PIKEVILLE, Ky. – The University of Pikeville senior its lone senior off happy thanks to a 3-1 win over Kentucky Christian University on Tuesday night at the UPike Gym.
 
The Bears improved to 15-9 on the season and they have already matched last year's win total in the AAC with a record of 10-6.
 
Freshman Cassidy Rivas led the Bears on offense with 18 kills. Sophomore Alondra Ayende followed with 10. Ayende and freshman Lyla Reed had two service aces each, and freshman setter Tylie Barton had 45 assists.
 
Defensively, Barton (14) and Ayende (13) led the way in digs. Freshman Ashtyn Filkins followed with 11 while Rivas had 10. Sophomore Theresa Romero had one solo block and four assists, while sophomore Lanie Hawley had two solos and two assists. Freshman Olivia Chapman had one solo block and three assists.
 
Senior Marianne Negron had two kills and a solo block in the win.
 
The Knights fell to 1-20 overall, 1-14 in the league.
 
The Bears will return to action on Saturday when they visit Milligan (Tenn.) University. The first serve is at 6:30 p.m.
 
Bears 25, Knights 17: UPike jumped out to a 5-2 lead, getting two kills from Alondra Ayende. After the Knights scored, the Bears posted six straight points, with Rivas recording three kills to make it 11-3. Pikeville used another six-point run, with Barton opening it with two kills, to make the score 18-7 and cruised to the win in the opener.
 
Bears 25, Knights 21: KCU jumped out to an early 9-3 lead behind the serving of Lydia Ward. The Bears pulled within one four times before tying the match at 18. It was tied again at 19 before UPike scored six of the next eight points to win. Hawley and Ayende had two kills each, and Ayende finished it with a service ace.
 
Knights 25, Bears 21: After building a nice lead but letting it get away, KCU built a big lead and made it stand up to take the third set. The Knights scored the first seven points of the set, then, trailing 15-14, went on an 8-1 run to lead 22-16. The Bears pulled within two at 23-21 but got no closer.
 
Bears 25, Knights 10: UPike opened the fourth set on a 5-1 run, scoring first on a service ace by Ashtyn Filkins and ending it on a kill by Ayende. A run of four straight started with a kill by Ayende who then added a service ace made the score 9-2. It turned into a 15-1 run thanks to four kills by Rivas.