BUCKHANNON, WV - The Salem International University women's volleyball squad completed its 2016 season on Tuesday night (Nov. 15) with a road-match against West Virginia Wesleyan. The Bobcats would come away victorious in three-sets (25-14, 25-16, 26-24) against the Tigers.

The Tigers (5-26) finished the season with a pair of victories over their final four matches and swept the season series (2-0) against Lincoln (Pa.).

Sophomore Sophie Freihofer led the Tigers with eight kills and four aces on the night, while sophomore Cassidy Pluta finished with a team-high 12 digs.

Both teams would struggle in the opening-set, committing a total of 15 errors and both hitting below .100. SIU recorded a pair of kills while the Bobcats tallied eight. Wesleyan would win the first set despite hitting just .071 as a team.

The second set would have a different feel to it as both teams recorded 11 kills a piece and committed just eight combined errors. SIU would fall-behind 10-2 in the set before a three-point rally trimmed the deficit to 10-5. Freshman Kristn Holt tallied a pair of kills in the quick-burst for the Tigers. Leading 15-10 in the set, the Bobcats rattled-off eight consecutive points to stretch their lead to 23-10. Salem would answer the run with six-points of its own, cutting the deficit to 23-16. Freihofer added a pair of kills for the Tigers during the run.

Wesleyan would tally the final two-points needed to win the set and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Tigers controlled the tempo through the early portion of the third set, building-up a 5-3 lead after a bad set by Wesleyan's Paulina Nottingham. Freihofer stole the show a couple of points later, serving-up three aces to increase the Tigers lead to 9-4. Leading 21-14, the Tigers faced a rallying Bobcat squad that used a four-point rally to cut the deficit to 21-18.

SIU found itself ahead 23-20 when another four-point rally from the Bobcats would give them a late 24-23 lead in the set. A kill from Freihofer would knot the set 24-24. but a kill from Wesleyan's Hannah King and a service ace from Lexi Walsh would secure the 26-24 victory in the set and give the Bobcats a sweep in the match.

Sophomore Tallora Soriano guided the Salem offense with a team-high 19 assists while adding six digs. Junior Alessandra Marquez recorded three blocks and five kills for the Tigers.

King led Wesleyan with 15 kills and four blocks, while teammate Katlyn Hoge dug-up a match-high 16 balls. Walsh paced the Bobcats with four blocks, while Nottingham recorded a match-high 27 assists with eight digs.