Site: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Score: Greensboro 3, Salem 1 (16-25, 25-16, 28-26, 25-17)
Records: Salem (6-4, 0-1 USA South) / Greensboro (6-7, 1-0 USA South)
Up Next: Salem vs. Methodist / Salem at Mary Baldwin / Staunton, Va. (Mary Baldwin) / Sept. 24
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.— Valeria Rosa Lopez came through with 14 digs and 10 kills, while teammates Aspen Bradley (11 kills) and Macy Nelson (15 digs) led the Spirits in their respective categories, but it was the offensive trio of Kantley McKown (13 kills), Taylor Cotie (11) and Payton Shiflet (10) that delivered Greensboro a four-set victory (16-25, 25-16, 28-26, 25-17) on Wednesday evening at Varsity Gym.
Lopez recorded her sixth double-double of the season and joined Bradley in double figure kills as Salem tallied 44 kills in the match. Nelson returned to the lineup and delivered her sixth double-digit dig match of the season, one more than Ella Brameus and Lopez, who finished with 14. Ashlyn Wood was also instrumental on defense, tallying 13 digs along with a team-high 21 assists.
Greensboro made its presence felt on the front row with 14 assisted blocks, including four from Cotie and three each by Jaylyn Templeton, Jade Vrobel and Kelci Brooks. The Pride posted a .201 attack percentage and were led on the back row by Lauren Mantel, who had 17 digs.
FIRST SET RECAP
Salem stormed out to a 10-4 lead in the opening set, stretching the advantage to 15-6 with back-to-back service aces from Wood. Lopez, Anna Rymer and Bradley slammed home a series of kills for the Spirits, who took control of the match with a 20-11 lead. Lopez and Brooklyn Snow came through with three kills down the stretch as Salem took the first set by nine points.
SECOND SET RECAP
Greensboro regrouped during the break and came out firing on all cylinders offensively, grabbing a 10-3 lead behind a kill from Katrina O'Neill. Salem bounced back to pull to within two, 10-8, before a 9-3 run by The Pride that was capped off by an unforced error resulted in an eight-point Greensboro lead. A combination of kills from Rymer, Bradley and Snow trimmed the deficit to 21-16, but another Pride run held Salem scoreless as the match drew even.
THIRD SET RECAP
The Pride's offense remained hot early in the third frame, grabbing a 10-6 advantage with a slam from Vrobel. Salem answered with a rally of its own and after back-to-back kills from Bradley and Brameus with Nelson in serve, the Spirits evened the set at 19-all. The two teams traded blows, enduring six ties, before a climatic 26-26 deadlock with a kill from Greensboro's Kelci Brooks. An unforced error gave The Pride a slim one-point lead before the kill from McKown decided the set.
FOURTH SET RECAP
The Spirits took advantage two kills from Lopez and a slam off the hand of Bradley to even the third at six in the early going. Greensboro countered with a 7-1 run, highlighted by an Abey Hancock ace, to grab the 13-7 lead. With The Pride leading 17-11 late in the match, kills from Rymer, Lopez and Nelson helped Salem move to within five, 20-15. Greensboro's defense answered the challenge and McKown added a pair of kills in the final stages to deliver The Pride its first USA South win of the slate.
MATCH NOTES
-Greensboro has now won the last three meetings in the series between the two programs.
-Lopez has a six double-double outings in 2022, most of any Salem player.
-Aspen Bradley eclipsed the 100-kill mark for the Spirits this season.
