Site:
Misenheimer, N.C.

Scores:
Salem 3, Pfeiffer 1 (25-23, 27-25, 24-26, 25-14)
Salem 3, Bob Jones 2 (13-25, 27-29, 25-23, 25-18, 17-15)

Records:
Salem (19-9, 9-7 USA South) / Pfeiffer (9-15, 4-12 USA South) / Bob Jones (26-5)

Up Next:
Salem vs. Southern Virginia | November 1 | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 6:00 p.m.

MISENHEIMER, N.C. — Anna Rymer emphatically left her mark on two Salem victories at the conclusion of Saturday afternoon's tri-match at Pfeiffer, combining for 36 kills and a .403 attack percentage, as the Spirits earned a four-set win over the host Falcons (25-23, 27-25, 24-26, 25-14) and a come-from-behind five-set triumph (13-25, 27-29, 25-23, 25-18, 17-15) over Bob Jones, which moved the Spirits to 19-9 overall on the season.

The China Grove, N.C., native wrapped up the four-set victory over USA South Conference foe Pfeiffer, with 19 kills and a .515 attack percentage for Salem. Salem combined for 61 kills, which set a program record for four-set affairs, and a .314 attack percentage with Rymer leading the way in total kills. She was joined offensively by the trio Aspen Bradley (12), Abrielle Eckenroth (11) and Valeria Rosa Lopez (11). The offense was quarterbacked by Ashlyn Wood and Jolina Bun, who handed out 29 and 19 assists, respectively. Salem notched 56 total assists in the match, one shy of tying the program record for most assists in a four-set match. 

McKenzie Tullock stepped in for Macy Nelson, who missed the match due to illness, and delivered nine digs. Teammates Victoria Stratmann (eight), Lopez (seven) and Wood (seven) were also among the dig leaders.

Rymer was one of three Spirits to slam home double-digit kills against Bob Jones, delivering 17 as part of a .308 hitting percentage as she committed just five errors in the match. She was joined up front by Bradley, who added 12 kills, and Lopez, who came through with 11.

McKenzie Tullock led the back row, contributing a team-high 19 digs, while Lopez added 13 and Wood coming through with 14 on the contest. Wood capped off a double-double performance with 26 assists as Salem combined for 61 kills and a .201 attack percentage against the Bruins. The Spirits have now won five of their last six matches with the lone setback coming to Methodist on October 24th.

Salem 3, Pfeiffer 1

First Set Recap
The Spirits established a 7-4 lead early in the first set, following a series of slams from Eckenroth and Lopez, but Pfeiffer answered with an 11-3 rally to grab a 16-10 lead. Rymer and Lopez delivered two kills apiece, helping the Spirits pull to within three, 20-17. Salem continued to push the Falcons, drawing even at 23 with a slam from Rymer, before an unforced error coupled with a Rymer kill provided the Spirits with set point.

Second Set Recap
After a .444 hitting percentage in the opening set, Salem struggled to find its rhythm in the second set before eventually tying the score at 12 with strikes from Ella Brameus and Stratmann. The Falcons tallied six of the next eight points, assuming an 18-14 lead, but two kills each from Lopez and Bradley resulted in a 19-all deadlock. Facing a 24-21 deficit down the stretch, Salem was on the receiving end of three Pfeiffer errors, while Rymer and Eckenroth drove kills past the defense, to deliver a 27-25 win for the Spirits.

Third Set Recap
Two aces from Bun along with a block and a kill by Bradley opened up a 10-4 lead for the Spirits in the third frame. The Falcons stormed back to even the contest at 10, but timely kills from Rymer moved Salem in front 14-13. Facing a 20-all tie, kills by Faith Miller and Mattie Hinson provided Pfeiffer with a 24-20 lead. Salem made a late rally to even the frame at 24, but it was points from Haedyn McGrath that provided the Falcons with a 26-24 victory.

Fourth Set Recap
The Salem offensive attack regained its previous form, posting 12 kills and a .310 attack percentage, in the fourth set. In similar fashion to the third set, with Bun in serve, Salem established a 10-4 advantage behind strikes by Lopez and Bradley. Pfeiffer managed to trim that deficit to four, 12-8, before Haley King and Rymer, who emerged with two aces, stretched the lead to 17-9. Three kills in the final five points, along with an assisted block from King and Bradley, resulted in the four-set Salem win.

Salem 3, Bob Jones 2

First Set Recap
Bob Jones capitalized on 15 kills and a .382 attack percentage in the opening set, earning a 12-point win. The Bruins grabbed a 5-2 lead in the early going before a series of Bradley kills evened the score at six-all. Bob Jones, with Eden Swihart in serve, rattled off six unanswered points and moved in front 12-6. Bradley and Rymer added kills to help Salem trim the lead to three, 14-11, before a trio of goals by Katherine Hoopes, resulting in a 20-11 lead. Salem received just two points down the stretch as the Bruins assumed the 1-0 lead.

Second Set Recap
The Spirits looked to answer in the second, establishing a 4-0 advantage with blocks from Rymer and Victoria Stratmann and a slam from Abrielle Eckenroth. That was the first of a series of runs by both teams, which resulted in an eight-all deadlock. The Bruins eventually moved in front 11-8, but Eckenroth, Lopez and Bradley kept Salem within striking distance with kills of their own. Knotted at 20-all, following a block from Bradley and Lopez, the two teams would endure seven ties in the next 14 points for a 27-27 tie. Victoria Glaze provided the Bruins with a 2-0 lead and the game-winning point on a kill.

Third Set Recap
Looking to climb back into the match, Salem received a service ace from Jolina Bun along with kills from Adalyn Raney and Bradley, establishing a 10-7 lead. Bob Jones countered with a slam from Glaze, evening the score at 10, as neither team was able to grab more than a two-point lead as the game reached an 18-all deadlock. Hoopes stretched the Bruin lead to two, 20-18, but Salem took advantage of a Stratmann ace and a Rymer slam to assume narrow a 23-22 lead. Bradley provided the 24th Salem point and Lopez followed with a slam of her own to result in a 25-23 victory.

Fourth Set Recap
The Bruins again struggled out of the gate, as Salem established a 10-6 lead with two aces from Bunn and two kills from Eckenroth. Salem eventually stretched the lead to nine, following two kills from both Bradley and Raney, making for a 22-13 lead. Raney tacked on a kill late, putting Salem at set point, before a kill from Ashlyn Wood forced a fifth and deciding set.

Fifth Set Recap
With the opportunity to earn its fourth straight five-set win, third of the 2023 campaign, Salem took advantage of kills from Rymer and Bradley, along with a service ace from Bun, to grab a 5-4 lead. The two units would battle to eight ties, reaching a 14-all deadlock, before Glaze put Bob Jones on the brink of a victory. However, a block from Raney and Bradley, coupled with a Hoopes error, provided Salem with a 16-15 advantage. The Spirits brought home the victory with a slam from Rymer, marking the 19th victory of the slate.