Hiram Eases Past Westminster To Advance Through Quarterfinals At NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Tournament

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The 19th ranked Hiram Terriers pulled away from Westminster in NCAA Division III Great Lakes quarterfinals action at Wittenberg University. By a score of 3-1, the Terriers, the North Coast Athletic Conference runner-up, advanced to the regional semifinals for a second straight year. They will face Ohio Athletic Conference champion Ohio Northern at 4:30 p.m. Friday, also at Wittenberg.

Westminster led through most of the early of each of the first three games, but by game's end the Titans, champions of the Presidents Athletic Conference, were on the short end twice. Hiram won Game 1 by a 30-28 score after trailing throughout. The Terriers score the last five points of the game, including four straight off the serve of Lauren London.

In Game 2, Westminster led by as many as six points in the early going, but this time the Titans held on to secure a 30-27 win. The same went for Game 3 as Westminster led 18-12 at one point before the Terriers rallied, scoring seven points on two different serving runs by Charley McQueary, to claim a hard-fought 31-29 victory.

The trend finally changed in Game 4 as Hiram jumped out to a 10-2 lead and pretty much cruised to a 30-24 victory. Megan Taylor served nine straight points for the Terriers, who improved to 28-5 on the season.

Hiram was paced offensively by Sarah Schoenhagen with 25 hills on a .391 attack percentage and Taylor with 39 assists. Libero Wendy Birchfield led both teams with 30 digs.

Westminster, which fell to 23-12 overall and had its 17-match win streak snapped, got the better of things around the net with 18 team blocks, including four solos and four assists for Jess Cooper. Traci Hassell dished out 40 assists and Sam Botzum topped the squad with 16 kills. Defensively, Hassell was tops with 21 digs.

Photo By: Robert Gantt