Saline Volleyball Splits Pair to Open SEC Red Play

Coming off a season that saw the Saline volleyball team make a run to the Division 1 state semifinals, the Hornets have not shied away from the top teams in the state and have started the season with a 9-7-2.

The Hornets have faced six of the top 10 ranked teams in Division 1 in the early season, including two matches against top-ranked Northville in preparation for another state tournament run in November.

After a slow start, Saline has picked up the pace with a 4-2-2 record since Labor Day, with both losses coming to top 10 teams.

One of the losses was to sixth-ranked Bedford in a SEC Red matchup.

The Mules came out on top 22-25, 14-25, 22-25 to drop the Hornets to 1-1 in the Red.

Catherine Flaharty led Saline with 11 kills, two aces, two digs, and one block.

Marie Laurio had seven digs, four kills, three assists, and one block, while Sidney White added eight kills, two digs, and one block.

Olivia Behen recorded 15 digs to lead Saline, while Allie Smith dished out a team-high 12 assists and had six digs. Anya Torres chipped in with nine assists and two aces, Mallory McFarlen eight digs, Clare Beazley three blocks, one dig, and one kill, and Josie Johnson four assists, two digs, and two aces.

Saline opened SEC Red play with a 25-15, 25-8, 25-13 sweep of Ann Arbor Pioneer.

Flaharty recorded nine kills, three digs, and three aces for the Hornets in a match that Saline was able to go deep into its bench for players to see action on the court.

Addison Ashley had eight kills and two blocks, while White had six kills and four blocks, and Laurio six kills and two digs.

Mallory Bohl recorded two kills, Beazley two kills and two blocks, and Taylor Dahm two kills and one block.

Behen added 13 digs and four aces, Smith 15 assists and five digs, and Torres 10 assists.