Women's Volleyball Storms Past Norwich, 3-0

THE BASICS 
Salem State, 3 (25-15, 25-20, 25-9) at Norwich, 0

Records: 
Norwich University Cadets (1-16)
Salem State University Vikings (8-11)

Location: Northfield, Vt. - Andrews Hall

Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025

THE LEAD—  In an all-around dominant team effort, the Salem State women's volleyball team came away with a 3-0 sweep of Norwich University Saturday morning. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Early in the first set, after both sides were knotted at 10, Salem gave itself breathing room by scoring 11 unanswered points (21-10). Despite Norwich breaking up the uninterrupted scoring run, the Vikes closed out the final set with a 25-14 win. During Salem's burst of offense, Bella Coccia (Westfield, Mass.) highlighted the scoring with three kills along with three aces by Celia Carbone (Lynnfield, Mass.).
• In the second set, both sides played each other hard back and forth with Norwich up 11-10 early on. However, after a Cadets error evened things at 11, Salem pulled away with a 7-2 run (17-13), which featured four-straight kills from Sabina Kamanda (Dracut, Mass.).
• Despite the lead, Norwich hung around and was down three (19-16) later in the second. Salem would not let the hosts get any closer as the squad outscored Norwich in the second, 6-4, for a 25-20 set win. 
• The third set was all Salem as the squad raced out to an early 15-3 lead. During the Vikings' surge, Carbone chipped in five service aces. From then on, Salem ended the match on a 10-6 run for the 25-9 match victory. In the final Salem scoring stretch, six different Vikings had a kill apiece for the squad. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Three different Salem State student-athletes finished the contest with more than five kills, led by Coccia's nine. Kamanda and Presley Shairs (Salem, Mass.) weren't far behind with eight each.
• Carbone notched a career-high eight service aces on the day.
• Ellie Hernsdorf (Granby, Conn.) guided the offense with a match-high 17 helpers. 
• On the defensive end, Kailey Roche (Billerica, Mass.) led the squad with 24 digs. She has now finished with 20-plus digs in seven matches this year, including three straight. 
• Bella Belldina Ray led Norwich with seven kills Saturday.
• Autumn Parkhurst dished out a team-high 11 assists for the Cadets.
• Saturday marked the eighth matchup between the two programs, and each squad has now four matches apiece. However, Salem has won the last two matchups versus Norwich.

UP NEXT

• Salem continues its three-game road trip with a stop at Anna Maria College on Wednesday, October 22 at 6:00 p.m.