Volleyball Tops Bridgeport in Five-Set Season Opener

Next Match:

Caldwell University

9/6/2025 | 12:00 p.m.

Sep. 06 (Sat) / 12:00 p.m.

 Caldwell University

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – In front of a lively Goldstein Fitness Center crowd, the Pace women’s volleyball opened its 2025 campaign with a thrilling five-set victory over Bridgeport on Thursday night (25-22, 25-18, 23-25, 22-25, 15-11).

The Setters wasted no time finding their rhythm, pulling away late in the opening frame behind the steady swings of Kadence Ackmann and Keelah Chambliss. A well-balanced attack and strong serving run from Emily Cineus helped Pace secure the 25-22 win.

Momentum carried into the second set, where Cyanna Shirley provided a spark with efficient hitting on the outside. Chambliss added several timely kills while Camila Rodriguez and Aralyn Saulys orchestrated the offense. Pace limited errors and controlled long rallies to close out a 25–18 victory and a 2–0 lead in the match.
Bridgeport responded in the third and fourth sets, capitalizing on Setter miscues to claw their way back. Despite heavy swings from Ackmann and smart touches at the net from Ileann Alessandra Perez, the Purple Knights edged Pace 25-23 in the third and 25-22 in the fourth to force a decisive fifth set.

In the winner-take-all frame, the Setters regrouped. Ackmann powered down kills early, Shirley added key points, and Perez delivered at the net on both offense and defense. With Rodriguez steady in serve-receive and Alice Bender anchoring the back row with digs, Pace held firm in the late stages. Chambliss’ energy and closing kill sealed the 15–11 victory, sending the Setter faithful into celebration.

Ackmann led the team with 13 kills, while Chambliss added 14. Shirley (nine kills, .444) and Perez (seven kills, .545) provided efficiency on the wings. Rodriguez dished out 19 assists and notched two service aces, while Saulys contributed 25 assists and three aces.

On defense, Bender’s 16 digs set the tone, with support from Chambliss (eight) and Rodriguez (five). Cineus chipped in three aces and three block assists, while Layla Wood tallied four block assists to round out the frontline effort.

The victory marks a strong start to the 2025 season for Pace, which will continue non-conference play this weekend with a home meeting against Caldwell University before entering NE10 action later this fall.