Site: Staunton, Va. / Mary Baldwin University

Scores:
Salem 3, Methodist 1 (25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-19)
Salem 3, Mary Baldwin 1 (25-21, 25-22, 26-28, 25-16)

Records: Salem (8-4, 2-1 USA South) / Methodist (6-6, 1-2 USA South) / Mary Baldwin (1-16, 0-3 USA South)

Up Next: Salem vs. Hollins / Monday, Sept. 26th (6 p.m.)

STAUNTON, Va.— The Salem volleyball wrapped up its first USA South tri-match of the season, held in Staunton, Va., at Mary Baldwin, by completing a pair of four-set victories over Methodist (25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-19) and the host Fighting Squirrels (25-21, 25-22, 26-28, 25-16) on Saturday, September 24th. It marks the third time this season that Salem has won at least two games in a row.

SALEM 3, METHODIST 1
The Spirits put the brakes on a three-match skid with a four-set victory over Methodist in the opening game of the tri-match on Saturday. Salem prevailed by scores of 25-18, 25-18, 23-25, 25-19 over Methodist, marking the first head-to-head win over the Monarchs since October 16, 2019.

Aspen Bradley, who finished with a team-best 17 kills, led the way for Salem's offense, which tallied 61 kills and a .225 attack percentage. She was joined in double-digit kills by the duo of Anna Rymer (13) and Valeria Rosa Lopez (11). The offense was clicking on all cylinders due in large part to setters Ashlee Peek and Ashlyn Wood handing out 25 and 24 assists, respectively.

With the offense in rhythm, the defensive combination of Ella Brameus, who finished with 21 digs, Rymer (four assisted blocks) and Brooklyn Snow (three assisted blocks) limited Methodist to a .108 attack percentage. Along with Brameus, the back row threat of Macy Nelson (16 digs), Peek (13) and Lopez (12), led Salem to 73 total digs.

FIRST SET RECAP
Clinging to a slim 7-6 lead in the opening set, the Spirits took advantage of a trio of kills from Bradley, Rymer and Lopez with Nelson in serve to stretch their lead to 13-6. A kill by Jeanana Fowler briefly halted the offensive spurt, but Salem bot back on track with slams from Rymer, Snow and Lopez to establish an 18-7 advantage. The Monarchs trimmed the gap to four, 22-18, with a rally of their own. After a timeout regrouped the Spirits, kills down the stretch from Brameus and Bradley delivered the first set win.

SECOND SET RECAP
Salem carried the momentum of the victory in the first set into the early phases of the second, establishing a 10-3 lead behind a service ace from Peek and a kill off the hand of Lopez. The margin would remain intact, 15-9, after a timely kill from Abrielle Eckenroth. Just as in the first frame, Methodist put on a late run, trimming the deficit to 18-17 with block from the pair of Hannah Hewett and Alexis O'Neal. A late timeout again regrouped the Spirits, who scored seven of the final eight points and assumed a 2-0 lead.

THIRD SET RECAP
Methodist took control of the third set early, streaking out to a 15-9 lead behind an unforced Spirits error and an Aniyah Tate service ace. Salem rallied with a 10-4 run and after a pair of kills from Rymer, knotted the set at 19-all. The Monarchs pushed back in front, 23-19, but slams by Brameus and Eckenroth trimmed the lead to 24-23, before a Fowler kill gave Methodist the victory.

FOURTH SET RECAP
Salem broke a six-all deadlock in the fourth set with kills from the combination of Lopez, Rymer and Snow to grab a four-point advantage. The two teams would endure six ties, reaching an 18-18 score, before kills from Eckenroth and Rymer coupled with assisted blocks by Rymer and Snow, provided the Spirits with a 23-18 advantage. Methodist managed just one point down the stretch, while Rymer came through with a kill and Lopez forced the Monarchs into an attack error for the 3-1 Salem victory.

SALEM 3, MARY BALDWIN 1
For the fourth time this season the Salem volleyball team posted at least a .300 attack percentage, finishing with a .320 mark against the Fighting Squirrels, after limiting itself to 14 miscues along the way. The trio of Aspen Bradley (11 kills), Valeria Rosa Lopez (11) and Abrielle Eckenroth (eight) led the way for Salem's offense in the victory.

Macy Nelson anchored the Spirits' back row with a team-best 16 digs, while Ashlyn Wood (eight) and Ella Brameus (seven) were also prominent among dig leaders. Bradley and Rymer recorded four assisted blocks each for the front row attack, while Lopez and Eckenroth closed the match with three assisted blocks apiece.

FIRST SET RECAP
The two teams traded points in the early going of the first set, reaching a 10-all deadlock after four ties. The Fighting Squirrels capitalized on Leah Sherrill in serve, rattling off four consecutive points, before a series of kills by Lopez and Eckenroth drew Salem even at 15. Leading by two, 19-17, Salem used a block from Bradley and a slam from Lopez to move one point from clinching the first set. Ashlee Peek delivered the decisive point on a service ace of Savannah Figueroa.

SECOND SET RECAP
Salem faced an uphill climb in the second set after falling into a 7-1 hole early in the frame. The combination of Ella Brameus in serve and Lopez helped the Spirits pull to within one, 9-8, with a 7-1 rally. Mary Baldwin turned the momentum in its direction again, forging in front 16-9, but three Brameus drove three kills past the defense to help Salem draw even at 20. With Nelson in serve, along with kills from Rymer and a key block by Rymer and Lopez, Salem emerged victorious in the second set.

THIRD SET RECAP
Mary Baldwin converted 18 kills and posted a .350 attack percentage in the third set to grab its first set in the match. The Fighting Squirrels established a 13-5 lead, but Salem bounced back behind a series of kills by Bradley and Lopez to make for a 15-14 contest. Seven points later, with the set knotted at 18, Salem briefly grabbed the lead with a Rymer kill. However, Mary Baldwin regained the momentum and the set was extended with a 25-25 tie. The Fighting Squirrels took advantage of two kills from Sydney Clarke to complete the win.

FOURTH SET RECAP
Salem answered its most difficult hitting set of the match with its best of the afternoon, closing with 12 kills on 22 attacks and a .545 attack percentage. Streaking out to a 10-6 lead due to six early kills, the Spirits stretched that margin to six after a kill from Eckenroth. Brameus stepped into serve, delivering an ace, while Lopez drove home a kill to give Salem a 19-10 edge. Snow and Rymer came through with kills, while defensively Rymer came through with a solo block, to help Salem finish off the nine-point triumph.

SALEM NOTES
-Salem posts the four-set win over Methodist, marking the first head-to-head win over the Monarchs since October 16, 2019.
-Fifth all-time win in the series with the Monarchs, first for Salem against Methodist at a neutral site.
-Third four-set victory for Salem this season. The last time the Spirits had multiple four-set victories was in 2019, when they claimed a program record eight.
-The Spirits are now 12-2 in the all-time series against Mary Baldwin, winning two straight.
-Marks the 11th time in Salem volleyball history that the team has won at least eight matches in a season.
-Salem finishes with a .320 attack percentage against Mary Baldwin, marking the fourth time in 2022 the Spirits have a .300 attack percentage or better in a match.