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

Scores:
Salem 3, N.C. Wesleyan 0 (26-24, 25-16, 25-17)
Salem 3, Carolina University 0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-20)

Records:
Salem (17-8, 8-6 USA South) / N.C. Wesleyan (6-18, 3-11 USA South) / Carolina U. (17-5)

Up Next:
Salem at Methodist | October 24 | Fayetteville, N.C. | 7:00 p.m.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A pair of sweeps against N.C. Wesleyan and Carolina University at the first tri-match of the season held in Varsity Gym, provided Salem with its fourth win of the month and eighth home victory of the 2023 campaign.

The Spirits quickly took down N.C. Wesleyan in the open match of the day by scores of 26-24, 25-16, 25-17, resulting in the third win of the season and sixth straight in the series. Salem was led offensively by the duo of Anna Rymer and Valeria Rosa Lopez, who delivered 14 and 11 kills, respectively, resulting in a .237 attack percentage.

Rymer and Lopez led an offensive unit that witnessed eight Spirits notching at least two kills for the offensive attack, including Abrielle Eckenroth (six), Ella Brameus (five), Isabella Mann (three) and Aspen Bradley (three).

Ashlyn Wood handed out 18 assists, adding six digs, while Macy Nelson led the back row defense with 12 digs. Lopez capped off a double-double outing with 11 digs, while Bradley and Mann came through with a solo block each.

Salem returned to the court for the final match of the afternoon, securing a 25-13, 25-17, 25-20 victory over Carolina University. Bradley delivered a match-high 12 kills, finishing with a .500 attack percentage, as Salem posted 43 kills and a .336 attack percentage in the victory. It marked the third time in the 2023 season that the Spirits have posted a .300 attack percentage and first since a .389 attack percentage versus Thiel on September 1st.

Nelson was also effective defensively for the Spirits in the second triumph of the day, positing 10 digs. Lopez contributed nine, moving her within two digs of Zy Henderson, who is in second place on the program's all-time digs list (1,273).

While Bradley topped double-digit kills, she was joined by Rymer (nine kills), Nikita Sizemore (seven) and Lopez (six) with solid offensive performances.

Salem 3, N.C. Wesleyan 0

First Set Recap
With a two-point lead and Rymer in serve, Salem capitalized on kills from Lopez and Brameus, along with two service aces from the junior middle blocker to build a 7-3 advantage. The Battling Bishops rallied to move to within one, 9-8, but it was slams by Mann, Rymer and Eckenroth that stretched the margin to 14-10. Mann added another kill, following a pass from Jolina Bun, but N.C. Wesleyan rattled off seven unanswered to forge in front 22-20. With the match tied at 24, Lopez drove home a kill and Rymer added a service ace to earn the opening game victory.

Second Set Recap
The back-and-forth battle for the lead continued in the early stages of the second set as the two units battled to four ties in the first 24 points, reaching a 12-all deadlock. Brameus took over in serve, notching a service ace and using three kills from Rymer and two off the hand of Lopez to establish a six-point lead. Salem eventually stretched the margin to 20-13 on a Rymer ace, before kills down the stretch from Wood and Brameus delivered the 25-16 win.

Third Set Recap
Sensing the opportunity to seize a three-set victory, Salem grabbed a 6-3 lead with an assisted block from Mann and Bradley. Brameus added two kills to push Salem into double figures, while Rymer added a kill and Lopez came through with a service ace to stretch the lead to 16-11. Nelson followed with a service ace of her own, followed by slams from Brameus, Rymer and Eckenroth to give Salem its 12th all-time win over N.C. Wesleyan.

Salem 3, Carolina 0

First Set Recap
Looking to grab an early lead against the Bruins, who grabbed a five-set victory over N.C. Wesleyan, Salem eventually broke a 6-6 tie with a series of kills by Bradley and Brameus. Rymer drove home two kills of her own, before teaming with Lopez on a block as Salem eventually built a 17-10 lead. Sizemore got into the act with a strike of her own, forcing Carolina to spend a timeout trailing 20-10. Bradley slammed home two kills, while Sizemore and Brameus added one each, to give Salem the 25-13 triumph.

Second Set Recap
After posting a .387 attack percentage in the opening frame, Salem tallied 17 more kills and a .395 attack percentage in the second game. Leading 8-6 in the early stages, Lopez stepped in serve and converted a service ace while receiving slams from Bradley and Brameus to stretch the margin to seven, 13-6. Carolina managed to trim the deficit to five, 21-15, but Rymer slammed the door with two kills in the final four Salem points.

Third Set Recap
Carolina University fought through five ties in the first 10 points to assume a 9-6 lead on a Salem unforced error. Bradley stepped up with a critical kill for the Spirits, trimming the margin to one, before Bun's service ace evened the frame at 13. Two slams from Sizemore, coupled with consecutive aces by Lopez, helped Salem move in front 18-14. A late surge by the Bruins resulted in a 23-20 lead by Salem, but a block by Rymer along with a kill from Bradley gave the Spirits their 14th straight victory over Carolina in the all-time series.