BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The University of Pikeville volleyball team continued its strong showing at the Vette City Classic on Saturday, sweeping a pair of opponents on Day Two of the tournament. The Bears opened the day with a 3-0 victory over Lawrence Tech before completing the day with another sweep of Blue Mountain Christian, improving to 3-1 at the tournament.
UPIKE Sweeps Lawrence Tech 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-12)
The University of Pikeville volleyball team opened Day Two of the Vette City Classic with a dominant 3-0 sweep of Lawrence Tech.
The Bears battled through a tight opening set before pulling away late. Pikeville trailed 24-23, but consecutive Lawrence Tech errors gave UPIKE the lead before a kill from Lanie Hawley closed out the set, 26-24. Cassidy Rivas led the Bears with 11 kills in the match, while Hawley added seven kills and a team-high 13.5 points.
Pikeville carried that momentum into the second set, overcoming an early 5-1 deficit to take control. The Bears erupted for 19 kills while committing just three attack errors in the frame, using a series of kills from Rivas and JLynn Risner to build their advantage. Risner finished with seven kills on .538 hitting, while Rivas added 14 digs to go with her 11 kills as Pikeville secured a 25-19 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
The third set saw UPIKE establish control early. After Lawrence Tech took a 2-1 lead, the Bears responded with a 9-2 run to take a 10-4 advantage. Pikeville continued to extend its lead throughout the set, highlighted by strong serving from Hawley and Olivia Chapman. Chapman recorded four service aces in the match, including three in the third set, as the Bears cruised to a 25-12 victory to complete the sweep.
Pikeville finished with 41 kills compared to 32 for Lawrence Tech and hit .243 as a team. Rivas added 11 kills, Hawley nine, Tokelau nine and Chapman six, while Chloie Brinton directed the offense with 34 assists and added 10 digs.
UPIKE Sweeps Blue Mountain 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-15)
The Bears closed out Day Two of the Vette City Classic with another sweep, rolling past Blue Mountain Christian 3-0.
Pikeville set the tone immediately, racing out to a 5-0 lead in the opening set. The Bears continued to control the action behind an efficient offensive attack, hitting .455 with 19 kills in the frame. Pikeville built its lead to as many as 14 points before closing out the set, 25-12.
Blue Mountain responded with its strongest offensive showing of the match in the second set, but the Bears answered with an even more efficient attack. Pikeville hit .500 with 18 kills while committing just one attack error. After trailing 22-17, the Bears erupted for eight straight points to complete the comeback and take the set, 25-22. Lanie Hawley sparked the late run with a service ace, while Cassidy Rivas and Olivia Chapman combined for four kills during the surge.
Pikeville again jumped ahead early in the third set, taking an 11-4 advantage before Blue Mountain trimmed the deficit. The Bears quickly regained control, using kills from Rivas, Allyah Tokelau and JLynn Risner to pull away. Rivas delivered 13 kills on .500 hitting for the match, while Tokelau also recorded 13 kills and hit a team-best .571. Pikeville finished the set with a 25-15 victory to complete the sweep.
The Bears finished with 52 kills and hit .443 as a team, while holding Blue Mountain to a .160 hitting percentage. Rivas and Tokelau led the attack with 13 kills apiece, followed by Risner and Chapman with nine each. Chloie Brinton recorded 40 assists and 12 digs in the victory.
The Bears are back in action on Friday, September 4 where they will travel to Upland, Indiana to compete in the AMF Memorial Tournament. First serve is scheduled for 11:00 AM against Indiana University Southeast.
--UPIKE--
