WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.— The Salem tennis team will host a pair of USA South Conference matches over a two-day stretch at the Bert Lain Tennis Center beginning on Wednesday when the Spirits clash with William Peace at 2 p.m. That will be followed by a 1 p.m. match against Meredith on Thursday.

Salem (1-6, 1-4 USA South) is in search of its first home victory since defeating Hollins by a 7-2 margin on October 5, 2019. The last home USA South victory for the Spirits, who were unable to compete in league play in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, came in a clash with Mary Baldwin on March 30, 2019.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The Spirits have rescheduled their match with N.C. Wesleyan for April 18th at 1 p.m. The match had originally been scheduled for March 20th, but it was postponed.

SALEM DOWNS GREENSBORO, CLAIMS FIRST WIN OF 2022: The Salem tennis team picked up its first win of the 2021-22 season on Saturday, April 9th, in a clash with intercity USA South rival Greensboro, defeating The Pride by a 9-0 margin on the courts at Greensboro Day School.

Salem (1-6, 1-4 USA South) earned two points by default in doubles, giving the duos of Alyson Gammons and Alyssa Cosentino as well as Ashley Linden and Gina Franco automatic victories. Meanwhile, the tandem of Haley Gilley and McKinley Rice provided the Spirits a 3-0 advantage with an 8-3 triumph over Jada Ore and Natalie Habich.

The trio of Gammons (No. 4), Linden (No. 5) and Franco (No. 6) also picked up three default wins for Salem in singles, clinching the first team win of the season in the process.

Cosentino kept Greensboro scoreless with a 6-1, 6-1 win against Kemp in the clash of No. 3 singles. Rice added a 6-1, 6-1 victory of her own in No. 2 action, downing Natalie Habich. Gilley closed out her second win of the afternoon in No. 1 singles, recording the ninth team point, with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Ore.

ANALYZING SALEM: After Saturday's victory over Greensboro the Spirits have now posted 11 singles wins on the season with the trio of Alyssa Cosentino, Alyson Gammons and Haley Gilley tied for the team lead with two each.

Cosentino has two victories as the Spirits' No. 3 seed, while both of Gilley's wins have come versus No. 1 opponents. Gammons' wins came as a No. 4 seed and No. 5 seed for Salem.

McKinley Rice also notched the first win of her collegiate career, which came in 6-1, 6-1 fashion over Greensboro's Natalie Habich.

The tandem of Rice and Gilley also picked up their second doubles win of the slate, most on the squad.

PREVIEWING WILLIAM PEACE: William Peace has a 1-8 overall record entering the week and will face Shaw in a match on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m.

The Pacers have lost six straight matches since posting a 6-0 win over Greensboro on March 26th. The first of those setbacks (6-0) came to N.C. Wesleyan on March 30th. Since that point they have suffered losses to Mary Baldwin (6-3), Emory & Henry (6-0), Meredith (5-1), Meredith (8-1) and most recently Sweet Briar (9-0), which came on Sunday, April 10th.

The top singles player on the William Peace squad is Hayley McNair, who is boasting a 4-3 record overall and a 4-1 mark in USA South action. She has claimed three wins as the No. 2 seed and one victory as a No. 1 seed for the Pacers. Also with multiple wins is Camryn Straughn (2-5), who has one each as the No. 1 and No. 2 seed.

McNair and Straughn have teamed up on six occasions in doubles play for William Peace this season, earning two wins along the way.

ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS WILLIAM PEACE
(Salem leads series 10-1)

TAKING A LOOK AT MEREDITH: Meredith heads into the week with a 5-7 overall record and a 3-3 mark in USA South Conference action. The Avenging Angels are 1-2 this month, dropping a pair of matches to Pfeiffer (7-2) and Southern Virginia (8-1) while defeating Triangle rival William Peace by a 5-1 margin.

Salem is seeking its first-ever win in the all-time series with Meredith. 

Meredith is also set to play at Methodist on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m.

ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS MEREDITH
(Meredith leads series 4-0)