Pepper Pike, OH--The Ursuline College volleyball team battled throughout its home opener Tuesday night but fell to Salem, 3-1, in nonconference action.
The Arrows dropped the four-set contest by scores of 22-25, 25-20, 18-25 and 19-25.
Salem jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the opening set before the teams began trading points. The Tigers extended their advantage to 18-10, but Ursuline battled back to cut the deficit to 23-19. After Salem reached set point at 24-19, the Arrows fought off the first two opportunities with a 3-0 run, but the Tigers closed out the set, 25-22.
Ursuline responded in the second set, racing out to a 14-6 advantage behind a strong offensive stretch and 10 Salem errors. The Tigers steadily chipped away at the deficit, pulling within 21-20, but the Arrows answered with four consecutive points to secure the set, 25-20, and even the match.
The third set remained competitive early, with the Arrows battling to an 8-8 tie. Salem gradually pulled ahead and held a 20-17 advantage late in the frame before closing out the set, 25-18, to regain the match lead.
Ursuline again battled early in the fourth set, tying the score at 6-6 before putting together a 5-0 run. The Arrows maintained a 16-14 advantage after trading points with the Tigers, but Salem responded with an 8-0 run to take control and eventually claim the set, 25-19, and the match, 3-1.
Salem held a slight advantage in hitting percentage, .132 to .113, while also holding edges in kills (49-37) and service aces (15-7). Ursuline controlled the net with an 8-5 advantage in blocks.
Ellie Zoeckler led the Arrows offensively with 11 kills. Frida Martinez and Reagan Michalski each contributed four block assists, while Kimora Hansbrough added two block assists and a solo block.
Sophia Serrano directed the Ursuline offense with 24 assists, while Mya Jackson anchored the defensive effort with 20 digs. Zoeckler, Serrano, and Addyson Greene also contributed 15, 11 and 10 digs, respectively.
Up next: Ursuline returns to action Friday when it hosts Walsh at 6 p.m. in The Jane and Lee Seidman Gymnasium.
