BOX SCORE

When and Where: October 13, 2018 – Manchester, N.H. (Stan Spirou Field House)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 3, Pace University 2
Records: SNHU 7-8 (5-2 NE10), Pace 17-4 (6-2 NE10)

Sophomore Irem Bat (Istanbul, Turkey) rattled off a career-best 24 kills to lead the Southern New Hampshire University women's volleyball team out of a 2-0 hole and to a five-set Homecoming victory against Pace University on Saturday at the Stan Spirou Field House. Set scores were 10-25, 22-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-11.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Bat hit .286 on a career-high 63 swings, adding 10 digs, two blocks and a service ace to her stat line.
• Junior Baylee Lippincott (Phoenix, Ariz.) supported Bat's effort with nine kills, three aces and three blocks.
• Senior Jessica Dillon (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) posted 30 assists and eight digs.
• Freshman Ramona Fontaine (Chelsea, Mass.) recorded eight blocks.
• Senior Shaira Sanabria (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) collected 16 digs.
• Freshman Brooke Freckleton (Red Cliffs, Australia) chimed in with career highs in kills (6), hitting percentage (.417) and blocks (4).
• Junior Joanne Coffey (Merrimack, N.H.) added 11 assists and a pair of aces.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Pace jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the opening set and later held a 13-7 advantage when it closed on a 12-3 run – with a pair of kills from Samantha Nidini and two aces from Danielle Vaiano – to go in front, 1-0, in the match.
• Tied at four, three Bat kills pushed the Penmen out to a 10-4 lead in the second set. The margin was five later on when three kills from Kathleen Benson and two from Claudia Fontanet pulled Pace even at 17-all. Two kills from Bat powered a 4-1 spurt that gave SNHU a 2-1 lead, but Pace collected seven of the final eight points in the set to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.
• The Setters were in front, 16-13, in set No. 3 when a 7-2 rush – with two kills and an ace from Bat – leapfrogged the Penmen in front at 20-18. A 5-1 counter-run put Pace within striking distance to end the match, but two more kills from Bat sparked a 4-0 run that gave SNHU the set.
• In the fourth set, Southern New Hampshire clung to a 16-15 edge when five straight widened its advantage to 21-15. Pace would get as close as 24-20, but a service error ended the set and sent the match to a fifth and deciding game.
• After erasing an early 3-0 deficit in the fifth set, SNHU found itself tied with Pace, 10-10, when kills from Lippincott and Bat highlighted a 5-1 run that clinched the match for the Penmen.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Pace outhit SNHU in each of the first two sets, as well as .211-.174 for the match.
• The Penmen held a 20-11 advantage in blocks.

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire has won six of its last seven.
• Pace had entered the day winners of 12 of its last 13, including six-in-a-row.
• The Penmen had lost eight straight sets to Pace dating back to 2016 before turning it around to win the final three of the match.
• This was the eighth time this season Bat reached double figures in kills, including the fourth time in the last five matches.
• SNHU celebrated Dig Pink and accepted donations for Catholic Medical Center's Breast Care Center.

UP NEXT

• The Penmen return action Friday, Oct. 19 (7 p.m.) when they battle American International College.
• The next home match for SNHU is Saturday, Oct. 27 (1 p.m.) when it plays host to the University of New Haven on Senior Day at the Field House.

For the latest on Southern New Hampshire University athletics, follow the Penmen via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. Sign up to receive text message alerts and e-mail newsletters about your favorite Penmen teams here.