PITMAN—Top-seeded Richard Stockton defeated second-seeded Ramapo, 3-0 to claim their fourth consecutive NJAC Women’s Volleyball Championship and their eighth league title in program history. With the win, the Ospreys wrapped up a remarkable conference season in which they did not drop a single set in either conference regular season or tournament play. Next up for Stockton, an appearance in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament via the conference’s automatic bid.
CHAMPIONSHIP
RICHARD STOCKTON 3, RAMAPO 0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-14)
POMONA--Richard Stockton (25-8) won their record-tying fourth consecutive NJAC championship by downing Ramapo (28-7) 27-25, 25-19, 25-14.
With the win, the Ospreys tied Glassboro State’s league record of four straight volleyball titles from 1984-87. Stockton also earned an automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament.
Stockton once against received a balanced offensive attack as Christine Velott led with a match-high 11 kills but had help from 2011 NJAC Player of the Year Stephanie Warner and Kasey Hennecke with nine each. Tabitha Nejman and Nicole Serekian chipped in with eight kills apiece.
In the tense first game, the Roadrunners took a 12-6 lead before the Ospreys ran off seven straight points to pull ahead 13-12. Ramapo later led 18-16 before Stockton battled back and took the set 27-25. Velott and Warner had four kills each for Stockton while Allison DiAngelo countered with four kills for Ramapo.
The second set saw the Ospreys run out to a 10-4 lead and stay in front by at least three points the rest of the set. Velott picked up five more kills in the game and the Ospreys used their offensive balance to offset six kills by Ramapo’s Michelle Ferrari.
The third set featured a key segment with Stockton setter Mayan Alvarado as the spark plug. Alvarado served two straight aces and followed with a kill to spur Stockton to a 9-4 lead and the Ospreys cruised from there to clinch the NJAC crown.
Laura Hausman led the way for Stockton with 22 assists while Alvarado had 19 more helpers. Ashley Gubista led all players with 16 digs, while Hausman and Hennecke each chipped in with nine. Alvarado also notched a match-high four aces.
For Ramapo, Ferrari had 10 kills while Tiffany Fischer dished a match-high 28 assists. Elizabeth Steck led the team with 13 digs while Ferrari and Fischer tallied 12 digs apiece.
SEMINFINALS
RICHARD STOCKTON 3, RUTGERS-CAMDEN 0 (25-18, 25-14, 2-18)
POMONA--Richard Stockton (24-8) got balanced play from their front line as they advanced to the NJAC tournament finals with a 25-18, 25-14, 25-18 victory over Rutgers-Camden (15-17).
Nicole Serekian, Stephanie Warner and Christine Velott all tallied double-digit kill totals for the match.
Stockton reached the NJAC championship match for the fourth straight year, and the Ospreys will try to tie the league record of four consecutive NJAC titles that was set by Glassboro State, now Rowan University, from 1984-87. Stockton also won its 21st straight match over an NJAC opponent and posted its 16th win in a row at home.
Stockton took the early lead in each set. The Ospreys got off to a flying start by scoring the first nine points of the match. Serekian, Warner and Velott had four kills apiece to lead Stockton to victory in the opening frame.
In the second set, Stockton again started quickly with a 6-1 run and then later had another spurt of seven straight points. Warner notched five more kills in the set, adding to her total of 11 for the night. The final set saw the Ospreys run off the first five points en route to victory. Serekian registered four of her 11 kills and Velott added two more of her 10 kills on the night.
Laura Hausman totaled 18 assists, seven digs, five aces and three kills. Nicole Ober also dug out seven balls while Mayan Alvarado chipped in with 11 assists.
Stephanie Miller led all players with 23 assists for the Scarlet Raptors while teammate Catherine Tedeja had a match-high nine digs. Kristin Koloski topped Rutgers-Camden with nine kills
Stockton will host Ramapo in the NJAC championship on Saturday at 1 pm in Galloway. The teams will meet in the league title match for the third time in four years, with the Ospreys winning over the Roadrunners in 2008 and 2010.
