It's gearing up to be another big week for Salem Athletics, with two squads competing in postseason play.
Volleyball starts out with a bang, taking on the top seeded Greensboro on Tuesday at 7pm. In their first matchup this season, the Pride took home a straight set win with a score of 25-21, 25-20, 25-19. In this matchup, both Aspen Bradley and Ella Brameus hit in double digits with 14 and 11 kills respectively. Despite losing in straight sets, the Spirits were right behind Greensboro in multiple statistical categories.This is a key contest for Salem as they push for the #1 seed going into the USA South Conference Tournament and defending their Regular Season Champions title.
Next up is Soccer, taking on their final Conference opponent of the regular season in Greensboro on Wednesday at 3pm. In their last matchup in 2024, the Pride took home a 5-0 win. Darilyn Nieto led offensively for the Spirits with four shots, three of which were on goal. With freshman goalkeeper Michaela Iapaluccio coming off of a USA South Rookie of the Week nod, the Spirits are looking to hold off the strong Greensboro offense. With both teams already clinching playoff spots, this game will help decide final seedings for the postseason.
A busy Saturday starts off with Cross Country competing in the USA South Championship Meet at 10am. The Spirits top runner is Senior Triana Smallwood, whose PB clocks in at 24:54. With each runner consistently putting up Personal Bests all season, the squad led by first-year coach Nathan Newsome is looking to continue building on their many improvements.
Volleyball is up next, taking on NC Wesleyan at 12pm. This is their second matchup of the season, with Salem securing a dominant 3-0 win back in September. The Spirits had a strong night on serve, putting up seven aces, with Ella Brameus, Madison Bozarth, and Olivia Torres all contributing two. Aspen Bradley led in kills with 10, Bozarth snagged 12 digs, and Leah Rymer secured 22 assists. Salem is ranked second in the USA South, while NC Wesleyan is currently out of playoff contention.
Volleyball will play another game on Saturday at 2pm, taking on a non-conference opponent in Roanoke. They faced off once early in September in the Maroon Classic, where the Spirits prevailed 3-0. Salem's most dominant set was the first, where they secured a 25-9 win. The Spirits also led in nearly every stat category, with some of their most impressive being their nine aces and 45 kills. Four of those aces came from Bozarth, who also put up 19 digs.
The last contest for the Spirits this week will come from Soccer, who will be playing in the first round of the USA South Conference Tournament. Their opponent is TBD. They are currently ranked 8th, so they will be traveling to their opponent. This is an exciting accomplishment for Coach Robin Ramirez's squad, who came into the 2025 season ranked at the bottom of the conference.
Be sure to follow along on @salemathletics on Instagram and right here at salemspirits.com.
