PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Chelsea Staples tallied a match-high 12 kills and Caitlyn Pfaadt picked up a season-high 15 digs to help the University of Pikeville volleyball team past Cumberland (Tenn.) 3-1 on Saturday at UPIKE Gym. The win is the first for the Bears in conference play this season.
As good as Staples and Pfaadt were, UPIKE (13-11, 1-8 MSC) also got a big lift from setter Sydney Morris with 38 assists, the most in a four-set match this season, as she helped her team notch a .190 hitting percentage. The Bulldogs (12-11, 1-7 MSC) hit just .090 and failed to have a hitter with double-digits in kills as Michelle Evans with nine led them.
The win gives UPIKE some positive momentum as it prepares for a five-match road swing that starts at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday against Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. Four of the five are against MSC foes, including a rematch with Campbellsville on Oct. 22, which the Bears took to five sets at home earlier this season.
On Saturday, Connor Cook also kept up her solid hitting, posting nine kills on 26 swings and Sydney Hall added eight kills in the middle at a .300 percentage. Pfaadt helped the offense move along with three aces and got a lift on defense from Natalia Gascot with 10 digs and Staples and Hall with five blocks each.
Karlie Collins paced the Bulldogs with 18 digs, Ashton Perez dished out 23 assists and Jaitra Abrams finished with four blocks in the loss.
The first set, in which UPIKE outhit Cumberland .333 to -.026, was a breeze as the Bears started off with a 5-1 lead and never let their advantage drop below three points. The biggest lead of the frame came on the final two points as Audri Ray and Cook tallied back-to-back kills to win it 25-16.
Cumberland only hit a positive percentage in two of the four sets, but in the second they were dominant, posting a .423 to control the set 25-17. It started by earning the first five points with Perez on serve and the Bears never recovered.
But luckily for UPIKE it was a one-set wonder as Cumberlands' offensive woes continued in the final two sets. The Bears took advantage with a pair of 25-17 and 25-21 wins to seal it. While the third set was smooth sailing, the Bulldogs put up quite a fight in the fourth.
Tied 21-21 after a service error from Pfaadt, UPIKE finally got on a roll and used two kills from Staples, an error from Cumberland and a final swing from Cook to end the match. It was a long set that saw seven ties and included the Bulldogs having their last lead late in the frame at 20-19.
