GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Spirits completed a tri-match at Greensboro's Hanes Gym, suffering a setback in the opening match to N.C. Wesleyan (25-21, 25-7, 23-25, 25-12) before falling to the host Pride by a margin of 25-14, 25-12, 25-18.

N.C. WESLEYAN 3, SALEM 1

Valeria Rosa Lopez enjoyed her ninth double-double (24 digs / 14 kills) of the season and second in as many matches in the opening match of the day at Hanes Gym. She was joined offensively by Taylor Alleyne and Brooklyn Snow, who tallied nine kills each, along with the duo of Dania Shoaf (20 assists) and Brianna Moore (17 assists).

While Lopez notched a match-high 24 digs, two other Spirits—Dania Shoaf (16) and Macy Nelson (14)—reached double figure digs. Brooklyn Snow was responsible for 11 digs in the match. N.C. Wesleyan, led by Michaela Seawell's 13 kills and Kira Kristjanson's 22 digs, emerged with a 25-21, 25-7, 23-25, 25-12 win.

Alleyne tied the opening set for a second time at 10-all when she drove a kill past the Battling Bishop defense. Lopez and Nikita Sizemore added kills as Salem established an 18-15 lead before a 6-0 run forged N.C. Wesleyan in front 21-18. The Spirits managed just two points down the stretch, while the Battling Bishops added three kills to compete the four-point win.

The Battling Bishops (15-8, 6-5 USA South) put together a dominating performance in the second set, scoring four unanswered points after leading by just one point, 5-4. Lopez and Snow tallied one kill each, making for an 11-6 contest, but Salem tallied only one point down the stretch as N.C. Wesleyan completed the 25-7 victory.

Salem responded to the second set loss with a 25-23 win in the third frame. Seven ties in the first 22 points resulted in an 11-11 tie, which was broken with a brief 3-0 run by the Battling Bishops. Alleyne slammed home two kills and Snow added a strike of her own to keep Salem within striking distance, 19-16, down the stretch. The Spirits fought back and eventually tied the set at 23-all before scoring the final two points of the game.

N.C. Wesleyan regained its previous offensive form in the fourth set, extending an early 6-4 advantage to 15-7 behind three Aubrey Nicholson service aces and two Seawell kills. The tandem of Alleyne and Sizemore pushed Salem into double figures, but the Battling Bishops earned the match win by a 25-10 margin.

GREENSBORO 3, SALEM 0

Greensboro (12-11, 4-7 USA South) completed the season sweep of Salem (0-15, 0-9 USA South) with a 25-14, 25-12, 25-18 victory in the final match of the afternoon at Hanes Gym. The tri-match host Pride had five players with at least five kills, including Carly Uhlir (seven), Rosanna Espinosa-Ponce (six) and Sarah Oakes (six), which resulted in a .236 hitting percentage. Mckenzie Norris handed out 24 assists and Uhlir led the back row with 14 digs, while Oakes tallied three solo blocks and one assisted block.

Lopez was the primary source of offense for Salem with eight kills, while Brianna Cherry, Taylor Alleyne and Laken Edwards delivered three kills apiece. Macy Nelson emerged with 15 digs with both Brooklyn Snow (13) and Lopez (11) reaching double figure digs.

A slam by Lopez coupled with an unforced error by Greensboro provided Salem with a 6-5 advantage in the first set. However, that lead was brief, as Barrett Davis in serve helped The Pride grab a 10-6 lead. Oakes' service aces, coupled with a kill by Uhlir, extended The Pride's lead to 21-11. Nikita Sizemore posted a kill down the stretch for the Spirits, but Greensboro claimed the win 25-14.

With its offense clicking on all cylinders, Greensboro established an 8-4 lead despite kills from the trio of Lopez, Alleyne and Nelson for Salem. The combination of Lauren Mantel and Mckenzie Norris in serve, which resulted in a combined eight points, played a large part in The Pride grabbing an 18-6 lead. Two kills by Lopez was not enough to spark the Salem offense, as Greensboro took advantage of three kills by Natalie Rosinski to earn the 25-18 win.

The Pride took full advantage of its rhythmic offense, establishing an 8-3 lead in the third set. Lopez and Edwards delivered kills for the Spirits, who made for a 10-6 Greensboro lead, before a 9-3 rally by The Pride resulted in a 10-point advantage. Cherry drove a pair of kills past the Greensboro defense, as did Lopez and Edwards, but The Pride received four kills in the final six points to earn the three-set decision.

Salem returns to action next week to face Methodist on Monday, October 18th before playing Meredith on both October 19th and October 21st.