PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville volleyball team picked up an important win over Montreat (N.C.) College Friday night, knocking off the Cavs 3-0.
 
The win moved the Bears to 15-7 on the season but more importantly, 7-7 in the AAC. Montreat, which could have passed UPike in the league standings with the win, fell to 5-8 in the conference, 8-8 overall.
 
Montreat started the match strong, scoring the first three points on a service ace by freshman setter Katie Alexander and built to a 5-1 lead when it got a kill from junior Katie Dickey. The Cavs led 6-5 when it scored five straight and seven of the next eight points to lead 13-6.
 
The Cavs led 22-19 before the Bears mounted a big rally to win the first set. The run began with a kill by freshman Alondra Ayende and ended when senior Cheyenne Martinez recorded a kill on a set by junior Yaricel Rodriguez to win 25-22.
 
Monreat led 5-3 in the second when the Bears reeled off six straight points. Senior Kiara Warrens had two service errors in the run that put UPike on top 9-5. The Cavs evened the score at 11 but never got back in front, and when Martinez recorded a service ace, it put the Bears on the brink of a win by taking the second set 25-17.
 
Down 2-0, the Cavs continued to battle and keep things close. The score was tied seven times by the time it was 10-10 and 11 times in the set. The last tie, however, was 19-19, at which point the Bears pulled away, and when Martinez recorded her second service ace of the match, it ended 25-20.
 
Ayende powered the Bears to the win, recording 14 kills on 24 swings. Rodriguez added eight while freshman Lanie Hawley finished with five.
 
Martinez, in addition to her pair of aces, had 29 assists in the win.
 
On defense, the Bears had six solo blocks with Rodriguez having two of them. The Bears finished with 37 digs; the balanced defensive effort was led by Warrens and freshman Lillian Carpenter with six each. Ayende and freshman Kyra Looney added five apiece.
 
The Bears will have to rest quickly, returning to the court in the UPike Gym on Saturday morning at 11 in another AAC battle against Brenau (Ga.) University.
 
--UPIKE--