Salem University cut an eight-point first-set deficit down to two, but Concord University pulled away to defeat the Tigers 25-21, 25-18, 25-9 in NCAA Division II volleyball Thursday at Athens, W.Va. Jalavia Johnson and Elise Valdez led the Tigers with 12 digs apiece.
 
An ace by Valdez and a block by Johnson and Makhia Hinton helped stake Salem to a 6-3 lead in the opening set. Concord scored six of the next eight points to take its first lead of the contest.
 
Salem trailed by only a single point before Concord put together a 9-2 run to take its biggest lead of the set at 21-13. The Tigers then capitalized on a Mountain Lion service error to trigger a run of their own.
 
Anna Veryser followed with a kill and Liane Moser accounted for the next two points on a kill and a block with Yesenia Munoz. A Concord attack error finished a 6-0 Salem run as the Tigers pulled within 21-19.
 
After the Mountain Lions answered with a 3-0 run, Munoz help the Tigers save two set points with a kill and a block with Breslyn Argo. But Concord held on to take the first set.
 
Salem rallied from an early four-point deficit in the second set as a Hinton kill and a block by Hinton and Johnson highlighted a 4-0 run to even the set 8-8. The two teams traded side outs before Concord scored five unanswered points to take the lead for good. In the third set, Concord built a double-digit lead and went on to seal the win.
 
Munoz finished with team highs of five kills and three blocks, while Hinton, Johnson and Moser each added two blocks.
 
Salem wraps up its two-day trip to southern West Virginia Friday as the Tigers take on Bluefield State College. Match time is 5 p.m.