PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – With the final stretch of Northeast 10 Conference play approaching, Pace University Women's Volleyball delivered a straight-set victory over Monroe University on Wednesday evening at the Goldstein Fitness Center. The Setters earned the 25-23, 25-16, 25-15 sweep in their final non-conference matchup of the regular season, improving to 10-10 overall while maintaining a 4-2 mark in NE10 action.
Paola Ortiz led the way with a match-high 12 kills and 14 digs, hitting .296 while adding three blocks and a service ace. Her performance helped Pace finish with 44 kills and a .295 hitting percentage, compared to 30 kills and a .151 clip for Monroe.
The opening set featured 10 ties and three lead changes as the two sides battled for control. Pace used a strong offensive showing, recording 17 kills on .316 hitting, to secure a narrow 25-23 victory and take the early advantage.
From there, the Setters settled into a rhythm, limiting Monroe to a .129 hitting percentage in the second set while producing 13 kills of their own. Pace pulled away for a 25-16 win before closing the match with a 25-15 third-set victory.
The Blue and Gold maintained their offensive consistency throughout the contest, hitting above .280 in all three sets while holding Monroe to just .067 hitting in the final frame.
Kadence Ackmann, Jaliyah Johnson and Leah Mendez each contributed six kills, with Johnson and Mendez both hitting .417. Ileann Alessandra Perez added five kills without an error on nine attempts for a .556 hitting percentage.
Aralyn Saulys dished out 17 assists and recorded two aces, while Camila Rodriguez added 14 assists. Defensively, Alice Bender matched Ortiz with 14 digs, and Ackmann chipped in 12 digs and two service aces.
The Setters return to NE10 action on Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, when they travel to Springfield, MA, to face American International College, which is receiving votes in the national rankings. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. as Pace enters the final stretch of the regular season with postseason positioning on the line.
