BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The University of Pikeville volleyball team opened the Vette City Classic with a split on Friday, sweeping Tennessee Southern before falling to Keiser in a five-set thriller to finish the opening day with a 1-1 record.
UPIKE Sweeps UTS 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 26-24)
UPIKE opened the tournament in dominant fashion, taking down Tennessee Southern in straight sets behind an efficient offensive performance.
The Bears jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage in the opening set and maintained control throughout, holding off a late push from the Firehawks to take the opener 25-22. UPIKE hit .464 in the first set, recording 16 kills on 28 attacks.
The second set was tight early before the Bears began to create separation. After Tennessee Southern led 10-9, UPIKE scored eight of the next nine points to take a 17-10 advantage. The Firehawks could not recover as the Bears closed out the set 25-19.
The third set provided the most drama of the match. The teams traded leads throughout, with Tennessee Southern taking a 19-17 advantage late. UPIKE answered with a 3-0 run to regain the lead before the teams battled through multiple ties. With the set tied at 24-24, the Bears scored the final two points to complete the sweep, 26-24.
Cassidy Rivas led the Bears with 18 kills, while Lanie Hawley added 10 kills and hitting a team-best .529. JLynn Risner contributed seven kills and 10 digs, while Olivia Chapman recorded five kills and hitting .385.
Chloie Brinton orchestrated the offense with 39 assists, while Lillian Carpenter led the defensive effort with 15 digs. Hawley and Chapman each added five blocks as UPIKE finished with 10 total blocks.
As a team, the Bears hit .347, recording 52 kills and 50 assists while limiting Tennessee Southern to a .200 hitting percentage.
UPIKE Falls to KU 2-3 (23-25, 25-21, 25-16, 28-30, 12-15)
UPIKE's second match of the day turned into a marathon, with the Bears and Keiser battling through five competitive sets before the Seahawks claimed the deciding frame.
The opening set featured 11 ties as neither team could gain much separation. UPIKE held a 23-22 advantage late, but Keiser scored the final three points to take the set 25-23.
The Bears responded in the second set, overcoming a 14-10 deficit with a strong push midway through the frame. UPIKE eventually took control at 20-19, scoring five of the final six points to even the match with a 25-21 victory.
UPIKE carried that momentum into the third set. The Bears jumped out to an 8-1 lead and continued to build their advantage throughout the frame. A 6-0 run later in the set pushed the lead to 19-13 before UPIKE closed out the set 25-16 to take a 2-1 match advantage.
Keiser answered with a dramatic fourth set. UPIKE trailed 18-13 before mounting a comeback, eventually tying the set at 20-20. The teams then traded points all the way into extra points, with UPIKE twice tying the set at 24-24 and 26-26. Keiser ultimately secured the 30-28 victory to force a fifth set.
The deciding set remained close early, but Keiser used a 5-0 run to turn a 9-8 deficit into a 13-9 lead. UPIKE battled back within two, but the Seahawks closed out the match 15-12.
Hawley led the Bears with 16 kills while hitting .400 and adding 15 digs and four blocks. Rivas finished with 14 kills and 18 digs, while Allyah Tokelau added 14 kills, nine digs and four blocks. Sidney Johnson contributed 11 kills, while Chapman recorded 10 kills and three blocks.
Brinton again directed the offense, finishing with 59 assists and 20 digs. Carpenter provided a strong defensive effort with 34 digs.
Despite the loss, UPIKE finished with 68 kills and 68 assists while hitting .238 as a team. The Bears also collected 115 digs in the five-set battle.
The Bears are back in action on Saturday, August 29 where they will compete against Lawrence Tech and Blue Mountain in day two of the Vette City Classic. First serve is scheduled for 9:00 AM CT.
--UPIKE--
