KINGSPORT, Tenn. – The University of Pikeville volleyball team opened play in the AAC tournament on Friday with a 3-0 win over Brenau (Ga.) University.
 
The Bears, seeded fourth in the 10-team field, improved to 2-2 in the tournament since entering the conference in 2023. UPike is now 19-12 on the season.
 
UPike will advance to the semifinals on Saturday morning, when it plays top-seeded Columbia International (S.C.) University at 10 a.m. at the MeadowView Marriott Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn.
 
No. 5 Brenau finished its season with a record of 15-13.
 
Sophomore Cassidy Rivas led five Bears with four or more kills with 11 kills. Senior Gracey Lovgren followed with nine. Junior Lanie Hawley had seven, while senior Alondra Ayende added six. Hawley and Ayende had two service aces each.
 
Sophomore Olivia Chapman added four kills.
 
AAC Newcomer of the Year Chloie Brinton recorded 34 assists for the Bears, while also leading the Bears on defense with 14 digs. Sophomore Ashtyn Filkins added 10 digs.
 
Lovgren and Hawley led the Bears with five block assists each in the win, while Hawley and Chapman recorded solo blocks.
 
 
Bears 25, Golden Tigers 21: Behind the serving of Rivas, UPike jumped out to a 3-1 lead. Brenau broke a 7-7 tie with a 6-1 run, with four different players recording kills. The Bears righted the ship, however, and scored eight of nine to take the lead. Ayende had a kill and two service aces as UPike took a 19-17 lead. A Brinton service ace was part of three straight points to move the Bears ahead 23-19, and the teams traded points the rest of the set.
 
Bears 26, Golden Tigers 24: Brenau opened with a 3-1 lead thanks to the serving of Dallas Morse, who had a service ace. UPike tied the game at 3-3 but then trailed until a 6-1 run tied the game at 14. Three different Bears had kills in the stretch. Brenau rallied and took a 24-22 lead. Kills by Hawley and Ayende tied it. Lyla Reed had a service ace and then a Tiger attack error put the Bears up 2-0.
 
Bears 25, Golden Tigers 18: After Brenau took a 2-1 lead, the Bears took over. It began with a string of 11 out of 12 points. Brinton had two service aces and three assists, Rivas had two more kills and Hawley and Lovgren combined for a pair of kills to make the score 12-3. It grew to 16-7 after Hawley and a kill and a service ace and Lovgren added a kill.