UPIKE Athletics

 
DAYTON, Tenn. – The University of Pikeville volleyball team extended its win streak and wrapped up the regular season AAC championship with a 3-2 win over Bryan College on Saturday afternoon.

The championship is the first regular-season title in school history in volleyball. 
 
The Bears are now 23-3 on the season and 17-0 in the AAC with two games remaining in the season. They now have a win streak of 18 dating back to Sept. 5.
 
While things finished positively for the Bears, it was a struggle from the very beginning. Playing a team they'd beaten 3-0 on Sept. 12 at home, the Bears needed all five sets on Saturday.
 
The match ended 24-26, 25-17, 22-25, 25-20, 15-11.
 
It was only the third five-set contest of the season for UPike and the first since Aug. 28.
 
UPike finished the game with 70 kills compared to 46 for the Lions. Bryan was money on the service line with 11 service aces while the Bears totaled eight, but the Bears finished with 64 assists while the Lions had 43.
 
Defensively, UPike ended with 98 digs while Bryan had 81. The Bears had an 8-5 advantage in blocks.
 
Four Bears finished in double figures in kills, paced by senior Allyah Tokelau with a season-high 20. Senior Lanie Hawley followed with 15 to go with four assists and three service aces.
 
Junior Cassidy Rivas, the league leader in kills, had 13. She also had three assists and a service ace. Junior Olivia Chapman added 10 along with a service ace.
 
Senior setter Chloie Brinton had 53 assists, marking the third time this season she's crossed 50 in a match. She added three kills and a service ace on offense.
 
Chapman was dominant on defense, finishing with six blocks, three of them solos. Hawley and Tokelau had two each.
 
Four Bears reached double digits in digs, led by freshman Baylee Moore with 28. Brinton followed with 22 on the day. Senior Lillian Carpenter added with 16 while Rivas finished with 15.
 
UPike will wrap up the regular season with two home games next weekend, starting on Friday night when Union Commonwealth University. First serve is at 6:30 p.m.