Southern Virginia vs. Salem | September 29 | Varsity Gym | 5 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
Aspen Bradley delivered a match-high 11 kills, posting an .846 attack percentage along the way, while Anna Rymer closed with 10 kills (.562 attack pct.), to help the Salem volleyball team earn its ninth win of the season and fifth by virtue of a sweep over Hollins by scores of 25-9, 25-12, 25-18 at Varsity Gym on Monday evening.
Bradley's .846 attack percentage is the third-best single-match performance in program history and the ninth time this season she has posted a .300 or better. She is the fourth different Spirit to post an .800 attack percentage or better, along with Kylie Taffer (2x) and Taylor Moulton.
Along with reaching double-digit kills for the sixth time in 2022, Rymer eclipsed the .300 attack percentage for the sixth time on the season. The duo helped Salem close with 36 kills, commit just three errors and finish with the team's best single-game attack percentage (.458).
HOME DOMINANCE
Not only did the Salem volleyball team pick up its third win of the season at Varsity Gym against Hollins on Monday evening, but the Spirits eclipsed the .400 attack percentage mark at home for the first time since the 2016 season in a three-set affair.
Salem finished the match with 36 kills, committed just three errors on 72 attempts, and posted a .458 hitting percentage in the victory. It marked the third-best hitting percentage in a three-set match in program history, bested only by a pair of matches against Wesleyan (Ga.) in 2016 (.771) and 2009 (.483).
The three home wins have already equaled the number of home wins in the 2011 season. With a fourth win, the 2022 team would place itself alongside the 2009, 2010 and 2014 units for fourth-most in school history.
SHARING A HISTORICAL START
By virtue of Monday's sweep of Hollins, the 2022 Salem volleyball team equaled the 2017 team for the best-ever start through 13 matches in program history, posting a 9-4 record. The 2017 unit would go onto establish the best single-season record (21-12) in school history, the benchmark for home wins (10), road wins (six) and amass eight USA South Conference wins along the way.
That 2017 team would actually go onto a 13-4 mark, after establishing its 9-4 record through 13 matches, by virtue of a season-long six-match winning streak.
SOUTHERN VIRGINIA AWAITS THE SPIRITS
The Spirits are facing Southern Virginia for just the third time in program history. Southern Virginia owns a 3-0 mark in the series at this point, claiming all three wins in straight sets.
The Knights first met Salem on Oct. 26, 2010, claiming the victory in a tri-match held in Bristol, Va., by Virginia Intermont. The two teams would not meet again until October 9, 2021, when Southern Virginia made the trek to Salem for a match. The last meeting came 21 days later in Meisenheimer, N.C., as part of a tri-match at Pfeiffer.
SPIRITS' STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
By virtue of an 11-kill outing against Hollins, her 10th double-digit kill outing of the season and fourth in a row, Aspen Bradley maintained her team lead in kills with 149 (3.17 kills/set) on the season. Bradley has delivered head coach Barry Rymer double figure kills in her first three USA South matches against Greensboro, Methodist and Mary Baldwin.
Teammate Anna Rymer is second with 129 kills (2.74 kills/set), reaching double figures for the seventh time of the season against Hollins, where she tallied 10. The trio of 100-kill performers for Salem also includes Valeria Rosa Lopez, who has 118 (2.51 kills/set) to her credit in the first 13 matches. That group has led Salem to 606 kills (12.63 kills/set) this season. Another offensive key has been the tandem of Ashlyn Wood (279 assists) and Ashlee Peek (184), helping Salem average 11.69 assists/set.
Bradley has not only provided the team with a leader in kills, but she has done so efficiently, to the tune of a .368 attack percentage. The first year player has committed just 36 errors in 307 attacks, to give her the best attack percentage on the team. Rymer is also above the .300 mark with a .314 attack percentage after committing 38 miscues in 290 attacks. Salem as a team is hitting .237 on the slate.
The defensive prowess of Ella Brameus (166 digs), Macy Nelson (142) and Lopez (140) has allowed the Spirits to shut down opposing offenses to the tune of 547 kills (11.40 kills/set) and a .145 attack percentage. Brameus leads all Salem defenders in digs, notching seven double-digit dig outings on the slate. Nelson has a team-best eight double figure dig outings to her credit, while Lopez is making her impact in double-doubles with six on the season.
Bradley and Rymer have handled the front row defensive duties by combining for 25 solo blocks and 38 assisted blocks. Bradley, with 13 solo blocks, has one more than Rymer in that category. Meanwhile, Rymer tops the team in assisted blocks (23), eight more than Bradley and 10 more than teammate Abrielle Eckenroth.
KNIGHTS ON THE SEASON
Southern Virginia (8-6, 2-1 USA South) has won five of its last six matches, including USA South Conference wins against Mary Baldwin (3-1) and Meredith (3-0). The only setback in that stretch came at the hands of league foe William Peace, who downed the Knights by a 3-1 margin during a tri-match in Brevard, N.C. on Saturday, September 24th.
Courtney Pinkston leads Southern Virginia's lineup with 211 kills (4.06 kills/set) and is one of three Knights with 100 kills on the season. Also among leaders in kills are Sydney Hopkin (132) and Breanna Clyde (104), giving SVU a total of 598 kills (10.87 kills/set) on the season. The offense, led in assists by Jessi Fietkau, is responsible for a .148 team attack percentage.
Emma Steiger is the digs leader for the Knights with 248 (5.33 digs/set), while Pinkston is second in that category with 134 (2.58 digs/set). Jilane Pedersen has stonewalled the opposition with 39 total blocks, amassing team-highs in solo blocks (16) and assisted blocks (23) along the way.
