WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Salem tennis team will return to the Commonwealth of Virginia on Wednesday afternoon, marking its second trip in a four-day span, for a 3 p.m. match against Southern Virginia in Buena Vista, Va.

While the Spirits (0-3, 0-1 USA South) remain in search of their first team win of the season, five individuals have claimed at least one singles or doubles victory on the slate. Alyson Gammons leads the way in singles with a 2-1 mark, posting a 1-1 record in No. 4 singles and 1-0 mark in No. 5 singles.

Both Alyssa Cosentino and Haley Gilley have 1-4 marks in singles play. Cosentino claimed her win in No. 3 singles, while Gilley posted her win in No. 1 singles for the Spirits. Gilley has also paired with McKinley Rice to earn the lone Salem doubles victory, which came as the No. 1 pairing.

AVERETT RECAP: Averett became just the second team since the 2014 campaign to turn back Salem in a tennis conference opener on Saturday, March 26th, when the Cougars earned a 9-0 victory in the final USA South Conference clash between the two programs.

The Cougars, who moved to 4-3 on the slate, earned their first point of the day by default with the tandem of Keira Gunning and Inka Zeifstra receiving credit from No. 3 doubles. Alejandra Garcia and Paula Rhysen quickly moved that margin to 2-0 with an 8-0 win over the tandem of Alyson Gammons and Alyssa Cosentino.

The No. 1 doubles pairing of Maxence Lippens and Linnea Sjostrom Krook brought home the third point for the Cougars with an 8-1 victory over Haley Gilley and McKinley Rice.

A pair of default wins by Megan Lombardt, at No. 5 singles, and Krook in No. 4 singles, clinched the team win for Averett, extending the lead to 5-0. Gunning stretched the margin to 6-0 when she triumphed over Gammons (6-0, 6-0) in No. 4 singles.

Garcia kept the Spirits scoreless with a 6-0, 6-0 win in No. 3 singles over Cosentino, while Zeilstra picked up a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Rice in a clash of No. 2 singles. Lippens completed the perfect sweep for Averett by claiming a 6-0, 6-1 win against Gilley in No. 1 action.

PREVIEWING THE KNIGHTS: The Knights are 2-2 on the season, claiming both victories in the fall portion of the slate against Shenandoah (8-1) and Roanoke (8-1) in September.

Southern Virginia dropped both of their spring matches in March, suffering an 8-1 setback to Sweet Briar (March 22) and 6-3 at Methodist (March 26). The Trojans head to Farmville, Va., for a clash with NCAA Division I Longwood on Tuesday at 3 p.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS SOUTHERN VIRGINIA
(Southern Virginia leads series 3-0)