MONACA, Pa. — Strong net play and a balanced offensive attack powered the Salem University women's volleyball team to a 3-0 victory (25-23, 25-16, 25-20) over Kent State-Tuscarawas on Saturday afternoon at the Penn State Beaver Fieldhouse.
The Tigers set the tone early by outlasting the Golden Eagles in a tight opening frame before taking full control over the final two sets. Salem maintained the upper hand in nearly every facet of the match, finishing with a .145 team hitting percentage compared to Kent State-Tuscarawas' .042 clip, while also holding a 9-4 edge in service aces.
Brianna Beyerle led the charge for the Salem offense, putting down a match-high 14 kills to go along with eight digs and two solo blocks. Setter
Amari Nunez orchestrated the attack smoothly, dishing out 28 assists while contributing eight digs and three service aces.
In the middle,
Hailey Haynes provided maximum efficiency, terminating six kills on 10 errorless attacks to finish with a stellar .600 hitting percentage.
Alexandra Vigneron added eight kills and six digs, while
Lily Irvin registered five kills and anchored the net defense with three solo blocks. Libero
Ana Julia Avila Vian paced the back row with a game-high 12 digs.
The opening set proved to be the most competitive of the day, featuring tightly contested rallies down the stretch. Salem held off a late Golden Eagles push, relying on 11 first-set kills to take a 25-23 victory.
Building on that momentum, the Tigers dominated the second set. Salem's defensive pressure forced nine Kent State-Tuscarawas hitting errors, keeping the Golden Eagles at a -.091 hitting percentage and pulling away for a comfortable 25-16 win.
Salem saved its best offensive performance for the final frame, putting together a match-high 15 kills in the third set to keep Kent State-Tuscarawas at bay and complete the three-set sweep with a 25-20 finish.
Allie Keller led Kent State-Tuscarawas with seven kills and three solo blocks, while Addisen Cline recorded a double-double with 17 assists and 11 digs.
