PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – A milestone night for head coach Amanda Alayon-Wilkins came with plenty of drama Tuesday at Goldstein Fitness Center, as Pace University Volleyball battled back to defeat West Chester University of Pennsylvania in five sets. The 10-25, 25-19, 13-25, 27-25, 15-11 victory moved the Setters to 4-4 and marked Alayon-Wilkins' 200th career victory as an NCAA head coach.
After West Chester controlled the opening set, Pace answered immediately. The Setters found their rhythm offensively in the second, putting down 13 kills and hitting .212 to even the match with a 25-19 victory. West Chester responded with a 25-13 third set, leaving Pace needing to win each of the final two frames to extend the night.
The fourth turned into the pivotal battle. Neither side could create lasting separation, with the frame featuring four ties before the Setters fought through extra points for a 27-25 victory. Pace carried that resolve into the fifth, navigating seven ties and five lead changes before pulling away for a 15-11 win to complete the comeback.
Keelah Chambliss powered the Setters with a team-high 14 kills while hitting .250 and adding 10 digs for a double-double. Ileann Alessandra Perez contributed seven kills and four block assists, while Jaliyah Johnson supplied six kills on 14 attacks for a .286 hitting percentage. Leah Mendez added five kills and was involved in three blocks.
Aralyn Saulys handed out 23 assists to go along with 10 digs, while Makenna Crawford added 12 assists. Paola Ortiz collected a team-high 14 digs, Alice Bender finished with 13 and Pace totaled seven service aces.
The victory also provided a career benchmark for Alayon-Wilkins, who took over the Setters in 2022 after previously spending 11 seasons as the head coach at Manhattanville College, where she became the program's all-time wins leader.
The Setters hit the road Saturday, Sept. 19, traveling to Rockville Centre, NY, to face Molloy University at 12:00 p.m.
