PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – A complete team effort on Saturday helped push the Pace University volleyball team to a comeback five-set victory over previously undefeated West Chester University of Pennsylvania at the Goldstein Fitness Center. Pace rallied from a 2-1 deficit to take the final two games and knock off the 10-0 Golden Rams.
RESULTS
Pace 3, West Chester 2 (20-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 15-9)
SET 1
- Both teams battled back and forth in the first set, with West Chester eventually taking an 8-5 lead early in the contest.
- Pace fought back, scoring five straight points for the 10-8 advantage.
- The Setters and Golden Rams went point-for-point throughout most of the game before West Chester went on a 6-0 run, turning the score around in its favor, 20-17.
- A kill from the Golden Rams and an attack error from the Setters ended the first set with a 25-20 win for West Chester.
SET 2
- Pace erased an early deficit with four straight points for a 5-3 lead.
- Moments later, the Setters went on 3-0 run to expand their lead 9-5.
- West Chester stayed within four points for most of the set, but two more three-point runs by the Setters claimed the win.
SET 3
- West Chester scored the first point in the third set and kept the lead for much of the game.
- The Golden Rams led by as many as four points, but a kill by sophomore
Claudia Fontanet (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Academia Maria Reina) set up a 4-0 run to tie the set 8-8.
- The teams went back-and-forth for the next few scores, but West Chester held on in the end to win by two.
SET 4
- A four-point run broke a 10-10 tie and put Pace up by four midway through the game.
- The Setters led 22-19 before West Chester scored three consecutive points to tie the game.
- A service error, followed by back-to-back kills from sophomore
Kathleen Benson (Kings Park, NY/Kings Park) closed out the game and forced a decisive fifth set.
DECIDING SET
- Pace came out firing to claim the first three points of the set.
- A West Chester timeout helped the Golden Rams get their composure back, eventually getting back within one at 6-5.
- Pace then swung the momentum back in its favor and scored the next five points to extend its lead to 11-5.
- West Chester cut into the deficit by scoring three consecutive points to get within three, but the Setters answered back with three of their own spreading their lead to 14-8.
- An attack error by West Chester's Karleigh Lutz gave the Setters the point they needed to clinch the match.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Pace slightly edged out West Chester, finishing with a .134 hitting percentage to the Golden Rams' .132.
- The Setters held the advantage over the Golden Rams in aces (6-4), blocks (8-6) and registered 130 digs over the Golden Rams' 119.
- Fontanet finished with 10 kills, 24 digs, and two blocks.
- Freshman
Tatjana Calimpong-Burke (Waianae, HI/Iolani) led the team with 13 kills and five blocks.
- Freshman
Danielle Vaiano (Seaford, NY/St. Anthony's) contributed a team-high 39 digs and added four assists.
- Freshman
Samantha Nidini (Houston, TX/Clearlake) dished out 45 assists, contributed 16 digs and hit .417.
- Benson finished with 11 kills and four blocks.
RECORDS
- Pace: 9-2
- West Chester: 10-1
UP NEXT
- The Setters returns to action on Tuesday, Sept. 20 when they travel to Westbury, N.Y. to take on New York Institute of Technology at 7 p.m.
For all information regarding Pace University Women's Volleyball, log on to
www.PaceUAthletics.com and follow
Pace Volleyball on Facebook and Twitter (
@PaceVolleyball).
