WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Brevard College volleyball team (3-6, 1-2 USA South) hit the road for its first USA South Conference road clash of 2023, falling 3-1 to Salem College (8-5, 1-3 USAS) on Tuesday evening in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
 
Salem took the first set, 25-17, before a five-point, 25-20 win in set number two. Brevard flipped the script in set number three, earning a hard-fought 27-25 set win to bring the match to a 2-1 margin. The Spirits were able to pull away in the fourth set, winning 25-15 to clinch the conference win, 3-1.
 
Senior outside-hitter Makenna Parkins racked up her third double-double of the 2023 season, totaling a season-high 18 kills while also adding 13 digs defensively. Junior setter Logan Priddy dished out a team-high 19 assists with 10 digs, while Ashley Hoxit drove home 12 kills as well. Parkins added three service aces and two blocks to her ledger, while Kaitlyn Pressley distributed 17 assists and Caitlin Hagarty added 10 digs.
 
Salem's offense was paced by Valeria Rosa Lopez's 15 kills and 21 digs for a double-double of her own, while Ashlyn Wood passed out a game-high 28 assists.
 
Salem opened up a 10-6 lead in the first set, with the Tornados able to cut the deficit back to a two-point margin, 12-10, following a Spirit set error. The hosts were able to open the lead back up to a six-point advantage, 20-14, before Brevard strung together three consecutive points on a Hoxit kill and consecutive service aces by Lance. However, Salem regrouped to score five-straight points and take the first set.
 
The Spirits were able to command the second set early, leading from the 2-2 mark on and extending their advantage out to an eight-point spread, 21-13. A Salem serve error, ball-handling error, and two service aces from Parkins cut the lead to four points, 21-17, but a couple of pivotal kills down the stretch gave Salem a 25-20 set two victory and a 2-0 match lead.
 
Brevard jumped out to an early 5-2 lead in the third set, forcing a Salem timeout. After Salem scored the next two points, BC put together a 5-0 run to extend its advantage to a 10-4 margin. The Spirits were able to answer back, however, going on a 10-6 run to cut the Tornado lead to just two points, 16-14, and forced a Brevard timeout.
 
BC won the race to 20, holding a 20-17 lead after a kill from Lili White. Salem turned the tides back in the back-and-forth set, scoring the next four points on a Tornado attack error and three consecutive kills to retake the lead 21-20 and force the Tornados to take their final timeout.
 
After Salem made the score 22-20 on a BC attack error, the Tornados stormed back with three straight points. Salem knotted the set back up at 23-all, but a Hoxit kill gave the Tornados their first set point of the contest. Both sides went back and forth in a highly entertaining third set of action, with Brevard ultimately prevailing 27-25 thanks to back-to-back Parkins kills, getting the Tornados back in the match 2-1.
 
Salem was able to open up a 12-5 advantage in the fourth set of action. The Spirits carried their early set momentum and clinched the match win, 3-1, with a 25-15 set four victory.
 
MILESTONE WATCH: Following Tuesday's match, senior libero Bailey Lance currently sits at 982 career digs in her BC career, as the Mills River, North Carolina native looks to become the fourth member of the 1,000-dig club at Brevard of the NCAA era. Junior setter Logan Priddy (974 career assists) and senior outside hitter/setter Kaitlyn Pressley (944 career assists) are on pace to become the fifth and sixth members, respectively, of the 1,000-assist club at BC.
 
The Tornados will return to action on Saturday as Brevard treks to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on Meredith College, with first serve slated for 12 p.m.
 
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