MONTGOMERY, W. Va. -- It took five sets, but the University of Pikeville volleyball team found a way to start its season with a win, topping West Virginia Tech 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Sydney Hall was efficient leading the attack, tallying 12 kills on just 20 swings for a .450 hitting percentage. Kaitlyn Welsh led the Bears with 13 kills and Connor Cook chipped in with eight. As a team, UPIKE hit .161 compared to a .064 mark for the Golden Bears.

Savanna Zakman orchestrated the UPIKE (1-0) attack well, dishing out 38 assists, while also connecting on seven service aces. For the match, the Bears led in total aces 14-3. Rachel Murphy led the team in digs with 23 and Hall was the leading blocker with four.

Tech (2-1) got 11 kills from both Michala Dean and Bailey Lotozo, but the pair hit just .167 and -.048, respectively.

The first three sets were all close as the Golden Bears took the opener 27-25, followed by UPIKE evening things up with a 25-23 decision in the second. West Virginia Tech then returned the favor with a 25-23 win of their own in the third set, but ultimately wasn't able to capitalize on a 2-1 lead at home.

HOW IT WENT DOWN

UPIKE's turnaround started in the fourth set when it hit a match-best .414 as a team to take apart the Golden Bears for a commanding 25-16 win. Using the momentum from the lopsided score, the deciding fifth frame was never in doubt as UPIKE shot out to a 13-6 lead before putting that match away with a 15-9 win.

Much like the fourth set, the Bears were much better percentage wise on the attack in the fifth set. They put together a .368 mark, while Tech hit in the negative at -.100.

QUOTABLE

"Every time we got the lead we got comfortable, but by the end of the match we started playing to win. It also didn't hurt that our serve was working, which is something we'll need this season. With Sydney, we needed her from the beginning, our offense struggled at first, but that's part of the game early in the season." - UPIKE head coach Obed Quiles.

BEAR FACTS

UPIKE has won the last seven matches against West Virginia Tech, last losing on Oct. 13, 2012 3-0 at home…UPIKE is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between the Bears and Golden Bears…This makes five straight seasons that the Bears have won their season opener…Sydney Hall now has 871 career kills, which is good for fourth in the program record book.

UP NEXT

UPIKE heads to the Milligan Mountain Madness on Friday and Saturday in Elizabethton, Tenn. The Bears face Midway and Middle Georgia at 5 and 7 p.m. ET on Friday, followed by Bluefield (Va.) and Milligan at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., on Saturday.

-UPIKE-