LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Salem University women's volleyball team split a pair of grueling five-set thrillers on Saturday at Boyce College, storming back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat host Boyce (23-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-20, 15-6) before falling just short against Georgetown College (25-22, 18-25, 25-20, 22-25, 8-15).
The split on the day moves the Tigers to 11-8 overall on the season.
Salem 3, Boyce 2
In the morning opener, Salem mounted a relentless reverse sweep after dropping the first two frames to host Boyce (3-14).
The Bulldogs seized early control, capitalizing on late runs to take set one 25-23 and set two 25-19. Refusing to go quietly, Salem found its rhythm in the third frame. Behind steady swings from Sofia Ghadesi Morales and Brianna Beyerle, the Tigers posted a .250 hitting percentage to claim a 25-21 set victory and extend the match.
Salem kept the momentum rolling in the fourth set, forcing nine Boyce attack errors and executing 13 kills to level the match with a 25-20 win. In the decisive fifth frame, the Tigers dominated from start to finish, attacking at a blistering .308 clip while holding Boyce without a kill to complete the five-set comeback 15-6.
Beyerle posted a massive double-double with a team-high 17 kills and 17 digs, while Sofia Ghadesi Morales added 14 kills. Middle hitter Hailey Haynes hit .391 with nine kills, four service aces, and three blocks. Katie Kennedy guided the attack with 34 assists alongside 12 digs, while Lorin Turkdogan anchored the defense with a match-high 20 digs and three service aces.
Boyce was led by Alyvia Boyer's 13 kills and Kaelyn Wilson's 11 kills.
Georgetown 3, Salem 2
The afternoon match saw another five-set battle, this time with Salem taking early leads before Georgetown (12-6) rallied back.
Salem set the tone in the opening frame, firing 17 kills at a .250 hitting clip to capture a 25-22 set win. Georgetown responded to take set two 25-18, but the Tigers answered back in set three. Backed by strong defense from Turkdogan and Ana Avila Vian, Salem claimed set three 25-20 to take a 2-1 match lead.
Georgetown clamped down on defense in the fourth frame, racking up 16 kills to force a fifth set with a 25-22 victory. In the final set, Georgetown carried its offensive momentum, hitting .292 with nine kills to pull away for an 15-8 set win and claim the match.
Beyerle turned in another standout performance with 17 kills and 17 digs, while Sofia Ghadesi Morales added 12 kills. Noemi Combi contributed nine kills, and Lily Irvin chipped in eight kills on a .318 hitting percentage. Amari Nunez and Kennedy split setting duties with 26 and 19 assists, respectively. Turkdogan led all players with a match-high 26 digs, supported by Avila Vian's 22 digs.
Georgetown's attack was powered by Reagan Kupper, who recorded a match-high 20 kills.
