> Site: 
Varsity Gym | Winston-Salem, N.C.

>Result: 
Salem 3, William Peace 0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-14)

>Records: 
Salem (30-5)
William Peace (18-16)

>Next Match:
Salem at Southern Virginia | Nov. 16 | 2 p.m. | USA South Conference Championship

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Salem volleyball team, led by the performances of Aspen Bradley (13 kills), Anna Rymer (11 kills / 3 blocks), Leah Rymer (12 digs) and McKenzie Tullock (11 digs), clinched their first-ever trip to the USA South Conference Tournament Championship when they completed a three-set win (25-14, 25-18, 25-14) over William Peace on Thursday evening at Varsity Gym. 

Salem, which moved its home court winning streak to 20 straight, became the first USA South Conference team to clinch 30 wins in season since Averett was 32-7 in 2017. Bradley drove home 13 kills in 27 total attacks, posting a .370 attack percentage along the way, while Rymer was responsible for 11 kills in 19 attacks, finishing with a .526 attack percentage. 

Sophomore Ellie Scherer provided depth for the offense with eight kills, while Maia Johnson added seven of her own. First year setter Leah Rymer quarterbacked the offense to a .256 attack percentage, as Salem posted 45 kills, with 31 assists in the match. 

The Spirits defense limited William Peace to 31 kills (.126 attack percentage) with only Chassie Jacops reaching double-digit kills (12). Leah Rymer was one of four back row defenders with at least six digs, closing with 12, while Tullock added 11 of her own. Jolina Bun added six and Bradley contributed five digs of her own. 

Anna Rymer tallied three solo blocks, while Bradley added two of her own. Both Scherer and Johnson were responsible for one solo block apiece. 

FIRST SET: Looking to exact their revenge from a setback at William Peace just 12 days ago, Salem used five kills from Anna Rymer to build a 10-2 lead in the early going of the first set. The Pacers responded with three kills of their own, along with a service ace by Olivia Eldridge, to trim that deficit to five, 12-7. Emphatic slams from Scherer and Bradley put the Spirits back on track as they extended the margin to 18-8 on a William Peace miscue. A Bradley kill, following a pass from Leah Rymer, resulted in a 22-12 score. However, the Pacers retaliated with four unanswered as they moved back to within six. A kill by Eckenroth, along with a service ace from Makailey Albright cinched the opening game win. 

SECOND SET: Salem's relentless defense, along with two kills each from Bradley and Anna Rymer, provided the Spirits with a 7-3 lead early in the second. Sarah Yates' kill sliced the margin to three, 10-7, but it was kills from Bradley and Anna Rymer that doubled the margin and provided Salem the 15-9 edge. A rally by William Peace again drew the deficit to three, but it was two kills each from Johnson and Scherer that allowed Salem to remain in front 22-14. Johnson added a slam and Yates committed a miscue down the stretch to give Salem the six-point victory. 

THIRD SET: Salem seized the opportunity to clinch its 19th 3-0 sweep of the campaign with 12 kills in the final set. Junior McKenzie Tullock strategically picked apart the William Peace offense, forcing three errors, while Bradley added two kills to give the Spirits a 6-0 advantage. A kill by Yates provided the first Pacer point, but Salem would reach double digits, 10-4, with a slam from Anna Rymer. After weathering a series of points by William Peace, Salem converted four kills in a five-point stretch, to assume a 16-9 lead. That margin grew to nine, following a series of slams from Bradley and Anna Rymer. With an eight-point lead, 21-13, Anna Rymer forced two William Peace errors, to put the game at match point, 24-13. It was there that a service error provided the decisive point as Salem punched its ticket to the USA South Conference Tournament Finals against Southern Virginia.