HIRAM, Ohio --  Having just fallen out of the AVCA Top 25 following a lackluster weekend in Pennsylvania, the Heidelberg University volleyball team needed a big win over a tough Hiram College squad.  The Student Princes stormed out to a 2-0 lead, then held on for a five-set victory -- 25-22, 25-16, 20-25, 19-25, 15-8.  

Heidelberg improved to 13-3 on the season.  Hiram dropped to 11-5.  

With 16 kills, Taylor Valentine paced the Heidelberg attack.  Amy Feczer was one kill behind and attacked at a whopping .406.  Right side Olivia Cristian racked up 10 kills while Jordann Gudorf and Maddie Szawranskyj supported the offense with eight and seven kills.  

Anna McNabb dished up 30 assists while Julianna Peña amassed 21.  

Reigning OAC Defensive Player of the Week Sarah Oney led HU with 23 digs.  Valentine had 21 and McNabb had 10.  Feczer had four total blocks on the day.  

In the opening set, a 5-0 Heidelberg run helped the Student Princes jump out to a 9-4 lead before the Terriers barked back.  A kill from Cristian halted a 4-0 Hiram run and preserved a lead.  HU maintained a lead throughout the set and emerged with a 25-22 win.  

The second set was a lopsided affair.  The Berg took a 5-1 lead and never looked back.  Heidelberg attacked at a .375 clip as a team -- committing just one attack error.  The result was a resounding 25-16 win.

Hiram, however, showed its mettle in the third set.  Up 12-8, the hosts watched as the Student Princes clawed their way back to a 15-15 tie.  With Heidelberg ahead 17-16, Hiram scored six of the next seven points en route to a 25-20 win.  

Down 10-3 in the fourth, Heidelberg Head Coach Jason Miller called timeout -- a move that paid off.  Heidelberg went on a 6-1 run to get back in the set.  After Hiram called a timeout, Heidelberg struggled to put the ball away.  Three attack errors by The Berg allowed Hiram to regain a sizeable lead at 16-10.  The Student Princes struggled to find its rhythm as the Terriers won the set 25-19.  Hiram crushed it in the fourth set, attacking at .522.  

Fortunately, the Student Princes regained their form in the fifth.  Knotted at four, Heidelberg went on an 8-1 run that withstood two Hiram timeouts.  Up 13-6, Feczer put the Student Princes on the brink with a solo block on a swing by Kayla Cole.  After the Terriers staved off a loss for two points, Cristian quieted the home crowd with a soft kill to end the match.  

For the match, Heidelberg hit .216 while Hiram hit .185.  

Heidelberg volleyball makes its long-awaited home debut this weekend as part of the No One Fights Alone Invitational.  Heidelberg will face Marietta in an OAC match on Friday following the Mt. St. Joseph/Bluffton match.  HU will face both of those teams on Saturday.  All the match times and links are available on the tournament website.