WALTHAM, Mass. – Freshman Melanie Pavels (Valley Stream, N.Y.) had 13 kills, including her team's final five of the match, and 17 digs as Pace University never trailed en route to a three-set sweep of Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference women's volleyball Friday night at the Dana Center. Scores were 25-12, 25-18 and 25-22.

Pace, which held a double-digit lead in each set, moved ahead of the Falcons in the conference standings, improving to 16-7 overall and 6-3 NE-10.  Bentley, limited to a .069 hitting percentage, dropped to 11-11 overall and 6-4 in the conference.

The only time in the match that Bentley was even with the Setters came at 7-7 in the opening set. Pace ran off the next five points, a run launched by a successful attack from Pavels, and was never threatened.  The visitors opened the second set with a 9-3 run and began the third the same way.

Bentley staged only two surges during the course of the match, and both came after Pace had built a double-digit lead in the set.  The Falcons used an 8-2 run in the second to close to within 24-18, and got back in the third with an 11-3 spurt that reduced the Setter advantage to two, 18-16.  That was the first of four times they got as close as two, but they were never able to get the differential any lower.

Pavels, who hit .323, was one of two Setters to reach doubles in kills. Junior Nora Rugova (Mt. Kisco, N.Y.) had 12 kills and also served a couple aces. Senior setter Shea Hanson (Mesa, Ariz.) served four aces for Pace and provided 32 assists.

Bentley freshman setter Alex Tator (Los Angeles, Calif./Marlborough School) led the Falcons in kills (six), hitting .500 in ten swings, and also had 21 assists.  Freshman Kaleigh Sullivan (Victor, N.Y./ Harley School) provided a lift off the bench, hitting .308 with five kills.           

Bentley will look to rebound when it hosts Adelphi University Saturday at 2 pm.