Oberlin, Ohio – The Oberlin College volleyball team fought hard in the third set before ultimately being beaten in straight sets by the Hiram College Terriers on Tuesday night inside Philips Gymnasium.
With the score knotted at 6-6 in the first set, the Terriers won seven of the next nine points, due in part to three Yeowomen errors, to take a 13-8 lead. An
Emery Beacom kill and Hiram attack error slowed down the run for a moment before the Terriers rattled off the next eight points to break the set open at 21-10. The teams traded points down the stretch as Hiram took the first set 25-13 for a 1-0 lead.
In the second set with the score tied at 6-6, this time it was Oberlin that went on a mini 4-0 run with kills by
Maura Gibbs and
Natasha Radic, in addition to two Hiram attack errors, to take a 10-6 lead and force a Terriers timeout. Hiram answered back out of the timeout with five straight points of their own on four kills to take back a slim 11-10 advantage. The teams traded points through the middle of the set before
Samantha Lam set up
McLean Sammon for a kill to put Oberlin back ahead by one at 18-17. The Terriers responded again with a pair of kills along with two Yeowomen attack errors to regain the lead at 21-18 and force an Oberlin timeout. Another Sammon kill would halt the run but Hiram finished out the set with four consecutive points on three kills to win the second set 25-19.
A pair of Hiram attack errors gave Oberlin the 11-8 advantage early in the third set, forcing the Terriers to use a timeout. The tactic paid off again for Hiram as it recorded kills on four of the next five points to tie it back up at 12-12 and make Oberlin take a timeout. Another Beacom kill put the Yeowomen ahead by two at 16-14 but the Terriers roared back with five straight points on three kills to take a 19-16 lead and force Oberlin to use their last timeout. Hiram stumbled slightly with a service error before winning six of the last eight points to take the set 25-19 and the match three sets to none.
Beacom paced the Yeowomen with nine kills while Gibbs and Lam led the defensive effort with 13 digs each.
Oberlin awaits the results of the rest of tonight's matches to determine its NCAC postseason fate.
