With their five-set, comeback win over the Penn St. Behrend Lions in the AMCC Tournament Championship game on Saturday in Price Gymnasium, the Hiram College Terriers men's volleyball team clinched their first AMCC Tournament Championship and NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Tournament appearance in program history.
The Lions started the scoring early in set one, taking the serve on a kill from Behrend's Cody Schnur, before back-to-back service aces gave Behrend a 3-0 lead. Tom Supan and the Terriers got on the scoreboard with Supan's block, and then Hiram and Penn St. Behrend traded points till the score stood at 7-5. Two straight kills from Supan knotted the score at 7-all, before two small runs by both sides again knotted the score, this time at 9-all. Penn St. Behrend then jumped out to a 12-9 advantage, and led until about the halfway mark of the first set. A service error by the Lions gave Hiram the serve, down 16-15, and the Terriers responded to take their first lead of the opening set. Hiram extended their lead out to 19-17 on another Supan kill, but Behrend roared back, taking a 20-19 lead of their own. Down the stretch of the opening set, the Terriers and Lions stood tied and 20-20, 21-21, 24-24 and 25-25, before Colin Dedert's kill and a block by Alex Jackson gave Behrend the first set, 27-25.
Penn St. Behrend then continued their charge to open the second set, using a 6-0 run to take a 7-2 and then 8-3 lead. But the Terriers didn't falter and pulled within two on Nathan Cassell's service ace. The Lions brought their lead back out to three on another Dedert kill, but two straight from Hunter Rock and Supan make it a one-point, 11-10, Behrend lead. A service error gave the Lions the serve back, but Rock and Dangelo Boehner, with an ace, quickly knotted the score at 12-all. Again, the two sides traded runs, with the Terriers pulling ahead with a 3-0 run. Hiram kept out in front over the next few serves, trading points with the Lions before an attack error and another Dedert kill evened the score at 21-all. The Terriers took advantage of two Behrend errors to take a 23-21 lead, and finished off the set with a service error and Supan kill, 25-23, to even the match at one set apiece.
Behrend again jumped out to an early lead in set three, pressing their advantage to lead by as many as five. Hiram plodded their way back on a pair of kills and attack error, cutting the deficit to two, but the Lions had an answer, rattling off four-straight to extend their lead to 14-8. Hiram responded, with a pair of aces from Supan, as well as a kill, to pull back within two, but the Lions kept themselves out in front. The Terriers got as close as one, 20-19, on Andrew Gard's service ace, before Penn St. Behrend scored five of the last six points to take the set, 25-20, and open a 2-1 match lead.
Behrend again took the early lead in set four, forcing Hiram to play from behind. But down 10-7, the Terriers rattled off four-straight to pull ahead by one on one of Kilvio Montero's 11 kills. The Lions would tie things up at 11, but the Terriers had an answer, scoring four of the next five and 10 of the next 14 to take a 21-15 lead. Kills by three different Terriers highlighted the 10-4 run, including two from Supan, as well as an ace. Behrend scored three of the next four to pull back within four, but Montero and Supan combined for three kills to finish off the fourth set, 25-19, and force a decisive, fifth set to decide the conference champion.
Hiram started the fifth set out hot, with two quick points before opening a 6-3 advantage on kills by Boehner, Montero and Supan. But out of a timeout, the Lions roared back, knotting the score at 7-all on a block by Dedert and Jackson, and taking the lead on a Hiram attack error. The Terriers responded to retake the lead, 9-8, but Penn St. Behrend took it right back, going up 10-9 on a kill from Schnur. However, a service error knotted the score at 10-10 and then Rock, into serve for the Terriers, rallied off three-straight to press the Terriers out to a 13-10 advantage. Dedert made it 13-11 with one of his 24 kills, but a service error gave the Terriers match point. Dedert again held off match point with his 24th kill, but another service error gave Hiram the set, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.
With the win, the Terriers move to 10-1 (7-0 AMCC), clinching a berth in the NCAA Div. III Men's Volleyball Tournament.
Supan led the Terriers with a program-record 28 kills, adding 10 digs, while Montero added 11 and Boehner notched eight. Rock and Cassell also each played key roles for the Terriers, tallying five kills each. Jake Lininger led the Terriers with 34 assists, while Andrew Diaz added 22. Supan also notched a team-high three aces, while Cory Fischer led Hiram, defensively, with 12 digs.
As a team, the Terriers tallied 58 kills, nine aces, five blocks, 54 assists and 46 digs, with a .282 hitting percentage.
The Terriers will next travel to Salem, Va. For the 2021 NCAA Div. III Men's Volleyball Tournament, beginning on Wednesday, April 21 at the Salem Civic Center. The Terriers will learn their first-round opponent during the NCAA Div. III Men's Volleyball Tournament Selection show on Monday, April 12 at 10:00 a.m.
All Tournament Team:
Hiram - Tom Supan, Jake Lininger
Penn St. Behrend - Colin Dedert, Cody Schnur
Penn St. Altoona - Philip Silva
Geneva - Byron Spear