Site: Brevard, N.C.

Score: Huntingdon 3, Salem 1 (20-25, 22-25, 26-24, 16-25)

Records: Salem (6-3) / Huntingdon (7-4)

Up Next: Salem vs. Greensboro (@Winston-Salem, N.C.), Sept. 21

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The first-year duo of Ella Brameus and McKenzie Tullock combined for 44 digs, while Valeria Rosa Lopez tallied 14 kills and 13 digs, in a four-set setback to Huntingdon (20-25, 22-25, 26-24, 16-25) when the two teams met at Boshamer Gymnasium in Brevard, N.C., on Saturday, September 17th.

Brameus led the way with 23 digs and Tullock came through with 21 for a Salem defense that tallied 90 digs. The trio of Lopez (13), Ashlee Peek (12) and Ashlyn Wood (10) also reached double-digit digs. Wood capped off her double-double outing with 22 assists, while Peek handed out 15 assists.

Lopez and Anna Rymer, who slammed home 12 kills, highlighted the Salem offense that tallied 50 kills.

FIRST SET RECAP
Huntingdon assumed a four-point early in the first set following a Salem attack error, but Rymer and Wood drove home kills to keep the Spirits within striking distance. The Hawks capitalized on unforced errors to forge in front 21-15, but a string of Salem kills from Rymer and Brameus trimmed that deficit in half. Salem managed just two points down the stretch, falling by five points.

SECOND SET RECAP
The Spirits answered the challenge in the early stages of the second set, breaking a seven-all tie with Peek in serve, following a pair of Lopez kills that resulted in an 11-7 lead. After grabbing a 14-10 advantage, Morgan Isley jumped into serve and rattled off six unanswered points to move in front by two. The two teams reached a 21-21 tie, Huntingdon's offense closed out the game with a 4-1 run.

THIRD SET RECAP
The back-and-forth battle continued into the third set as the frame reached a 4-4 tie following a Huntingdon error. Separated by just one point, 12-11, following a Abrielle Eckenroth slam, Huntingdon stretched the margin to six with Jessi Hilyer in serve. Salem battled back behind kills from Rymer and Brooklyn Snow, to even the set at 24. Brameus closed out the game in serve with a service ace and a Lopez kill.

FOURTH SET RECAP
Looking to even the match at 2-2, Salem scored five of the first eight points in the fourth set. Four ties later, with the set even at 11, three kills in seven points extended Huntingdon's margin to 17-12. Salem managed just four points down the stretch as the Hawks wrapped up the four-set win.

MATCH NOTES
-First back-to-back setbacks for Salem since falling to William Peace (Oct. 28) and Southern Virginia (Oct. 30).
-Lopez came through with back-to-back double-doubles against Bob Jones and Huntingdon.
-Tullock ended her weekend with 36 digs.