Concord Grinds Out Five-Set Win at Salem

SALEM, W. Va. – The Concord University volleyball team completed a road comeback at Salem Saturday afternoon in a five-set reverse sweep at Davis Gymnasium.
 
After a tough first two sets, Concord (17-2) flipped the script and took down Salem (9-9) in the third, fourth, and fifth sets. The set scores were 20-25, 21-25, 25-10, 25-23, 19-17.
 
In the decisive fifth set, Concord started it to the tune of a 5-2 run that saw junior outside hitter Meg Williams pick up two early kills. Salem then ripped off five in a row to take a 7-5 lead. The rest of the set went back-and-forth all the way to the 15-15 mark. After having two match points, CU finally snatched the victory with a kill from junior outside hitter Chloe Thompson, and sophomore right side Maddie Stull put the match away with a score of 19-17.
 
CU shook off two tough games to open the match, hitting .348 as a team and forced Salem into seven errors in the third. The Mountain Lions opened the set on a 5-0 run, and kept the momentum going, jumping out to a 12-2 lead where they wouldn't look back. Sophomore setter Haley Sweeney picked up three straight aces to assist in the early spurt.
 
The fourth set was the best in terms of Concord's offense. The Mountain Lions collected 15 kills as a team without a single attacking error. Junior middle hitter Jasminte Anderson and Stull each totaled four kills in the set.
 
In the opener, Salem just came out of the gates hot as it finished with 17 kills to Concord's nine. Despite Salem's offensive prowess, CU held a 19-18 lead before the Tigers won six straight points, and an advantage they wouldn't surrender.
 
Salem controlled the second set, but the Mountain Lions cut Salem's lead to 20-19 before giving up another run that put the Tigers on set point, and they eventually came out with the 25-21 win.
 
Williams stuffed the stat sheet with 17 kills and also tallied 16 digs for yet another double-double. Stull threw in 11 kills and five blocks. Thompson was the other Mountain Lion with double-digit kills as she finished with 10. Junior libero Allie Davis picked up 23 digs in the contest. Junior setter Paige Richmond tied her season-high with 32 assists.
 
As a team, CU dominated at the net with 12 blocks to Salem's four.
 
The Mountain Lions stay on the road for a third-straight match as they travel to take on Mercer County rival Bluefield State 6:00 p.m. Tuesday.