Misenheimer, N.C. (Oct. 28, 2023) --The Pfeiffer University volleyball team fell Saturday to USA South foe Salem College in four sets, set (23-25, 24-26, 26-24, 14-25) and in a three-set decision to nonconference foe Bob Jones University in a tri-match at Merner Gym.
The losses dropped Pfeiffer's record to 9-15 overall and 4-12 in USA South action.
Against Salem, the Falcon attack was paced by Morgan Shrader, who finished with 14 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .281, and by Faith Miller, who had 12 while hitting .5. got 9 digs from Gabby Edwards along with six blocks from Miller to lead them defensively.
Game Notes vs. Salem
» Haedyn McGrath had a match-high four aces in the loss.
» Pfeiffer served up six aces on the way to a third-set victory.
» Morgan Shrader had a team-high 14 kills for Pfeiffer.
» Pfeiffer got a team-high nine digs from Gabby Edwards.
» Pfeiffer attackers were helped by a team-high 20 assists from Kylee Mayberry.
How It Happened vs. Salem
SET 1 | In spite of a pinpoint serving effort, the Falcons dropped the first set 25-23. Pfeiffer notched five aces in the set loss.
SET 2 | Pfeiffer fell in the second set 26-24, digging a 2-0 deficit in the match. The Falcons dropped a back-and-forth set, losing in a stanza that featured seven lead changes and was tied 12 times. Neither team led by more than three points along the way.
SET 3 | Pfeiffer avoided a sweep after a win in the third set to make it a 2-1 match. Strong serving helped the Falcons win the set 26-24. Pfeiffer recorded six aces in the win. The Falcons rallied from down six at 9-3 to grab the win. The Pfeiffer offense also got a boost from six aces in the stanza. Pfeiffer's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Salem (NC) attacks in the stanza.
SET 4 | Pfeiffer couldn't keep the rally going and fell in set four 25-14 to drop the match. The Falcons trailed by as many as 11 points as Salem (NC) grabbed the advantage for good at 4-3 and Pfeiffer wasn't able to recover in a set that was knotted up three times before the Spirits took over.
Against BJU, sophomore Haedyn McGrath finished with eight kills on the day to lead the Falcons offense while finishing with a hitting percentage of .375. got 11 digs from Gabby Edwards to lead them defensively.
Game Notes vs. Bob Jones
» Gabby Edwards had a team-high one ace in the loss.
» Haedyn McGrath had a team-high eight kills for Pfeiffer.
» Pfeiffer got a team-high 11 digs from Gabby Edwards.
» Pfeiffer attackers were helped by a team-high nine assists from Jessica Leshko.
How It Happened vs. Bob Jones
SET 1 | The Falcons fell behind early, losing a tough first set 25-19. Pfeiffer trailed by as many as six points as grabbed the advantage for good at 14-13 in a set that was tied up four times before the took over in the second half of the stanza.
SET 2 | A 25-16 second-set loss put Pfeiffer in a 2-0 deficit in the match. The Falcons lost the first point and fought from behind the rest of the way before dropping the set.
SET 3 | Pfeiffer couldn't prolong the match and lost in set number three. The Falcons fell behind on the first point and never took the lead before losing the set 25-12.
Next Match
The Falcons will return to play on Oct. 31 for a Halloween road match at William Peace University. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m.
