HICKORY, N.C. -- Ashley Hawkins served up a program-record nine aces as Lenoir-Rhyne shook off a slow start to hand Coker a 3-1 loss on Wednesday night. Exactly 15 years to the date that Catherine Fulton had eight aces in a four-set match against Lincoln Memorial, Hawkins etched her own name in the record book. 

Ashley Hawkins breaks the school record for most aces in a single match with 9, and @LRUVB beat Coker 3-1 tonight in the Shu!

Hear from Hawk below.#GOBEARS pic.twitter.com/efS2fxhMLt

— #GOBEARS (@LRbears) October 20, 2022

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

Final: Lenoir-Rhyne 3, Coker 1
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (14-7, 10-4 SAC), Coker (5-16, 2-13 SAC) 
Location: Shuford Arena

STATS OF THE MATCH:

• LR started sluggish and dropped the opening set 25-20 before storming back to earn wins by scores of 25-18, 25-18 and 25-11 to claim the win.
• Colette Romp and Emmaleigh Allen ead had 13 kills on the night for the Bears with Romp hitting .333 and Allen adding 12 digs. 
• Hawkins added 15 digs to go with nine kills and nine service aces on the evening. 
• Emma Clark had eight kills and added three total blocks. 
• Mackenzie Hulsey had 41 assists and 14 digs and Bailey Carpenter had 17 digs. 
• The Cobras were led by a strong effort from Chelsey Blume who had 15 kills and hit .367. 

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE:

• Thanks in part to Hawkins efforts, the Bears also tied the record for most service aces as a team in a four-set match with 15. The previous mark was set against Carson-Newman in 2006. The overall record for service aces in a game is 22 coming in a 3-set win over West Liberty State in 2006. 
• Hulsey's 41 assists are tied for the sixth-most over the past four years for LR.
• The Bears have swept the season series from Coker and have now won nine straight against Coker. 
• The Bears improve to 6-1 at home and earn their 10th SAC win of the season.

UP NEXT: LR will return home to host first-place Wingate on Saturday at 7 p.m.