Volleyball ends regular season on a high note in sweep

November 5, 2022

by Dustin Semore, Sports Information Director

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — In their final match of the regular season, the Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions took care of business by way of the sweep in Kentucky. The Lady Lions out-blocked the hosting University of Pikeville (Ky.) Bears 9-2 in a victory 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-17).

Of late, FHU (16-14, 5-10 MSC) has been making a living at the service line, and the first set was no different. Kacey Donegan planted an ace after a set of kills to open the match before Charley Fulton's ace vaulted her Lady Lion squad to a 14-4 lead. FHU utilized their abilities at the net, forcing 10 Pikeville attack errors including four Lady Lion stuffs. It was a kill off the hand of Ann Elise Jackson that gifted the Lady Lions a first set win 25-12.

Pikeville (4-23, 0-15 MSC) made things interesting in the second set, hoping to fight back after dropping the first. The Bears utilized a 6-1 run in the middle frame to take a 13-8 lead over the girls in maroon. Slowly, Freed-Hardeman cut into the Pikeville lead before the FHU attackers lit the court on fire with seven kills in eight rallies. Jackson's blast tied the match at 22-22 before Jayden Watkins joined the fray with a pair of kills of her own. It was the junior Jackson who dealt the killing blow to jump ahead two sets to none with a 25-23 set.

In a similar run to the first set, the FHU middle blockers wreaked havoc against the Pikeville hitters, stuffing four more attempts in the Bears' last chance. It was Watkins' kill that waw the death knell for Pikeville, ending the match with a 25-17 set victory.

Watkins led the FHU attack with 12 kills while Jackson notched a season-high 10 kills off of 14 attacks - just one shy of her career kill high. The 6-2 rotation was as even as it gets with Allie Humphry and Adleigh Mayes both getting 14 assists, while Bryce Morris pulled up a match-high 15 digs. Not only a threat offensively tonight, Jackson also led her squad with six total blocks.

Up Next

The Lady Lions will await the dust to settle to learn their first opponent for the 2022 Mid-South Conference Tournament to be held in Bowling Green, Kentucky November 10-12. Seeding and matchups will be announced on Sunday, November 6.