Buena Vista, VA - Now in the heart of conference play for NCAA women's volleyball, the Southern Virginia University women's volleyball team delivered a come-from-behind victory to knock off Salem College, 3-2, to earn their fourth straight victory and improve to 4-1 in league play.

For the Knights, it was the second straight match against an opponent on top of the USA South standings; they defeated Methodist in four sets over the weekend. In the opening frame, Brenna Clyde was the first to get on the scoresheet with a kill in what would become the closest set of the match. Neither team could separate themselves by more than three points until Salem scored the last five points to take a 1-0 lead. 

In the second set, the Knights were down 9-5 and in danger of letting the set slip away. Freshman Claire Grasteit subbed in and provided a much-needed spark for the Knights' attack. Grasteit quickly recorded her first kill of the evening just moments after, and the Knights went on a run of their own. Sydney Basset took over the match from that point on, complimenting her attacks with excellent defense at the net, where she had registered eight block assists by the night's end. Southern Virginia scored the set's final four points, capped off by a block from Bassett and Summer Hahn to knot things up, 1-1. Once again, the Knights trailed for much of the third set and were forced to mount a comeback. Brenna Clyde was her typical steady self and capitalized on several key attacks to keep her team within striking distance. With the score tied at 22, setter Ruby Blamires provided a kill to vault the Knights into the lead and secure the set victory.

The fourth set belonged to Salem as they dominated from start to finish, setting the stage for a winner-take-all fifth set. The Knights came out of the break with energy, not satisfied with their performance in the fourth. With the score tied at six, Southern Virginia scored three points out of a timeout, including a service ace from Jessica Stone to take a commanding lead. Salem battled back, but Katelyn Wankier, Summer Hahn, and company shut the door at the net to preserve another conference victory for the Knights.

Sydney Bassett and Brenna Clyde led the team in kills with 15 apiece, while Gracie Fulton provided excellent defensive stability with 19 kills. The Knights earned 13 total blocks and were led by Summer Hahn in that department. Claire Grasteit recorded season highs with her six kills and six digs in a career night. The Knights will look to continue their run on Saturday, October 5th, in a tri-match with Pfeiffer and Meredith in Misenheimer, North Carolina. Their first match against Pfeiffer is scheduled for 12:00 PM.

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightwvolley on Instagram.