SALEM, W.Va. (Nov. 4) – Behind a triple-double from senior
Brittney Nesbitt (Kansas City, Mo./Raytown South), the Tigers defeated Ohio Valley 3-1 (25-11, 15-25, 25-22, 25-18) in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play Wednesday evening at the T.Edward Davis Gymnasium.
The win improves the Salem International University volleyball team to 6-18 overall and 1-5 in conference play. Meanwhile, the Fighting Scots fall to 3-3 in the G-MAC, 10-18 overall.
Nesbitt led the team with 13 kills on 29 attacks (.414 hitting percentage) and tallied 13 assists and 10 digs for her first-career triple-double. She also added five blocks and two aces to an impressive final line in the win.
Junior
Emerald Rosenbusch (Hutto, Texas/Hutto) led the defense with 14 digs, while sophomore
Felice Reed (Pilot Point, Texas/Pilot Point) guided the offense with a team-best 18 assists, one shy of a season-high.
Salem International raced out to a 16-6 lead in the first set to force an Ohio Valley timeout. The Tigers did not let up, scoring nine of the next 14 points to close out a 25-11 first-set win.
The second set was tied at 11 before the Fighting Scots flipped the script. Ohio Valley won 15 of the final 19 points to take a 25-15 set victory to even the game at one apiece.
The Tigers managed to fend off Ohio Valley in the third set. Salem International held a 23-15 lead before the Fighting Scots rallied for seven-straight points, including three aces, to cut the Tiger lead to 23-20. Ohio Valley managed to pull within two points at 24-22, but a kill by freshman
Kara Kocurek (Orange Grove, Texas/Orange Grove) erased any hopes of a comeback to put the Tigers up 2-1 heading into the fourth set.
Despite the late push by the Fighting Scots, Salem International raced out to a 12-5 lead in the fourth set. Ohio Valley came as close as two points behind at 19-17, but the Tigers claimed six of the match's final seven points, capped off by a Nesbitt ace, to earn their first G-MAC win of the season.
Salem International had one of its better hitting performances of the season, including 13 kills on 29 attacks (.329) in the fourth set. The Tigers were able to limit Ohio Valley to 35 kills on 126 attacks (.040) for the night, including seven of 32 (-.094) in the first set.
Salem International heads to Owensboro, Kentucky this Friday, Nov. 6 when it takes on Kentucky Wesleyan in a G-MAC contest. The match is set to begin at 8 p.m. local, 7 p.m. CST.
