SALEM, WV- The Salem Tigers returned home today to host the Cougars from the University of Cincinnati-Clermont. The Tigers entered today's contest with a record of 3-9 while the Cougars came in above .500 with a record of 8-6.

The first set opened with a back-and-forth battle between the two sides with neither team able to pull away. Salem was able to maintain a 2-3 point lead throughout the early stages, but they seemed unable to put UC-Clermont away. After allowing the Cougars to cut the deficit down to one Salem took over, they ran off fourteen of the final sixteen set points to capture a win 25-12.

The second set opened in a very similar fashion to the first one. Both teams were neck and neck with one another in the early stages. The Cougars scored to take a one-point lead at 9-8. This was the last lead they would have. Salem's offense began to dominate as they again ended the set on a lopsided scoring run. The Tigers outscored the Cougars 17-6 for the remainder of the set and pulled off another victory to grab a commanding 2-0 lead over the visitors.

As set number three got underway Clermont had their back against the wall and they were playing like they knew it. An offense that struggled in the first two sets seemed to come alive when they needed to most. Salem had chances to claim the set, but the opportunity seemed to slip through their fingers each time. The Cougars pulled off their first set win 25-22. 

Entering the fourth set you could tell the Tigers were hungry for a win on their home court. They struck early, establishing an 8-2 lead before the Cougars scored four straight to close the gap. As the set continued both sides seemed even with one another. With the score in Salem's favor at 13-12 the Tigers strung together a 4-0 run to gain a 5-point lead and seemingly put the game out of reach for the Cougars. Seemingly. UC-Clermont fought their way back tooth and nail by piecing together a 7-0 run to take a 19-17 lead and stun the Tigers. Head Coach, Matt Carpenter, called a timeout to calm his team down before the final stretch of the set. Salem came back onto the court composed and prepared. They scored eight of the last nine points to claim a 25-20 victory and win the match 3-1.

The Tigers will be back in action Tuesday, October 3rd against West Liberty University at home at 7pm.

SALEM STAT LEADERS:

Kills: Valentina Poti (17)

Aces: Mikaela McEvoy, Alayna Cox (3)

Blocks: Nakyia Middleton, Clanae Davis (3)

Digs: Alayna Cox (16)