South Salem's volleyball team rallied from a set down to beat rival Sprague 19-25, 26-24, 26-24, 25-21 on Tuesday, Oct. 20, clinching the Central Valley Conference (CVC) championship with a perfect 10-0 league record.
Senior outside hitter Avery Herber powered the comeback with 24 kills, six digs, an assist and a block, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive. The win improved South Salem to 22-5 overall.
Junior middle blocker Nora Kartye added 11 kills and three blocks against the Olympians, according to the Salem Sports & Breakfast Club, which named Kartye its Athlete of the Week. Kartye ranks second on the team with 190 kills and leads South Salem with 64 blocks on the season, per MaxPreps.
Coach Matt Leichty praised Kartye's growth in the Salem Sports & Breakfast Club post: "She has really emerged this season as one of the top middles not only in the CVC, but in the state."
The Salem Sports & Breakfast Club described Sprague as the No. 1-ranked team in 6A entering the match, with South Salem at No. 3. '
The Saxons had already beaten the Olympians 3-2 at home on Sept. 22, according to MaxPreps.
Herber leads the Saxons this season with 327 kills and 3.7 kills per set. Sophomore setter Liv Muhammad has piled up 611 assists. Senior middle hitter Addison Herber, Avery's teammate, leads the team in hitting percentage at .374 and serving aces with 61.
The Oregonian/OregonLive nominated Avery Herber for its statewide Volleyball Player of the Week poll and listed South Salem among its Team of the Week candidates.
South Salem has kept winning since the CVC clincher. The Saxons beat St. Mary's Academy 3-0 on Oct. 22 and stand at 26-5-2 overall as of Oct. 27, according to the MaxPreps schedule.
The Saxons enter the 6A state playoffs as the No. 3 seed, according to the OSAA bracket. South Salem has a first-round bye and will host a Round 2 match on Oct. 31, with the opponent to be determined. Rival Sprague earned the No. 2 seed.
The state quarterfinals and final are set for Nov. 6-7 at Forest Grove High School.
