first set played neck and neck as the score was 18-15 in favor of the Pioneers. Maggie Riley led the charge in the set with five kills. Marietta ran away with the set, ending on a 9-2 run.
Hiram played the Pioneers closer in the second set. Leading the set this time was Sofia Smotek. The sophomore recorded five of her eight kills in set two. Marietta held a 20-18 advantage — three kills and an ace by the Pioneers solidified their second set win of the night.
Hiram played its best volleyball in the third set, when it jumped out to an 8-3 lead. The Terriers held their lead until the score was knotted at 18-18. The Pioneers rattled off three straight points to take a 21-18. Hiram answered with three straight points of their own courtesy of their defense, however, Marietta was able to win the final frame by two. Hiram had five different-student athletes record a kill in the set.
Hiram will have a quick turnaround when it travels to Case Western Reserve University as part of the CWRU Quad Tournament. The Terriers take on Case Western Reserve on Friday at 6:30 p.m. before taking on Nazareth at 10:00 a.m. and Colorado College at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.
