Bentley University

DENVER – Bentley juniors Tory Vitko and Julia Kleinle, as well as sophomore Lulu Pavan, turned in personal best performances during the volleyball team's final day of the Colorado Premier Challenge. The Falcons split Saturday's matches against Palm Beath Atlantic and Regis.
 
Bentley 2, Palm Beach Atlantic 3 (24-26, 27-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-13)
Tory Vitko had a career-high 57 assists, and Julia Kleinle posted a career-high 13 kills, but the Falcons came up just short in five sets against the Sailfish. It was the second time in Vitko's career that she reached 50+ assists. She had 51 in a match against American International during the 2024 season.

Kleinle, who added a career-high five blocks, was one of three Falcons to post double-digit kills. Sophia Poehlein finished with 18 kills, and Lulu Pavan added 15. Kleinle also totaled a career-high five blocks. Poehlein finished with 10 digs for her first double-double of the season.

Freshman Aaliyah Price Gooden came away with a season-high seven blocks. 

The Falcons hit .250 as a team, and they limited the Sailfish to a .178 clip.

Neither team led my more than three points for the entire first set – an indication for how close the entire match would be. The Falcons held a 23-21 lead in that first set, but a couple of errors kept the Sailfish in it. The teams were tied, 24-24, when a Sailfish error gave the Falcons a one-point edge. Aaliyah Price Gooden ended the frame with a kill.

Just like the first set, neither team led by more than three in the second set. The Falcons were just one point away from winning the frame when they held a 24-22 edge, but PBA put away a kill and delivered a service ace to stay alive. A kill by Pavan gave Bentley a 25-24 lead, but the Sailfish scored the next three points to win the second set.

The third set was tied at 13-13, when Bentley went on a decisive 4-0 run. The Falcons held the lead for the rest of the set. PBA ran out to a 4-1 lead in the fourth set, and Bentley never held the lead in that frame.

The Sailfish held a commanding 10-4 lead in the fifth set, but Bentley went on a 7-1 run to set it up, 11-11. The run was aided by four Sailfish errors. Still, PBA was able to regroup to win the set, 15-13, and the match.
 
Bentley 3, Regis 0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-22)
The Falcons attacked at a season-high .374 clip to conclude their Colorado trip with a sweep over Regis.

Lulu Pavan had a career-high 18 kills, attacking at a .531 percentage for the match. Sophia Poehlein added 14 kills in the winning effort. She finished with 11 digs for her second consecutive double-double. Tory Vitko came away with 43 assists in the winning effort.

Bentley held a narrow 21-20 lead in the first set when a kill by Pavan was the start of a 4-1 run to close out the set. The only time the Falcons trailed in the second set was when Regis held a 2-1 lead. Regis held a 17-16 advantage in the third set, but that's when Bentley went on another 4-1 to take the lead for good.

Bentley returns to the East Coast for the East Region Clash, Sept. 11-12, hosted by American International. The Falcons' next home match is Sept. 22 against Bridgeport.