In this Tigers Tale, it was Salem Volleyball Coming Out on Top of Houston
September 26, 2026
Salem moves to 2-1 in SCA (South Central Association) conference play as they finished last week with wins over the Ava Bears and huge win over the previous 8-1 Houston Tigers.
Taking the Home Win vs Ava
The freshmen started off the night versus Ava with a back-and-forth, 2-1 victory. The JV played tough but could not gain control as they fell in two, highly competitive sets. The Varsity came out on fire and took care of business in the first two sets only to have Ava fight back to win the next. This brought up the 5th set and Salem dominated the tie breaker, 15-4, giving them their first conference win of the season.
Paisley May finished with 12 kills, a .269 Hit%, and 2 assists.
You can catch up on the season and hear about the win versus Ava on Inside the Huddle’s Blue Tiger Talk that is powered by our Presenting Partner, Town & Country Bank. In Season 1 Episode 7, we talk with Coach Stoner about the season. Click the icon to watch the interview.
Salem Shows They are the Big Cats by Handing Houston their 2nd Loss
When the Houston Tigers come to your facility with an 8-1 record and you are trying to string together wins and build consistency, dropping the first set is never a good thing.
Unless you are the Salem Lady Tigers and were ready to do what it took to fight, scrape, and claw for a victory.
Coach Kenzie Stoner noticed a change in her team after that first set. “After dropping the first set, we came out with a completely different energy in the second and battled our way back. That momentum carried us through the third and fourth sets, and the girls continued to fight for every point.”
Collecting Bricks
In the recent Blue Tiger Talk with Coach Stoner, she talked about the team Bricks but also the individual Bricks that they were collecting.
Senior Josie Howard had a big night as she recorded her 500th assist. Coach Stoner was impressed with all of the hitters and how they were swinging through the night. She was specifically impressed with sophomore Clara Ball who “came out and put on a show” with some big swings and blocks.
Junior Audrey Green returned to the lineup bringing that spark and making an impact, setting up the ball for lots of assists and dominating in serve.
Bringing the Energy
Coach Stoner felt the energy in the gym and knew it provided that extra boost to her team. “We also can’t forget about our incredible cheering section! The support from the stands brought so much energy to the gym and helped keep us going all night.”
Coach Stoner commented that “the BRICKS keep coming!” after having reviewed the stats from recent games. Be on the lookout for an upcoming Inside the Huddle Blue Tiger Talk where we dig a little deeper into the Bricks that are being collected by this year’s squad.
Brick by brick, they are continuing to build.
Next Up
Monday the 28th Salem hosts St. Clair (6-8-2). The Freshmen get things started at 4:45pm with the JV and Varsity to follow.
Tuesday the 29th, conference foe Cabool (14-3) will be coming to town. Salem will be looking to avenge a tournament loss to Cabool. JV begins at 5:00 pm with Varsity to follow.
Thursday the 1st, Salem travels to Willow Springs (2-11-2) in a conference match-up with JV starting at 5pm.
Saturday the 3rd is the Houston Invitational Tournament
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