Box Score PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville volleyball team lost 3-0 to Kentucky Christian by close set scores of 25-22, 25-20 and 25-18 on Tuesday at UPIKE Gym as the offense struggled with consistency on its way to a .218 team-hitting performance.
KCU was more efficient, hitting .271, including 11 kills from Magen Daniel as the only player to reach double figures. Daniel tallied a .444 percentage striking the ball. Her and teammate Abbi McIlhany with seven kills on 14 attempts proved the different whenever the Bears looked on their way to a comeback.
Sydney Hall kept up her hot streak for UPIKE, finishing with eight kills on 14 swings for a .500 hitting percentage and newcomer
Connor Cook matched her eight kills on a .267 average. Hall also led the defense with two solo blocks and an assists, while Cook was in on the most plays at the net with four block assists.
Sydney Morris and
Rachel Murphy both saw time at setter with Morris dishing out the majority of the assists with 23. Murphy handed out seven and also finished second on the team with six kills and picked up a pair of digs.
Caitlynn Pfaadt paced the dig effort in the three-set match with nine, followed by
Haley Esquivel with six and Morris with five.
UPIKE led 18-15 in the first set after a kill by Cook, but allowed the Knights to go on a 6-1 run with Jenna Kelley on serve for six of the points. The Bears got within two points twice late before an error by Esquivel ended the effort.
After starting the second set with a 4-0 deficit, UPIKE once again rallied back to tie it at 15 before a 5-1 run made it 20-16 KCU. Kills by
Audri Ray and Esquivel highlighted a quick 3-0 burst to get back within one, but four straight points by the Knights were too much to overcome.
Keeping up with the even starts, UPIKE began the third frame with a 3-1 lead and held close enough to tie the score at 12 on a nifty kill from Cook off an assist from Morris. But unlike the other sets, there would be no more runs as KCU never trailed again, instead enjoying a lead that stayed between four and seven points the rest of the way.
The Bears have a quick break before opening up Mid-South Conference play at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday at Cumberland in Lebanon, Tenn.
