Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Salem University went to the wire in the opening set, but Lock Haven University pulled away to defeat the Tigers 25-22, 25-15, 25-19 in day one of the Daemen Volleyball Classic Friday at Amherst, N.Y. Elise Valdez led three players in double figures with 13 digs, while Alaina Weltz served three aces.

The Tigers opened play with a three-set loss to tournament host Daemen College.

Against Lock Haven, Weltz served an ace on the first point of the match and Anna Veryser added an ace, while Jalavia Johnson and Makhia Hinton contributed solo blocks to help stake Salem to a 9-7 lead. After Lock Haven rallied to take a two-point lead, the Tigers stormed back with a 7-1 run to build an 18-14 advantage. Kyana Cardenas recorded a kill and assisted on a pair of Liane Moser kills, and Weltz forced a Bald Eagle timeout with her second ace of the set.

Lock Haven came back to even the set before Johnson's kill broke an 18-18 tie. But the Bald Eagles scored three unanswered points to take the lead for good. A kill by Yesenia Munoz saved one set point before Lock Haven closed out the set.

Kills by Moser and Johnson, along with an ace by Weltz, gave Salem a quick 3-0 lead in the second set. Lock Haven scored the next six points and led the rest of the way. In the third set, a pair of kills by Munoz helped the Tigers rally from a six-point deficit to pull within 20-17. That was as close as Salem would get as Lock Haven closed out the match.

Munoz finished with 11 digs, while Weltz added 10 digs. Johnson led the Tigers at the net with seven kills.
 
In the opening set against Daemen, Johnson's kill highlighted a 4-1 run to pull the Tigers within 14-11. But the Wildcats came back with four unanswered points to pull away and take the set. Daemen jumped out to quick starts in the second and third sets and Salem never recovered.

Salem concludes play Saturday as the Tigers take on Wilmington University (Del.). Match time is 11 a.m.