Site: Winston-Salem, N.C.

Score: Salem 3, N.C. Wesleyan 0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-13)

Records: Salem (17-7, 9-4 USA South) / N.C. Wesleyan (8-15, 4-9 USA South)

Up Next:
Salem vs. N.C. Wesleyan | October 22 | Varsity Gym | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 12 p.m.
Salem vs. William Peace | October 22 | Varsity Gym | Winston-Salem, N.C. | 4 p.m.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Less than 24 hours after suffering a 3-0 setback to Southern Virginia, the Salem volleyball team returned to the court and emerged with its 10th 3-0 win of the season (25-12, 25-21, 25-13) by virtue of a triumph over N.C. Wesleyan at Varsity Gym on Friday, October 21st.

The victory marks Salem's seventh at home this season, moving the 2022 unit into third all-time in home wins behind only the 2017 team (10 wins) and 2008 unit (nine wins). The Spirits rebounded from their lowest attack percentage of the season against Southern Virginia (.094) to top the .300 attack percentage mark for the ninth time this season, posting a .325 by virtue of 50 kills and nine miscues in 126 total attacks. It is the fourth time in the last five matches that Salem has hit at least .300.

Individually, Salem had several standout performances, including a 15-kill performance from Aspen Bradley that saw the first year standout finish with a .452 attack percentage. That moves Bradley past Taylor Moulton's 273-kill performance in the 2018 campaign into seventh in all-time kills in a single-season in program history. Bradley needs just three kills to surpass Valeria Rosa Lopez's 2021 mark of 282 and 14 to move into fourth-most single-season kills, which is currently held by Christine Tillman (293), who established the mark in 2009.

Also coming through with solid offensive performances were Lopez, who finished with 13 kills and a .393 attack percentage, and Anna Rymer, who slammed home 11 kills and went errorless in 19 total attacks to post a .579 attack percentage. The combination of Ashlyn Wood (24 assists) and Ashlee Peek (16) also played a key role in Salem's offensive successes. Wood put together her eighth double-double of the season, which consists of digs and assists and first since an October 12th clash with Greensboro.

Defensively, Lopez led the way with 18 digs, while teammates Macy Nelson and Ella Brameus recorded 15 digs apiece. Brameus became the 12th different Spirit to eclipse 300 digs in a season in program history, sliding her past Alexis Sunderland for 12th-most single-season digs. She also made her impact felt in the service game with three aces, giving her 45 on the slate. That is eighth-most in a season and 11 off the record pace set by Hillary McPhatter in 2014.

FIRST SET RECAP
Clinging to a one-point lead in the early going, 6-5, Rymer delivered a clutch kill and forced two attack errors by the Battling Bishops to provide the Spirits with an 11-6 advantage. That lead grew to eight, following a pair of kills from Lopez along with a slam from Rymer, resulting in a 20-12 margin. Rymer came through with two blocks and two kills down the stretch to help the Spirits grab the 13-point win.

SECOND SET RECAP
Salem's offense was firing on all cylinders in the second, closing with 19 kills and a .349 attack percentage, receiving five kills off the hand of Bradley alone. Bradley drove home a kill to break a three-all tie, while Abrielle Eckenroth added a kill and Rymer came through with a block. The Battling Bishops rallied to force five ties, resulting in a 14-14 deadlock. With Nelson in serve, an unforced error gave Salem a lead it would not relinquish. Two kills each from the trio of Lopez, Rymer and Brameus helped the Spirits grab a 2-0 advantage in the match.

THIRD SET RECAP
It was five kills each from Bradley, Rymer and Lopez that helped key the Salem offense in the third set. Salem, which finished with a .390 attack percentage in the frame, established an 11-6 lead with back-to-back slams from Rymer and Bradley. Leading by four, 13-9, a timely kill from Eckenroth, followed by three kills from Bradley and two service aces by Brameus, put Salem in front 20-9. The Spirit defense allowed just four points, while Lopez and Rymer delivered two kills each to mark the straight set victory.

SALEM NOTES
-A 15-kill performance from Aspen Bradley moves her past Taylor Moulton's 273-kill performance in the 2018 campaign into seventh in all-time kills in a single-season in program history.
-Ashlyn Wood put together her eighth double-double of the season, which consists of digs and assists and first since an October 12th clash with Greensboro.
-Ella Brameus became the 12th different Spirit to eclipse 300 digs in a season in program history, sliding her past Alexis Sunderland for 12th-most single-season digs.
-Ella Brameus made her impact felt in the service game with three aces, giving her 45 on the slate. That is eighth-most in a season and 11 off the record pace set by Hillary McPhatter in 2014.
-The Spirits rebounded from their lowest attack percentage of the season against Southern Virginia (.094) to top the .300 attack percentage mark for the ninth time this season, posting a .325 by virtue of 50 kills and nine miscues in 126 total attacks. It is the fourth time in the last five matches that Salem has hit at least .300.