BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The Salem volleyball team wrapped up the final day of action at the Route 42 Classic, hosted by Bridgewater, with a pair of 3-0 setbacks to Eastern Mennonite (25-17, 30-28, 25-22) and Marymount (25-20, 25-12, 25-21) on Saturday, September 4th.
Marymount 3, Salem 0
In the first-ever clash between the two programs, Marymount emerged with a 25-20, 25-12, 25-21 victory in the final match of the tournament for the Spirits.
Salem (0-3) was led offensively by Valeria Rosa Lopez, who tallied eight kills, as well as Taylor Alleyne, Nikita Sizemore and Brooklyn Snow, who notched three goals apiece. Lopez, who narrowly missed her third double-double of the season, was responsible for a match-high 23 digs. Macy Nelson and Dania Shoaf, who finished with 24 and 12 digs, respectively, were also key defensively for the Spirits.
Marymount (2-1) finished with 33 team kills, highlighted by Maya Harris (eight) and Jada Griffith (seven). Griffith came through with 17 digs for the Saints, while Myia Jeter contributed three assisted blocks.
Knotted at 12-all, the fourth tie of the first 24 points of the opening set, Marymount outscored Salem 7-2 behind kills from Griffith and Kaitlyn Doyle to assume a 14-19 advantage. Lopez answered with a series of kills of her own, trimming the margin to 21-16, but it was not enough as the Saints closed out the frame with a five-point win.
The Saints put together a dominating performance in the second set, breaking a two-all tie with a 6-0 run, making for an 8-2 contest. Salem cut the lead to four, following a service ace by Allen, before Sydney Sands took over in serve and helped Marymount stretch the lead to 17-4. Four Spirits, including Allen, Snow and Sizemore, added kills down the stretch, but it was not enough to derail the Marymount offense that earned a 25-11 win.
Snow guided Salem to a 3-1 lead in the opening stages of the third, before a run by the Saints resulted in a 10-7 lead. A series of slams by Snow, Lopez and Sizemore drew Salem even at 10. Dania Shoaf took over in serve, helping the Spirits assume a 14-11 lead. Marymount stormed back, putting together a 6-0 run, but Salem answered with three straight points to pull even at 17. The Saints defense allowed just four points down the stretch while the offense managed to net eight points to complete the sweep.
Eastern Mennonite 3, Salem 0
Sophomore Valeria Rosa Lopez had her second double-double (17 digs / 13 kills) in as many matches for the Spirits, but it was the combination of Paris Hutchinson's 13 kills and Abby Kaufman's 18 digs that helped Eastern Mennonite claim a 25-17, 30-28, 25-22 victory over Salem in the opening match of Saturday play at the Route 42 Classic in Bridgewater, Virginia.
Lopez tied Hutchinson for most kills in the match (13), while Salem teammate Taylor Alleyne came through with eight kills in 16 attempts. Lopez, who topped the Spirits with 17 kills, was among the top backrow defenders alongside Macy Nelson, who emerged with 13 digs. Laken Edwards and Brooklyn Snow, who combined for five assisted blocks, anchored the front row defense for Salem which slipped to 0-2 on the slate.
Snow's service game, along with kills by Lopez and Allen, put the Spirits in the driver's seat with a 7-4 lead early in the opening set. However, Eastern Mennonite answered with a 7-1 run, capped off by a kill from Lizzy Kirkton, to assume the three-point lead. Hutchinson and the Royals stretched that lead to five, 17-12, before a series of kills by Lopez and Edwards pulled Salem to within one, 17-16, in the latter stages. The Eastern Mennonite defense emerged from the timeout with resolve, allowing just one point, as it claimed an eight-point win.
A tightly-contested second set, which included 13 ties in the first 42 points, reached an eventual 21-21 deadlock. Gabrielle Leeper gave the Royals a one-point lead, but Salem managed to stay within striking distance with a pair of kills by Lopez. Eastern Mennonite converted kills by Hutchinson and Heather Phelps down the stretch to assume the 2-0 lead in the match.
In similar fashion to the opening set, Salem grabbed an early lead in the third with Snow in serve, grabbing a 3-1 lead. After a series of runs by both teams brought the game to a nine-all tie, Brianna Moore helped forge the Spirits in front 13-11. That lead remained intact until Hutchinson took over in serve and converted a service ace and a kill to provide Eastern Mennonite a 19-17 advantage. The Royals would not relinquish the lead, allowing just four Salem points down the stretch, as they completed the third set victory.
Salem returns to action on Tuesday, September 7th, when the Spirits host Ferrum in their home debut at 7 p.m. in Varsity Gym.
