Site: Buena Vista, Va.

Score: Southern Virginia 3, Salem 0, (25-17, 25-17, 25-12)

Records: Salem (21-10) / Southern Virginia (26-7)

BUENA VISTA, Va. — The 2022 Salem volleyball season came to a close on Thursday evening in Buena Vista, Va., ending one of the most record-breaking seasons in program and USA South Conference history with a 25-17, 25-17, 25-12 setback to No. 1 seeded Southern Virginia in the semifinals of the USA South Conference Tournament.

Salem, which finished 21-10 on the campaign, was led offensively by the combination of Abrielle Eckenroth and Ella Brameus, who notched six kills apiece. Teammates Aspen Bradley and Valeria Rosa Lopez emerged with five kills apiece as the offense tallied 27 collectively. With her performance, Lopez eclipsed the 300-kill mark, joining Bradley as the second set of teammates in Salem volleyball history to both accrue 300 kills in the same season. The other pair to achieve the feat were Kylie Taffer (330 kills) and Taylor Moulton (329) in 2016.

The Spirit defense was led on the back row by Lopez and Macy Nelson, who closed with six digs each. Three Salem defenders, including Brameus, Ashlee Peek and Ashlyn Wood recorded three digs apiece. Salem also combined for four assisted blocks between the front row quartet of Eckenroth, Wood, Brooklyn Snow and Anna Rymer.

FIRST SET RECAP
Southern Virginia matched Salem's intensity in the first set of the evening, earning an eight-point victory to open the match. Both Bradley and Lopez led the way for Salem offensively with three kills apiece. After reaching a five-all deadlock, the Knights scored five of the next six points to grab a 10-6 advantage. A timeout energized the Spirits, who took advantage of three kills from Bradley to trim that lead to one, 11-10. Southern Virginia built a four-point lead, but it was a series of unforced errors that allowed Salem to crawl back into the match 15-14. Sydney Hopkin came through with three kills down the stretch to help the Knights secure the first set win.

SECOND SET RECAP
The Knights continued their solid hitting in the second frame, posting 12 kills and a .417 attack percentage, while Salem came through with 10 kills in the game, five off the hand of Eckenroth. Eckenroth brought the set to a 4-4 deadlock with a series of kills, but the Knights answered with a 7-3 run that established an 11-7 advantage. Despite Eckenroth penetrating the Southern Virginia defense for two kills, along with a slam by Lopez, the Knights forged in front 20-12. Salem took advantage of three unforced errors by the Knights, but it was not enough to derail the Southern Virginia offense in the eight-point victory.

THIRD SET RECAP
Bradley and Eckenroth came through with kills early in the third set, making for a 5-4 contest, before Southern Virginia put together a 6-0 run, highlighted by consecutive kills from Jilane Pedersen, to grab an 11-4 lead. The Knights committed one miscue, then regained their offensive form, to establish a 16-5 advantage. Brameus drove home three kills for the Spirits, while Bradley and Lopez added one each, to help account for the final Salem points.

SALEM NOTES
- With her performance, Valeria Rosa Lopez eclipsed the 300-kill mark, joining Aspen Bradley as the second set of teammates in Salem volleyball history to both accrue 300 kills in the same season. The other pair to achieve the feat were Kylie Taffer (330 kills) and Taylor Moulton (329) in 2016.
-Ella Brameus finished fifth in Salem history in single season digs (398), narrowly missing the 400-kill mark for Salem.
-Aspen Bradley ended her rookie campaign by leading the team in kills (351) and kills/set (3.09).
-Three Spirits topped the .300 attack percentage mark on the season, including Ashlyn Wood (.368), Bradley (.321) and Anna Rymer (.302) as Salem posted a .230 team attack percentage.
-Ashlyn Wood handed out 685 assists (5.91 assists/set) while first-year classmate Ashlee Peek was responsible for 463 assists (4.13 assists/set).
-Anna Rymer had the eighth-most total blocks (75) in Salem history in 2022, leading the team in both solo blocks (27) and assisted blocks (48).
-Ella Brameus ended the season tied for second in program history in aces with 53. Brameus tied Hannah Delcamp for second and was three off the pace and program record of Hillary McPhatter (56).
-The Spirits finished 21-10 overall and set a single-season mark for the best turnaround in league history along the way. With 20 more wins than the previous season, Salem bested the 2010 Greensboro volleyball team's mark of 16 wins, for the best turnaround in league history.