Site: Winston-Salem, N.C. / Varsity Gym

Score:
Salem 3, William Peace 1 (25-22, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23)

Records:
Salem (12-5, 4-3 USA South) / William Peace (7-8, 5-1 USA South)

Up Next:
Salem vs. Pfeiffer | September 30 | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 12 p.m. | Varsity Gym

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Sophomore outside hitter Aspen Bradley drove home 14 kills in a highly-efficient outing, where she posted a .308 attack percentage, as Salem earned a four-set win over USA South Conference leader William Peace. The Spirits, with a 25-22, 25-23, 18-25, 25-23, became the third team all season, and first in league play, to hold William Peace to just one set victory in 2023.

The victory over William Peace not only moves Salem to 4-3 in USA South Conference play, but also marks the longest winning streak in the collegiate head coaching career of Barry Rymer. The last time that the Spirits posted five consecutive wins was from September 25-October 3, 2018 under then head coach Cathryn Head. One year earlier, in 2017, Kevin Troup led Salem to a five-match winning streak from October 12-October 18.

The longest winning streak came in 2012, when Salem rattled off six consecutive wins from October 13-October 23. The 2017 unit equaled that mark with six-match winning streak that spanned from September 16th through September 26th.

Bradley posted a match-high 14 kills for the Spirits, committing just two errors in 39 attempts to top the .300 attack percentage mark for the eighth time all season and third consecutive match. She was joined by Valeria Rosa Lopez (12), Anna Rymer (10) and Abrielle Eckenroth (10) among Spirits with double-digit kills.

Ashlyn Wood quarterbacked the offense with 25 assists, helping the Spirits tally 60 team kills and a .237 attack percentage. Rymer also contributed 24 assists in the contest. Jolina Bun anchored the back row for Salem with 18 digs, while came through with 14 and Wood added 13.

First Set Recap
William Peace seemingly had control of the match in the early stages, grabbing a 7-2 lead before a slam from Adalyn Raney sparked the Salem offense. Subsequent kills from Bradley and Eckenroth highlighted a 9-2 run, giving the Spirits a two-point advantage. After four ties, the Pacers moved back in front 19-17. Bradley retaliated with a quick strike, while Victoria Stratmann added a kill to help pull Salem even at 21. With Stratmann in serve, Salem scored three points to assume a 24-21 lead, before Rymer delivered the decisive set point.

Second Set Recap
The Spirits had their best hitting percentage set of the night in the second (.313), netting 18 points by virtue of kills. Salem used the energy from the second set to grab a 6-4 lead in the early going following strikes from Raney and Bradley. Eckenroth and Rymer came through with timely kills to break a 10-all deadlock and give the Spirits a three-point advantage. Bradley teamed with Stratmann to give Salem key kills down the stretch and move the lead to 20-17. William Peace pulled to within one, 22-21, on a kill from Hannah Collier. However, kills from Raney and Lopez provided the Spirits with a two-set advantage.

Third Set Recap
The combination of Eckenroth and Wood in serve, along with Lopez, Bradley and Raney on the front row, helped the Spirits establish a 12-7 lead in the third set. William Peace fought back to eventually even the set at 14, following a kill from Collier. After two ties over an eight-point span knotted the set at 18-all, William Peace used three kills from Jordan Juanes and a service ace from Logan Moore to earn the seven-point victory.

Fourth Set Recap
The two teams traded jabs early in the fourth set, forcing four ties in the first 12 points, reaching a six-all deadlock. The duo of Stratmann and Bradley helped Salem cushion its lead to three, 10-7, but the Pacers fought back to force a 15-all tie. With Buun in serve, and two kills from Stratmann, Salem again moved in front by three, 18-15. The Pacers forced a series of unforced errors, evening the game at 18, and forcing six ties as the game reached a 23-23 deadlock. Salem took advantage of a service error and a block by the tandem of Bradley and Rymer to pick up its 12th win of the season.

SALEM NOTES
-The victory over William Peace not only moves Salem to 4-3 in USA South Conference play, but also marks the longest winning streak in the collegiate head coaching career of Barry Rymer.
-The last time that the Spirits posted five consecutive wins was from September 25-October 3, 2018 under then head coach Cathryn Head. One year earlier, in 2017, Kevin Troup led Salem to a five-match winning streak from October 12-October 18.
-The longest winning streak came in 2012, when Salem rattled off six consecutive wins from October 13-October 23. The 2017 unit equaled that mark with six-match winning streak that spanned from September 16th through September 26th.
-Bradley posted a match-high 14 kills for the Spirits, committing just two errors in 39 attempts to top the .300 attack percentage mark for the eighth time all season and third consecutive match.
-Valeria Rosa Lopez moves within four digs of 1,200 in her career. She is also 29 kills from reaching 900.