FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. The Methodist volleyball team hosted Salem College in a USA South Athletic Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon inside the March F. Riddle Center. In a competitive four-set contest, the Monarchs battled hard but ultimately fell to the Spirits, 3–1.
Final scores: Salem def. Methodist, 3–1 (30–28, 17–25, 25–21, 25-16)
Records: Methodist 11–14 (6–7 USA South), Salem 21–5 (11–3 USA South)
Location: March F. Riddle Center; Fayetteville, North Carolina
How It Happened
- The opening set featured back-and-forth action with neither team able to establish early momentum. Methodist built a 15–11 advantage behind kills from freshman Addison Johnson and senior Jamie Holton, heading into a media timeout. Out of the break, the Spirits responded with a 6–0 run, led by Aspen Bradley's four kills, to retake a 17–15 lead. The rest of the set saw four lead changes and nine ties before Salem narrowly took the opener, 30–28.
- Methodist evened the match in set two with an impressive team effort. Trailing 5–3, the Monarchs rattled off a 6–1 run fueled by Johnson's two service aces and multiple defensive plays from junior Savannah Hovander and freshman Grace Tillery. After Salem briefly reclaimed the lead, Methodist took full control, closing on a dominant 12–1 run to win 25–17.
- The third set followed a similar script, as the Spirits jumped ahead 7–2 before the Monarchs surged back with a 7–0 run behind strong hitting from Johnson and Hovander. Salem, however, used a mid-set push to regain the lead and held off another late rally to take the frame, 25–21.
- In the fourth set, Methodist fell behind early and struggled to recover from a 13–5 deficit. Holton provided a spark with two kills and two service aces to cut the margin to 14–10, but Salem's offense proved too steady down the stretch, taking six of the final seven points to secure the match, 25–16.
Highlights
- Methodist's offense was sharp through the first three sets, hitting .265 with 51 kills to 15 errors before cooling off late to finish with a .199 attack percentage overall.
- Johnson led the Monarchs with 16 kills, followed closely by Holton and Hovander, who each tallied 15. Tillery added a career-high six kills. Both Johnson and Holton recorded double-doubles with 16 digs apiece, while freshman Charleigh Anne Hewett was the third Methodist player to record one, with 25 assists and 11 digs.
- Faith Driver notched a career-high 27 assists, and Mary Miller anchored the defense with a career-best 34 digs.
Up Next
The Monarchs hit the road for their next three matches, beginning Wednesday, October 29, with a USA South contest at Meredith College. First serve is set for 6 PM.
