KINGSPORT, Tenn. – The University of Pikeville recorded its first-ever win in the WinWon AAC volleyball tournament on Thursday afternoon, beating Tennessee Wesleyan 3-0.
 
With the win, the seventh-seeded Bears improved to 19-12 and will advance to play No. 2 Reinhardt University on Friday afternoon in a match scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at the MeadowView Marriott Convention Center & Conference Resort.
 
Freshman Olivia Chapman led the Bears on Thursday with 14 kills. Junior Alondra Ayende (9), sophomore Lanie Hawley (8), freshman Cassidy Rivas (7) and sophomore Theresa Romero (6) followed as UPike finished with 46 kills.
 
Freshman setter Tylie Barton recorded 35 assists in the win.
 
Defensively, Romero led the way with six blocks, while Chapman had five. Hawley was in on four blocks. Barton recorded 14 digs while Ashtyn Filkins followed with 13.
 
Tennessee Wesleyan's season came to an end with a record of 10-22.
 
Bears 25, Bulldogs 15: Three different Bears had four kills each as the Bears rolled in the opener. An attack error gave TWU a 12-11 lead, but kills by Romero and Ayende followed by a service ace by Roberts put the Bears on top 14-12. After a timeout, Ayende and Hawley pushed the lead to 16-12 and it never got closer. UPike followed the serving of Barton, who had a service ace to finish it, for the win.
 
Bears 25, Bulldogs 23: UPike built a nice lead and then had to hold on to claim the second set. The Bears led 24-19 after scoring on consecutive attack errors by the Bulldogs. But a kill and three UPike errors cut the lead to 24-23 before Romero recorded a kill to end it. The Bears had 14 more kills to move to the cusp of advancing.
 
Bears 25, Bulldogs 22: Rivas served the Bears to a 5-0 lead, but the Bulldogs weren't finished with their season yet. They battled, and tied the match at 13. It was even again two more times, including at 16, before UPike took a three-point lead behind kills by Ayende and Hawley. A kill by Barton made it 23-20 before TWU made one more rally to get within one. Kills by Chapman and Ayende ended it.