WHEELING, West Virginia - The Salem volleyball team headed up to the Northern Panhandle this evening for a rematch with the Wheeling Cardinals. The Tigers came up short in the first meeting between these two squads earlier in the season, and, unfortunately, it was another tough contest for Salem with the Cardinals pulling away with the 3-0 victory. 

In the first set, Salem knew they needed to start off well to keep pace with an experienced Cardinal squad. They did just that with a pair of early kills from Noemi Combi, but Wheeling was able to build a rally late in the set to take it 25-12. 

For the next set, the Tigers had a tough time getting the offensive attack going. The Cardinals jumped ahead quickly, and Salem needed to act quickly to get back into the game. Salem got some strong play from Makenna Long and Arianna Parsley, but the offensive woes conceded the set to Wheeling 25-8.

In the final set of the match, Salem opened well with kills from Noemi Combi and Hailey Haynes. The Cardinals pushed right back, and we had a tight ballgame up in Wheeling. Despite some offensive improvements, the Tigers ended up dropping the final set 25-16 and therefore the contest 3-0.

Statistically, Salem was led offensively by 7 kills from Noemi Combi. Arianna Parsley added 19 assists, and Kayla Holbrook locked things down defensively with 17 digs for the Tigers. 

With the final road contest of the season now complete, Salem will wrap up their home slate and the entire 2024 fall campaign on Friday, November 15th at 7 PM against the Point Park Pioneers.