Erica Skillman

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster had Hiram College on the ropes at times, but the Terriers powered past the Fighting Scots 3-0 to notch their 10th-straight victory in North Coast Athletic Conference volleyball action Saturday afternoon at Timken Gymnasium.

The Scots (19-8, 9-5 NCAC) took down the Terriers (23-6, 11-2 NCAC) back on Sept. 25, but since then, Hiram has gone unbeaten, including today's 25-14, 25-21, 25-20 triumph.

Wooster and Hiram went back-and-forth to start the first set, and were tied at 5-5, but the Terriers pulled away in a hurry despite some excellent back row saves from Kelley Johnson and Devin Grandi.

In the second set, Hiram jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but Wooster raced back to go ahead at 16-15. Catherine Benton smashed down a big kill to put Wooster on the scoreboard (7-1), and that sparked a 16-8 scoring run, which included a pair of service aces from Erica Skillman. In the end, Hiram chipped away and recorded a 25-21 win.

The Scots played a closely-contested third set, staying within a couple points in the early goings until finally knotting the score as 12-12, and taking a lead at 14-13. Hiram got back in front 16-14, but an Autumn Berry ace and two kills from Melissa Morgan gave Wooster another one-point lead (18-17). At that juncture, Hiram converted on a series of powerful kills to take the set and the match.

Paige Parker and Morgan led the way with six kills apiece, while Lizzi Beal and Berry dished out 12 and 11 assists, respectively. Zoe Zwegat had a game-high five total blocks (3 solo, 2 assists), and Kelley Johnson led all players with 24 digs.

Next up, Wooster hosts its final home game of the season when Ohio Wesleyan University visits Timken Gym next Friday at 7 p.m.