Jaguars sweep Salem University in the first round of the PBC Tournament

By Rodrigo Burgos Avila | Editor in Chief

The Augusta University volleyball team swept the Salem University Tigers by set scores of 25-9, 25-20, 25-10 on Friday, Nov. 21, at Flagler Gym in St. Augustine, Fla., in the opening round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament.

Playing without first-team all-conference middle Layne Witherspoon, Augusta controlled the match from the start and never allowed Salem to settle in. The Jaguars set the tone early by weaponizing their serve, finishing the first set with six aces and only one service error. Their pressure forced Salem out of system and into nine attacking errors, holding the Tigers to .000 hitting in the opening frame. The block also had a major impact, steering swings into the defense and disrupting Salem’s rhythm.

The second set played out much differently. Salem steadied out offensively and kept the score tight, but the Jaguars responded with a balanced attack that produced 17 kills in the set after recording just eight in the first. With fewer errors on Salem’s side, Augusta relied on execution rather than opponent mistakes. The offense was paced by Angela Mateos, Lauren Posa and Sofiia Snitsarevych, who each had six kills by the end of the second set and carried a large portion of the production as the match continued.

In the third set, Augusta returned to its early-match form and overwhelmed the Tigers again. The Jags hit .300 for the first time in the match and continued to control the block, finishing the set with seven team blocks. Their serve pressure also remained a decisive factor. Mia Saavedra was the spark from the end line, recording four aces in the match and consistently putting Salem’s first touch under stress.

Mia Saavedra said the serving plan was simple but intentional:

“To just serve it hard at the players we were aiming for. I try to be consistent and get them out of system.” Even after a strong performance, she stayed grounded about her impact. “It doesn’t necessarily affect my confidence. I am happy that I got the points, but I always think that there is more that can be done.”

Middle blocker Snitsarevych added that the team’s mindset has been building all season toward these moments.

“I would say motivation first of all. We were waiting and preparing for these games for the all season. Everyone is ready and prepared to do their job, myself included.”

She also praised how smoothly the offense ran despite Layne not being on the court.

“Despite Layne was not on the court today, Mia still set to different people, kept the balance and created one-on-one block for us. All players in our team are good and we are ready to play anyway.”

Augusta finished the sweep with 33 kills on .280 hitting, 13 aces, and 14 total team blocks, advancing to the semifinal round with momentum and confidence.

Snitsarevych led the Jaguars with 11 kills, followed by Posa with seven, Mateos with six and Patrycja Kabala with five. From the service line, Snitsarevych and Sydney Harrington each contributed three aces. Giulia Rodrigues anchored the defense with a match-high 16 digs, and Mia Saavedra directed the offense with 27 assists.

The Jaguars will be back on the court Saturday at Flagler Gym to face the winner of Lander vs. Middle Georgia with a trip to the conference championship on the line. Match time is to be determined.

Rodrigues was named the PBC libero of the year, and Snitsarevych was named freshman of the year. Lauren Nelson joined Witherspoon on the all-conference first, while Rodrigues and Snitsarevych made the second team.

The graduate student from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Rodrigues led the conference in digs per set. She has 569 digs on the season. Nelson leads AU with 331 kill, just seven ahead of Witherspoon. Snitsarevych has 260 kills and a team-high 129 blocks.

Contact Rodrigo Burgos Avila at rburgosavila@augusta.edu.

Note: At the top the page, Lauren Posa (9) and Sofiia Snitsarevych (11) celebrate a point during a home match earlier in the season. (photo by Lydia Williams/the Bell Ringer)

Senior Lauren Posa holds the PBC regular-season championship trophy with her Jaguar teammates. (photo courtesy of the Peach Belt Conference)