Athens, Tenn. - Volleyball notched their second consecutive AAC win Tuesday night, defeating Tennessee Wesleyan 3-1 on the road.  

The Bulldogs pulled away midway through the first set, going up 19-14. UPIKE cut the lead to two, only for the Bulldogs to go on a run of their own and go up 22-18. Led by two aces and a kill by Cheyenne Martinez, the Bears went on a 7-1 run to win the set 25-23 and go up 1-0 in the match.  

Set two started the same way as set one, with the Bears and Bulldogs trading blows before TWU went on a run midway through. UPIKE made it interesting with a late rally, but the Bulldogs' lead proved to be too much to overcome, and TWU tied the match.  

The Bears dominated set three from the start, going on an early 4-0 run. Then, the Bears went on an 8-0 run led by three aces from Kiara Warrens and two kills by Cheyenne Martinez. UPIKE cruised to a 25-11 victory in the third set and led the match 2-1.  

Just like the third set, the Bears got off to a hot start in the fourth. UPIKE scored 11 of the first 15 points and 19 of the first 25. Despite the large lead, the Bulldogs roared back. TWU went on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 21-15. Coach Kris Kern then called a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Yaricel Rodriguez took over. The junior outside hitter recorded four straight kills to end the match.  

Cheyenne Martinez had a game-high 30 assists and finished third on the team with nine kills. Martinez also tied Kiara Warrens with three service aces. Leading UPIKE in kills with 17 on the night was Yaricel Rodriguez, followed by Lanie Hawley with 11.  

After Tuesday's win over the Bulldogs, UPIKE is now 10-3 (4-3 AAC) on the year. Coach Kern's squad will be back in action in Mount Hope, West Va. Thursday evening for matches against Boyce College Appalachian Bible College.  

#BearDown