WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The Pace University volleyball team took top-seeded New Haven to the brink on Tuesday night in the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament, but were ultimately defeated in a dramatic five sets (25-21, 14-25, 20-25, 25-22, 10-15). The Setters finish their season with a record of 16-17, while New Haven improves to 21-7.

Inside the Numbers
Sophomore Tatjana Calimpong-Burke (Waianae, HI/Iolani) tied a season-best with 13 kills, while classmate Maria Snelling (Cleveland, OH/Gilmour Academy) eclipsed a season-high with 10 put-aways. Calimpong-Burke also added 10 digs for her third double-double of the season.

Natalia Quinones (San Juan, PR/Colegio La Piedad), Sydney Lecker (Littleton, CO/Chatfield) and Claudia Fontanet (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Academia Maria Reina) also put forth strong offensive efforts. Quinones and Lecker each finished with eight kills, while Fontanet tallied seven. Fontanet was all over the court for Pace, completing the night with a career-high 27 digs. Samantha Nidini (Houston, TX/Clearlake) served as the main passer for the Blue and Gold, dishing out 32 assists.  

Also on the defensive side of things, Danielle Vaiano (Seaford, NY/St. Anthony's) picked up 26 digs while Colette Clarke (Mamaroneck, NY/Mamaroneck) recorded a pair of solo blocks. Calimpong-Burke and Quinones also chipped in solo blocks.

Samantha Nidini (Houston, TX/Clearlake) served as the main passer for the Blue and Gold, dishing out 32 assists.  

Pace hit. 178 for the match, and recorded a season-high 92 digs. They also tallied a season-best four solo blocks.

How it Happened
Set One:  Pace 25, New Haven 21
It was a back and forth beginning to the opening set, with neither team able to gain much separation. The teams traded points, creating six ties within the first 20 points. With the score even at 10-10, Pace was finally able to find some momentum courtesy for a quick 4-0 spurt. A kill from Elien Peeters (Herdersem, Belgium/Onze Lieve Vrouwecollege) capped off the run, providing a 14-10 advantage.

The Setters were able to continue to fend off the Chargers for the rest of the first frame, snagging leads of 18-15 and 22-18, until finally clinching the first frame, 25-21. Calimpong-Burke led the way with four kills in the opener, while Peeters notched three of her own, including the final put-away on set point.

Set Two: New Haven 25, Pace 14
New Haven responded quickly in the second set, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. The Chargers built up a 6-2 advantage that quickly grew to 13-7, and then to 21-12. New Haven sealed the second set at 25-14.

Set Three: New Haven 25, Pace 20
The Chargers stayed in control in the third set, creating leads of 6-2, 14-7 and 15-9. The Setters would battle, however, cutting the edge to just three on four separate occasions. Back-to-back kills from Quinones and Lecker slimmed the edge to 15-12 while a put-away from Peeters made it 16-13.

The Setters cut it even closer at 21-19 following a kill from Calimpong-Burke, but New Haven closed out the frame on a 4-1 run to gain the two sets to one advantage.

Set Four: Pace 25, New Haven 22
Down 2-1, Pace responded nicely in the fourth set. The Setters leapt out to a 9-5 advantage thanks to two quick kills from Fontanet and another from Calimpong-Burke. Pace's edge eventually grew to 13-6, forcing a timeout from New Haven. The Chargers crept closer from there, trimming Pace's lead to 14-10 and then 15-13.

The Blue and Gold stayed strong, however, as a solo block from Quinones kept their advantage at 18-15. Quinones struck again to provide a 19-17 lead. After New Haven tied the score at 21-21, Pace never wilted. The Blue and Gold posted four of the next five points to send the match to a final set.

Set Five: New Haven 15, Pace 10
In fitting fashion, it was a thrilling end to this first-round matchup. Down early on, the Setters rattled off six points in a row—capped off by three-straight kills from Calimpong-Burke—to tie the score at 10-10. New Haven, however, responded with a run of their own—a 5-0 stretch that clinched the match.