MEISENHEIMER, N.C. – Taylor Moulton tallied a team-best 11 kills while Kathryn O'Connell finished with 10, but it was not enough as Pfeiffer's Reagan Wyatt posted 15 kills and a .619 attack percentage in a 25-21, 25-19, 25-19 win over Salem in a clash of USA South Conference foes on Tuesday evening in Meisenheimer, N.C.
Along with her 11 kills, Moulton was also active on defense with six digs, three off the team-high set by Valeria Rosa Lopez, who closed with nine. Hannah Delcamp also finished in double figures with 24 assists, while recording seven digs for the Spirits, who slipped to 9-7.
The two teams endured five ties in the first 26 points of the opening set before a pair of kills by Wyatt allowed Pfeiffer to assume the 15-13 advantage. Salem called a timeout to regroup, emerging with slams from the trio of O'Connell, Moulton and Brooklyn Snow, as the game reached a 17-all deadlock. The Falcons (11-6) answered with three points in serve by Angelina Fardella, assuming the 20-17 lead. Two unforced Pfeiffer errors, along with a kill Snow, was not enough to turn back the Falcons, who came away with the four-point win.
Salem capitalized on three kills from O'Connell and an ace from Anna Schneider to assume an 8-3 lead early in the second set. The Falcons chipped away at the deficit, eventually pulling even at 10-all, before eventually moving in front 13-10 on a Salem miscue. Rosa Lopez drove home three Salem kills, which trimmed the margin to two, but Wyatt penetrated the Spirits' defense with a pair of kills that pushed the Pfeiffer lead to five, 20-15. Strikes from Moulton and O'Connell followed as Salem pulled to within two, but it was the service game of Emma Gray Beacham that proved to be the difference in the Pfeiffer win.
Delcamp sparked the Salem offense early in the third set, providing a 4-0 lead with a pair of service aces. However, Pfeiffer answered with a 7-1 run that included three kills from Wyatt. The two units would endure four ties over the next 20 points, reaching a 16-all deadlock following an unforced Salem error, as the Falcons snagged the lead on a timely kill by Wyatt. Schneider followed with a kill and Salem grabbed two points on Pfeiffer miscues, but it was not enough to turn back the Falcons, who came away with the sweep on a six-point win.
The Spirits return to USA South Conference play on Thursday, Oct. 10, at Meredith. For more information on Salem volleyball check out www.salemspirits.com.
