MONTGOMERY, W. Va. -- The University of Pikeville volleyball team held off West Virginia Tech in five sets with the help of steady defensive play on Tuesday night. The Bears out blocked the Golden Bears 15-9, and limited them to just a .067 hitting percentage to earn the narrow 3-2 win.
It wasn't all defense that proved the difference as Sydney Hall paced UPIKE (1-0) with 11 kills and Connor Cook and Kaitlyn Welsh chipped in with 10 each. Hall also added five blocks, while Welsh and Rachel Murphy picked up the most digs with 12 apiece.
Savanna Zakman had a good first showing running the offense with 37 assists to go along with four digs and a kill.
UPIKE only hit under .100 in two sets for the match, which ended up being the two that it lost in the first and fourth. West Virginia Tech (0-1) took its only lead at 1-0 with a 25-23 first set, then the Bears went up 2-1 with 27-25 and 25-8 efforts.
The Bears couldn't put it away in the fourth with a 25-21 loss, but rallied back from a 3-0 deficit in the fifth to win 15-9. Up 9-7, UPIKE went on to outscore the Golden Bears 6-2 to win it. Â Â Â Â Â
Â
Bear Standout: Sydney Hall (11 kills, 5 blocks, 3 digs). Posted two kills in the deciding fifth frame.
Visitor Standout: Jacque Carroll (13 kills, 17 digs, 1 block, 1 ace, 1 assist)
Match Notes:
·       Hall not only had the most kills, she was also the most consistent, posting a match-high .333 hitting percentage.
·       UPIKE played in four five-set matches last season, going 3-1.
·       The Bears improve to 14-3 against West Virginia Tech since 2007.
Up Next: vs. Reinhardt, 4 p.m. ET, Aug. 28, Milligan Mountain Madness, Milligan, Tenn.
Â
