Opponents:
Salem vs. N.C. Wesleyan | October 21 | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Varsity Gym | 12:00 p.m.
Salem vs. Carolina U. | October 21 | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Varsity Gym | 4:00 p.m.

THREE MATCHES AHEAD THIS WEEK FOR SALEM SPIKERS
After heading to Brevard on Tuesday, Salem is making its return to Varsity Gym this weekend to face N.C. Wesleyan and Carolina University in a tri-match at Varsity Gym on Saturday afternoon in Winston-Salem.

MORGAN'S MESSAGE MATCHES
Saturday's matches will serve as Morgan's Message awareness as well, and fans can contribute to the cause by clicking: https://www.morgansmessage.org/

TRI-MATCH AT VARSITY GYM THIS WEEKEND, WHILE JOCKEYING FOR POSITIONS IN THE STANDINGS
Salem is set to host its first tri-match of the 2023 season this weekend when the Spirits take on N.C. Wesleyan and Carolina University at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. The two units will face each other in a clash at 2 p.m.

Salem is looking to keep pace with Southern Virginia, who sits in fifth in the USA South Conference standings with a 7-6 mark. A victory over the Battling Bishops in the noon match, coupled with a Southern Virginia loss to William Peace on Saturday would move Salem into fifth in the standings.

The top four spots in the standings, entering the weekend, are occupied by Meredith (11-2), Greensboro (9-3), William Peace (9-3) and Methodist (9-4).

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPIRITS
Senior outside hitter Valeria Rosa Lopez reached double-digit kills (14) for the 13th time this season, while Anna Rymer added 13 of her own, helping the Salem volleyball team post its seventh sweep of the season (25-22, 25-21, 25-20) at Brevard when the two USA South Conference programs clashed in Boshamer Gym on Tuesday evening.

The victory over the Tornados, which resulted in 46 total kills (.237 attack percentage) and four total blocks allowed Salem to sweep the regular season series and secure at least a .500 record in 2023. While Lopez and Rymer each reached double figure kills, sophomore Aspen Bradley tallied eight kills and a .400 attack percentage. Bradley was also responsible for all four solo blocks and made three digs.

The back row was highlighted by the performances of Lopez and Macy Nelson, who tallied 19 and 12 digs, respectively. Salem's defense limited the Tornados to a .176 attack percentage, after committing 15 errors, and 36 kills.

TRACKING LOPEZ'S MOVE UP THE STATISTICAL CHARTS
In 2023, Salem senior outside hitter Valeria Rosa Lopez joined Taylor Moulton as the only two players in program history to rank inside both all-time kills and digs in Spirits' volleyball history.

Lopez ranks third in kills (922) as she looks to join Moulton and Kylie Taffer as the only three players in Spirits history with 1,000 kills in a career. Lopez needs 78 kills to reach that milestone.

She has also climbed the career digs list, moving into third with 1,251 in her Salem career. Lopez entered the season fifth in all-time digs with 983 to her credit, trailing Hannah Delcamp (994) and Mariah Sharon (998) for fourth and third, respectively.

After surging past both Delcamp and Sharon on the all-time digs list, the Ponce, Puerto Rico, native now sits exactly 22 digs from tying Zy Henderson (2012-14) in digs with 1,273. Moulton owns the program mark with 1,369.

WOOD HAS SIGHTS SET ON MAHER
Ashlyn Wood, who became the fourth setter in program history in program history to reach 1,000 assists in her career against N.C. Wesleyan on September 23rd, is looking to move into the Top-3 in all-time assists by season's end.

Wood enters the week with 1,147 assists, needs just 245 assists to equal Sara Maher for third in program history.

Wood has amassed 462 assists through the first 23 matches of the season, averaging 5.70 assists per set along the way. Last season, in her first year, Wood tallied 685 assists (5.91 assists/set).

WIN SECURES AT LEAST A .500 SEASON FOR SALEM
When Salem left Boshamer Gym in Brevard, N.C., with a 3-0 victory on Tuesday evening it secured another unique distinction in the career of Spirits' head coach Barry Rymer. Rymer became the first coach in program history to secure at least a .500 mark in consecutive seasons.

