Union Volleyball Drop Three of Five Sets in Loss to Pikeville

PIKEVILLE, Ky. – Union Commonwealth University's women's volleyball team battled hard but ultimately fell short in a five-set thriller against Pikeville on Friday night at UPIKE Gym. The Bulldogs (1-11, 1-1 AAC) dropped the match 3-2 to the Bears (7-8, 4-0 AAC), with set scores of 13-25, 18-25, 25-23, 25-19, and 7-15.

GAME RECAP

Set 1 – Pikeville 25, Union 13

The Bears struck first and set the tone early, opening with a 2-0 lead. After the teams traded points to reach an 8-8 tie, Pikeville went on a 5-0 run to pull ahead. Union answered with a 4-0 spurt to close the gap to one, but the Bears responded in dominant fashion, finishing the set on a commanding 12-1 run to take the opener.
Top Performers: Berkli Benefield, Jersey Glass, and Sloan Coursey each recorded two kills.

Set 2 – Pikeville 25, Union 18

Union came out strong in the second set, taking a 10-7 lead behind early kills from Emily Shumaker and Ginevra Girardo. The set remained close until 16-16, when Pikeville seized control with a decisive 10-2 run to close it out and take a 2-0 match lead.
Top Performer: Girardo led Union with three kills.

Set 3 – Union 25, Pikeville 23

Facing elimination, the Bulldogs showed resilience. After falling behind 11-3 early, Union mounted a 9-1 comeback to tie the set at 12. The teams battled back and forth, remaining deadlocked at 22-22 before Union closed the set with a clutch 3-1 run.
Top Performers: Rylee Stookey and Shumaker each tallied four kills; Gabrielly Dos Santos added three.

Set 4 – Union 25, Pikeville 19

Momentum shifted in Union's favor in the fourth set. With the score tied at 13-13, the Bulldogs surged ahead with a 7-2 run. Pikeville responded with four quick points, but Union slammed the door with the final four points to force a decisive fifth set.
Top Performer: Benefield led the attack with four kills.

Set 5 – Pikeville 15, Union 7

Pikeville came out fast in the final frame, jumping to a 3-0 lead. Union narrowed the gap to 5-4, but the Bears took control from there, closing on a 10-3 run to seal the match.
Top Performer: Shumaker recorded two kills in the final set.

UP NEXT

Union continues AAC play on the road, heading to Bluefield, Va. to face Bluefield University on Saturday at 11 a.m.