Site: Winston-Salem, N.C.

Scores:
Salem 3, Meredith 2 (25-19, 25-17, 14-25, 22-25, 15-11)
Salem 3, Pfeiffer 2 (20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-19)

Records: Salem (12-5, 5-2 USA South) / Pfeiffer (5-16, 3-6 USA South) / Meredith (12-9, 4-4 USA South)

Up Next: Salem at William Peace (Tuesday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m.)

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Senior Valeria Rosa Lopez, who finished off a USA South Conference tri-match with two double-doubles, played an integral role in leading the Salem volleyball team to a five-set victory over Meredith (25-19, 25-17, 14-25, 22-25, 15-11) before coming through with a four-set win against Pfeiffer (20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-19) as the Spirits improved to 12-5 overall and 5-2 in league play.

Lopez notched her ninth double-double of the slate in Salem's second-ever program victory over Meredith. She came through with 18 kills, 18 digs and posted a .293 attack percentage. Joining Lopez among kills leaders were Aspen Bradley (15), who finished with a .294 attack percentage, and Brooklyn Snow, who posted 11 kills and a .333 attack percentage.

Lopez led all back row defenders with 18 digs against the Avenging Angels, while Ella Brameus added 14 and Ashlyn Wood tallied 14 digs to go along with a team-high 27 assists.

In the nightcap, Lopez drove home a match-high 15 kills, finishing off a .323 attack percentage after committing just five miscues along the way. She was again joined among kill leaders by Snow, who posted 14 kills and a .323 attack percentage, as well as Bradley, who tallied 10 kills in 22 attempts and finished with a .364 attack percentage.

Wood led the offensive attack with 21 assist, while Ashlee Peek handed out 17 assists in an offense that finished with a .274 attack percentage. Lopez led the back row with 15 digs, while Macy Nelson came through with nine. Brameus narrowly missed a double-double outing with nine digs and nine assists for the Spirits.

Anna Rymer tallied three assisted blocks, while Lopez and Snow finished with two, giving Salem eight in the match.

SALEM 3, MEREDITH 2

FIRST SET RECAP
Three kills off the hand of Lopez, coupled with a service ace from Peek, allowed Salem to grab an 11-5 lead early in the opening set. However, an 11-6 run by the Avenging Angels eventually drew the match even at 17 on a timely Lopez kills. Lopez delivered back-to-back kills to give the Spirits a 20-17 advantage, before an attack error by Hailey Long stretched that margin to five. Snow and Bradley delivered one kill each down the stretch to give Salem the 1-0 advantage.

SECOND SET RECAP
With Wood in serve, forcing Meredith into three straight unforced errors, Salem grabbed a 4-0 lead early in the set. The trio of Snow, Brameus and Lopez drove home kills for the Spirits, who would grab a 15-11 advantage at just over the midway point. Meredith capitalized on a Sara Dees kill and block to remain within striking distance, 20-16, but it was two kills from Bradley and a service ace by Rymer that made the difference in the eight-point Salem win.

THIRD SET RECAP
The Avenging Angels came out of the third-set intermission on an 11-4 run and despite slams from Rymer and Lopez, stretched their lead to eight at 17-9. Salem reached double figures with three kills from Bradley, but it was slams down the stretch from Lauren Bissette, Kenzie Moore and Lillie Davis that gave the Avenging Angels the win in the third frame.

FOURTH SET RECAP
Meredith carried the momentum over from the third set into the early phases of the fourth, bolting out to a 9-3 kill following a slam by Long. Rymer, Snow and Bradley converted kills for the Spirits, trimming the margin to 11-10, but Bissette delivered two kills that provided Meredith with breathing room, 15-12. Leading by five, 22-17, following a Salem miscue, the Avenging Angels took advantage of kills down the stretch from Emma Duncan and Long to even the match at two-all.

FIFTH SET RECAP
The decisive set endured nine ties in the first 20 points, resulting in a 10-10 deadlock. Salem grabbed the lead on a kill by Wood before Abrielle Eckenroth stretched the margin to two with a slam past the Avenging Angels' defense. Lopez drove home a kill for the 13-10 lead before an unforced error coupled with a block from Rymer delivered Salem its first win over Meredith since October 20, 2017 and second win in program history.

SALEM 3, PFEIFFER 1

FIRST SET RECAP
Coming off a five-set clash against Meredith in the second match of the afternoon, Pfeiffer posted 12 kills and a .333 attack percentage in the opening set against the Spirits. Salem broke a five-all deadlock with slams from Snow and Peek, grabbing a 10-6 advantage. However, Pfeiffer rallied and tied the game at 10, forcing the first of three ties, before moving out in front 16-13 on a kill from Haedyn McGrath. The Falcons maintained at least a four-point lead throughout the remainder of the set to grab the 1-0 lead.

SECOND SET RECAP
Brameus made the difference for the Spirits in the start of the second, opening the frame with four service aces and forcing Pfeiffer into three miscues as the lead reached 7-0. A combination of kills from Eckenroth, Lopez and Brameus kept Salem in front, 14-9, despite a push by the Falcons. Salem watched a 20-12 lead late in the frame dwindle to two, with Kylee Mayberry in serve, but kills down the stretch from Snow and Brameus kept the Spirits in front 24-22. The decisive point came on a Rymer service ace, which evened the match at one.

THIRD SET RECAP
Pfeiffer grabbed the momentum early in the third, establishing an 8-3 lead following a kill from Honeycutt. Rymer and Snow drove home kills for Salem, bringing the game to an eight-all tie. Three ties later, knotted at 13, a series of kills from Bradley, Lopez and Eckenroth forged Salem in front 16-13. However, Pfeiffer fought back to even the game at 16, before Lopez and Rymer teamed for a series of kills that pushed the margin to 21-18. Brameus delivered two kills down the stretch, while Bradley drove home to set-winner, giving Salem a 2-1 advantage.

FOURTH SET RECAP
Morgan Shrader opened serve for Pfeiffer in the fourth, providing the Falcons with a 6-0 lead in the process. Salem chipped away at the lead and would put together a 9-6 run to knot the game at nine with a kill from Snow. Salem eventually grabbed the lead 15-12, before kills from Snow and Bradley stretched the lead to five for the Spirits. One final late push by the Falcons drew the deficit to three, 20-17, but Salem allowed just two points down the stretch and used two kills from Snow to post its first win over the Falcons since October 30, 2019.