SALEM, West Virginia - After a tough result on Friday night, the Salem women's volleyball team needed to regroup and reset quickly as they hosted the Concord Mountain Lions today in T. Edward Davis Gymnasium. It was a classic with the Tigers taking the first 2 sets before falling in the final three sets. 

To open the game, the Tigers unleashed two strong performances, and immediately put the Mountain Lions on their heels. Marika Righi and Mykenzie Clyncke were the offensive drivers for the Tigers in both these sets, and were crucial to building late runs that sealed the Tigers 2-0 lead going into set 3. 

In sets 3 and 4, the offensive firepower cooled off for the Tigers, and the Mountain Lions found their groove. Competition was fierce, but it quickly became apparent this contest was destined for a 5th set. 

In that final frame, the Tigers fell behind early, but rode a 5 point swing to take a 7-5 lead with some key plays from Alexandra Vigneron and Valentina Poti. Both teams traded single points and short runs up to the 15-15 tie. Salem leaned on their veterans to stay point for point with the Mountain Lions, but ultimately conceded the final set 19-17 and therefore the game 3-2. 

Despite the heartbreaker, Salem had some strong performances to build off of. Marika Righi led Salem in Kills with 18 and digs with 19. Valentina Poti added 4 service aces, and Alexandra Vigneron tallied 2 blocks. Katie Kennedy finished with a staggering 51 assists in the game. 

The Tigers remain at home for their next contest as they are set to host the Washington Adventist Shock on Tuesday, October 21st at 7 PM.