Mackenzie scored the first point of the match for the Pioneers with a kill. Sacred Heart started out on the offensive and jumped ahead 3-1 early on. New Paltz St. quickly answered tying the score at 3. The Pioneers responded by going on a three-point run to take a 6-3 lead. The score tied another six times, until the Hawks went on a four-point run. The Pioneers now down 16-12 needed a timeout to regroup. Austin Arcala (Long Beach, Calf.) struck a kill that kept SHU down by only four 18-14. Sacred Heart began to chip away at the lead and found itself only trailing by two with score at 22-20 in favor of New Paltz St. The Pioneers could not complete the comeback and dropped the set 25-20.

Sacred Heart once again led 3-1 early in the set, but the Hawks promptly tied the score at 3. Chris DeLucie (Manalapan, N.J.) put down a kill that sparked a three-point run and put the Pioneers ahead 8-7. A kill from Travis Vonholt (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) helped SHU maintain a one-point lead 11-10. Arcala struck another kill to tie the score at 15 all. Both teams continued to battle and the lead changed hands a number of times. After a service error from the Hawks, the Pioneers held a 21-20 lead. Mackenzie recorded a service ace to put Sacred Heart within two points of capturing the set 23-21. New Paltz St., fearful of dropping the set, took a timeout with SHU at set point 24-21. The Hawks fears were soon realized when the Pioneers closed out the second set 25-21. 

After taking a set off the number four team, Sacred Heart was riding a wave of momentum. A SHU triple block tied the score at two early in the third set. SHU's momentum vanished, and it fell behind 9-5. Head Coach Kalani Efstathiou called a timeout hoping to change the tide with the score at 12-6 in favor of New Paltz St. The Pioneers, unable to find its form from the second set, proceeded to trail 17-9. Sacred Heart could not stop the bleeding and fell further behind, 24-10. A kill from Vonholt halted a six-point Hawks run 24-11. Mackenzie put down two straight kills to bring the score to 24-13, but New Paltz St. captured the set on the very next point, 25-13.

The fourth set started much like the third with the score tied at two after another Delucie kill. The score remained tight at five all. A solo block from Arcala put the Pioneers in the lead 9-7. SHU clung to a 12-10 lead after a kill from Eduardo Zardo (Brasilia, Brazil). Sacred Heart's blockers widened the lead to three 16-13, and the Hawks were forced to take a timeout. The Pioneers continued to play with new found energy and pulled ahead 18-14. Vonholt put down a kill that positioned SHU within five points of taking the set, 20-16. New Paltz St. called a timeout with the score at 23-20, as Sacred Heart was on the verge of sending the match to a decisive fifth set. The Pioneers called a timeout of its own as the Hawks would not go down quietly and drew within one 23-22. SHU called another timeout as the tables turned and fell behind match point 24-23. Sacred Heart stayed poised and ripped away the extended set from New Paltz St. 27-25.

A winner-take-all fifth set was needed to decide a victor in tonight's contest. Mackenzie added to his kill total tying the score at one all in the final. The score would again tie at five, six, seven, and eight. The Hawks elected to take a timeout with the score at 9-8 in favor of the Pioneers. SHU persisted to lead with the score at 11-9, and New Paltz St. had to take another timeout. Sacred Heart pulled further ahead 14-10 and was on the brink of taking down the No. 4 Hawks. Arcala put down a big kill that sealed the set 15-11 and match victory for the Pioneers. 

Sacred Heart continues EIVA play on Thursday when they travel to NJIT for a 7:00 match.