CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. -- A 3-0 loss has never felt so close for the seventh-seeded University of Pikeville volleyball team as it battled with No. 2-seed Georgetown for three close sets, 25-20, 28-26 and 25-18, in the opening round of the Mid-South Conference Championship on Friday.
The loss ends the Bears' season with a 15-20 overall record and 1-13 mark in MSC play. The fifteen wins are the most in a season since Pikeville went 20-20 in 2007. Georgetown (27-10, 12-2 MSC) advances to the semifinals to face No. 3-seed St. Catharine at Noon ET on Saturday.
Connor Cook and Sydney Hall were the top hitters for UPIKE against Georgetown, tallying eight kills each, while Hall also had two digs, two assists and a block. Led by Sydney Morris and her 25 assists, the Bears hit .096 as a team, compared to Georgetown at .284.
Caitlynn Pfaddt was the Bears' digs leader with 11 and Cook also sent over three service aces to keep the Tigers off balance as they fought to avoid the upset. UPIKE finished with an 8-4 lead in aces, but was outblocked 15-4 to help prove the difference.
Georgetown's Allyson Wilbourn was the only player on the court to register double digits in kills with 11 and Caraline Maher was dominant at the net with one solo block and six assists as Courtney Grafton backed her up with 18 digs.
The Bears led 12-10 early in the first set, but once Georgetown grabbed a 21-20 lead it went on a quick 4-0 run to end the set. UPIKE nearly changed the momentum of the match when it took a 26-25 lead in the second set, but the Tigers got back-to-back kills from Maher and an attack error from UPIKE's Haley Esquivel to win it on a 3-0 run.
Regardless of the disappointment, the Bears didn't back down, instead taking a 14-11 lead in the third set on three straight aces from Cook. However, the Tigers went on a 4-1 run to tie it and the Bears never got back in the set as Georgetown went up by as many as seven points down the stretch.
