Salem Volleyball Takes Another Step Forward

Sep 16

3 min read

Coach Stover, Clara Bell, Maddie Mercer, & Carly Atkinson celebrating a point in an earlier season game. (Photo credit to Donald Dodd/DDD Images)

September 16, 2026

On Monday, the Salem Lady Tigers traveled to Cuba to take on the 6-2 Wildcats fresh off a tough campaign at the West Plains Tournament. They took what they learned in those losses and converted it to a thrilling 5 set win.

Grinding Out the Win

Salem, who moved to 4-6 after this game, dropped the first set 16 to 25. They flipped the script in the second set with a 25-16 victory, but then lost a marathon third set 29-31which put them behind the proverbial 8-ball.

It was now do or die time for the Lady Tigers.

Coming off a weekend where they went 1-4 facing the toughest competition that they had seen, Coach Stoner felt that under the pressure of facing that level of competition, she was able to see a lot more about her team. “It was good to see how the girls handled the pressure and who was able to step up.”

The Lady Tigers responded, taking the last two sets 25 to 21 and 15 to 11 to chalk up a much needed win.

A Big Night For Big Blue

Varsity came out with a new lineup and battled through five sets to earn a BIG win over Cuba!

Freshman Anya Gresham was called up to join varsity and stepped into the outside hitter position. She recorded kills, digs, and some great serves. Anya held her own and made a huge impact when her team needed her.

Clara Ball also stepped up in a big way. After only playing a handful of varsity matches, Clara came off the bench and delivered some big swings when we needed them most.

Our seniors, Allie Walters, Trista Dooley, and Josie Howard, stepped up as leaders on the court, connecting with our underclassmen and helping the team stay composed and focused throughout the match.

Josie Bowers took over at libero and made some huge digs on shots we have struggled to adjust to throughout the season.

Paisley May and Emma Schlag continued to put up the consistent numbers we have come to rely on, while Maddie Mercer stepped in at setter and made some great defensive plays.

Last night was a great example of what happens when everyone is willing to step into a role, trust one another, and keep fighting.

Different lineup. Different roles. Same team.

Brick by brick.

The Futures

The JV Lady Tigers may not have come away with the win, but they showed exactly what we want this program to be about. With girls stepping into new positions, they continued to work, compete, and encourage one another from the first serve to the final point. Not one girl gave up, and the fight and energy never left the court.

Salem JV vs Cuba

17-25, 23-25