WALTHAM, Mass. – The No. 21 Bentley volleyball team is preparing to go where no Falcon has gone before. The Colorado Premier Challenge, and more than a handful of nationally-ranked teams, awaits Bentley. The elite annual tournament is Sept. 12-13. The Falcons are slated to take on No. 5 West Texas A&M and No. 15 Point Loma this Friday. Saturday's schedule is contingent on Friday's results.
 
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The call
Following Bentley's historic NCAA Semifinal run in 2024, head coach Joey Pacis had been home for a day - maybe two - when he got the phone call that would anchor the Falcons' 2025 non-conference schedule. Pacis and his program received an official invitation to the Colorado Premier Challenge. Metro State University Denver and Regis University host the annual event. It is the most prominent mid-season tournament in NCAA D-II volleyball. Bentley is just the second program from the region in the past 30 years to receive an invitation.  
 
The field
The 2025 Colorado Premiere Challenge features eight nationally-ranked teams, including No. 21 Bentley. The competition includes No. 2 Angelo State, No. 3 MSU Denver, No. 5 West Texas A&M, No. 7 Ferris State, No. 11 Concordia-St. Paul, No. 15 Point Loma, No. 25 Wayne State.
 
Familiar foes
Bentley has recently gone up against of the Colorado Premier participants in recent years. The Falcons stunned Ferris State in five sets in the NCAA Quarterfinals last year, when Ferris State entered the match as the undefeated, top-seeded team. Bentley lost its NCAA Semifinal match against Lynn, which went on to win the national title. In 2023, Bentley hosted Tampa as part of the Sandy Hoffman Tournament. Tampa, which was then ranked No. 4 in the nation, beat the Falcons in four sets.
 
Same ol' Blinn
Elizabeth Blinn began her senior season in a big way, claiming Northeast 10 Defensive Player of the Week following the Windjammer Classic hosted by St. Michael's. She totaled 21 blocks in four matches, including a 10-block effort against No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney. Blinn had three matches with 10+ blocks in 2024. She ranked second in the nation for blocks per set (1.44) on her way to All-NE10 First Team and All-East Region First Team honors.
 
Toe-tally back
Sophomore Tory Vitko was named the NE10 Setter of the Week following the Windjammer Classic. An All-NE10 Second Team honoree in 2024, Vitko began the 2025 season with three double-doubles and an average of 8.98 assists per set.
 
Lulu's no lemon
Bentley freshman Lulu Pavan made a big first impression during the opening week of the season. She totaled at least 10 kills in of her first four career matches, earning NE10 Rookie of the Week honors. Pavan had 14 kills against both Franklin Pierce and Saint Michael's.
 
Long awaited return to the court
Sasha Luzina and Sofia Zingariello both missed the 2024 season due to injury. The've already made an immediate impact in 2025. Zingariello put up 14 digs against East Stroudsburg, and finished with 13 against No. 8 Nebraska-Kearney. Luzina totaled a career-high 19 digs against Franklin Pierce.