UPIKE Athletics

One of the most challenging weekends of the volleyball season ended with two wins for the University of Pikeville, which knocked off Brenau (Ga.) University 3-0 on Saturday morning.
 
The Bears won by scores of 25-15, 25-18, 25-22.
 
UPike has now won 10 consecutive games for the second season in a row. The Bears are 16-3 on the season and more importantly 9-0 in the AAC. The Fighting Tigers are 13-5 overall, 6-3 in the league.
 
Senior Allyah Tokelau led the Bears at the net, recording 16 kills on the day. Juniors Cassidy Rivas and Olivia Chapman had nine kills each while senior Lanie Hawley and sophomore JLynn Risner finished with eight each.
 
Senior setter Chloie Brinton recorded 42 assists. The Bears had seven service aces, with Hawley recording three.
 
Rivas led three Bears in double figures with 13 digs. Freshman Baylee Moore recorded 11 and Brinton finished with 10. Hawley and Tokelau had two block assists each.
 
The Bears will wrap up this four-match homestand on Tuesday night when it hosts Bluefield (Va.) University. First serve is at 6:30 p.m. at the UPike Gym.
 
Bears 25, Tigers 15: Brenau took a 5-4 lead early before UPike went on its first extended run. The Bears scored five straight to start an 8-1 run. Hawley and Risner had two kills each in the stretch, which also included a service ace by Chapman as the Bears moved in front 12-6. Leading 13-10, six consecutive points put the first set away. Hawley had consecutive service aces to push the lead to 19-10.
 
Bears 25, Tigers 18: The set started out close as the teams weren't separated by more than two points until kills by Chapman and Tokelau put the Bears in front 12-9. Three straight kills, with two by Hawley coming around one by Risner, pushed UPike ahead 18-12. A service ace by Hawley made the lead 21-13. A five-point run by Brenau cut the lead to 21-18 before the Bears scored the final four, including consecutive kills by Tokelau for the finish.
 
Bears 25, Tigers 22: The third set was again tight, as the teams were tied 11 times. The last of those came at 21. From there UPike scored four of the final five points. Rivas and Tokelau had kills, Chapman had a block and then she recorded a service ace to close the match out.