In 2022 the Spirits wrapped up the season with a 21-10 mark, resulting in the best winning percentage in program history. When Salem secured its win over Brevard on Tuesday, which moved to 15-8 overall in 2023, it left seven matches remaining on the regular season schedule. That means that Salem will at least finish with a .500 record in back-to-back campaigns for the first-time ever.

SALEM IN SEARCH OF SEASON SWEEP OF BATTLING BISHOPS
For the second time in as many matches, Salem volleyball is looking to earn a season sweep of a USA South Conference opponent.

Salem completed its first season sweep of an opponent with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-20) decision over Brevard. On Saturday at 12 p.m., if the Spirits emerge with a victory over N.C. Wesleyan, it would mark the second season conference sweep of an opponent in 2023. Salem has already faced the Battling Bishops twice in 2023, earning 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 26-24) and 3-1 (26-28, 25-21, 25-20, 25-18) wins when the two clashed in a conference and non-conference, respectively, match on September 23rd in Rocky Mount, N.C.

Recapping Sept. 23 Match (vs. N.C. Wesleyan): Valeria Rosa Lopez capped off the first match of the afternoon with 14 kills and a .345 attack percentage after committing just four errors in 29 total attacks, helping the Spirits cap off the sweep of N.C. Wesleyan 25-18, 25-20, 26-24. Teammate Abrielle Eckenroth was also active for the Salem offense with seven kills, posting a .429 attack percentage, with just one error.

The tandem of Anna Rymer (13 assists) and Ashlyn Wood (18) helped Salem notch 39 total kills and a .269 attack percentage as a unit. Rymer, who notched three assisted blocks, was also active on the back row with 12 digs, while Lopez and first-year Victoria Stratmann tallied 10 digs.

Sophomore Aspen Bradley overcame a difficult first match to post a team-high 16 kills, making five errors in the process, to finish with a .344 attack percentage for the Spirits. Joining Bradley in double figure kills were Rymer (15) and Lopez (11) as Salem tallied 62 kills and a .281 attack percentage after limiting itself to 14 errors.

The setting combo of Rymer (27) and Wood (20) reached at least 20 assists for Salem's offense, while Rymer led the back row with 18 digs. Lopez was also active on the back row with 16 digs and first-year libero Jolina Bun contributed 15 in the match.

BATTLING BISHOPS IN OCTOBER
N.C. Wesleyan is 5-5 since facing Salem on September 23rd in Rocky Mount. Three of those wins came in succession against Mary Baldwin (3-0), Regent (3-0) and Southern Virginia (3-2), which closed out the month of September.

The Battling Bishops added two more victories against Pfeiffer (3-0) and Johnson & Wales (3-2) on October 7th, marking the last triumphs.

N.C. Wesleyan's offense, which has amassed 810 total kills (10.38 kills/set), is led by the trio of Sloan Martin (176 kills), Grace Bestler (165) and Fiona Egan (144). Sloan is also responsible for a team-high 443 assists.

Defensively, Hailey Davenport leads the way with 333 digs (4.27 digs/set) while Aajah Vazquez has anchored the front row with 42 total blocks (30 assisted).

FACING CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
Series Recap: Salem owns a 13-0 record in the all-time series with Carolina University, dating back to the first-ever meeting, which came on October 7, 2008. The Spirits have earned four sweeps in that span and the remaining nine wins all came by 3-1 decisions.

The two teams last faced each other at Varsity Gym, where Salem is 6-0 in the head-to-head series, on September 17, 2019.

Carolina University, coached by Salem alumnae Chelsea Jones, heads down Academy Street for the match this weekend. Jones wrapped up her career at Salem with 1,795 assists (5.16 assists/set) and 721 digs (2.07 digs/set) in 348 sets between 2010 and 2013. The Spirits amassed 35 wins during her four-year stretch.

The Bruins are 16-5 overall, boasting an 8-2 mark on the road, and are on a three-match winning streak that includes victories against Toccoa Falls (3-0), Regent University (3-1) and Virginia Lynchburg (3-0) in that stretch.