RAMAPO 3, ROWAN 1 (28-26, 23-25, 25-23, 25-18)
MAHWAH--Ramapo College had a 3-1 victory over Rowan University in the semifinals of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Women’s Volleyball Championship Tournament on November 3. The set scores were 28-26, 23-25, 25-23 and 25-18.
Ramapo (27-6), the second seed, travels to top seeded Richard Stockton College (24-8) for the conference final on Saturday, November 5. Rowan, the third seed, finishes the season with a 15-16 record. In the other semifinal match on Thursday, Richard Stockton beat the fifth seed Rutgers-Camden, 3-0. The NJAC champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
The Roadrunners were led by outside hitter Michelle Ferrari with 21 kills and a .356 hitting percentage. She also collected 18 digs. Outside hitter/opposite Allison Diangelo registered 13 kills, a .345 hitting percentage and three blocks. Outside hitter Julia Tuzio contributed with eight kills. Setter Tiffany Fischer accumulated 40 assists and 12 digs. Libero Elizabeth Steck posted 19 digs.
For the Profs, outside hitter/middle blocker Krissy Collins totaled 15 kills and six digs. Middle blocker Elaina Hansen and outside hitter/middle blocker Dakota Oeskovic added 12 and 11 kills respectively. Outside hitter/middle blocker Kirstin Sciolaro chipped in with eight kills and middle blocker Sarah Hanrahan had seven. Setter Kelsey Donovan tallied 46 assists and nine digs. Libero Lauren Ruffalo compiled 19 digs and defensive specialist Nicole Ciandella had 12.
OPENING ROUND
ROWAN 3, WILLIAM PATERSON 0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-17)
GLASSBORO--The Rowan University women’s volleyball team had a 3-0 victory over William Paterson University in the first round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament on November 1. The set scores were 25-16, 25-12 and 25-17.
Rowan (15-15), the third seed, travels to the second seed Ramapo College for the semifinals on November 3 at 7 p.m. William Paterson, the sixth seed, finishes the regular season with a 17-11 record.
The Profs were led by outside hitter/middle blocker Krissy Collins with 12 kills. She produced a .393 hitting percentage. Outside hitter/middle blocker Dakota Oeskovic registered 10 kills and a .318 hitting percentage. Middle blocker Elaina Hansen chipped in with six kills. Setter Kelsey Donovan collected 28 assists and 15 digs.
Libero Lauren Ruffalo had a match-high 20 digs. Defensive specialist Sarah Betancourt tallied nine digs and middle blocker Sarah Hanrahan had eight digs and five blocks.
For the Pioneers, outside hitter Kim Runge compiled six kills and six digs. Outside hitter Megan Maher contributed with four kills and 15 digs. Outside hitter/opposite Katelyn Malloy totaled 11 digs, while setter Danielle Koukos had eight. Setter Liz Dykhouse accumulated eight digs and seven assists.
RUTGERS-CAMDEN 3, MONTCLAIR STATE 1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-16, 25-20)
MONTCLAIR--Junior middle hitter Kristin Koloski collected 14 kills while sophomore Morgan Halbruner added 12 kills as fifth-seeded Rutgers-Camden knocked off fourth-seeded Montclair State, 3-1 in the opening round of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament at the Panzer Athletic Center on November 1.
Rutgers-Camden won the match 23-25, 25-16, 25-16 and 25-20.
Junior setter Stephanie Miller posted 39 assists and 11 digs as the Scarlet Raptors (14-16) now advance to semifinals where they will face top-seeded Richard Stockton on November 3 in Pomona.
Sophomore outside hitter Alyssa Batiste had 15 kills and 10 digs for Montclair State, which closed out its season at 12-18. The Red Hawks were ousted from the NJAC Tournament by Rutgers-Camden for the second straight season as the Scarlet Raptors registered a 3-0 victory in Camden in 2010.
Both teams finished tied in conference play at 3-4 however Montclair State earned the home court by virtue of its 3-0 win over the Scarlet Raptors on September 22.
MSU would win the opening set as Batistie had five kills and Sara Girgus four. There were 10 ties in first set before Montclair went ahead 17-16 on a kill by Erika Gerner. A kill by Daniella Salemo put the Red Hawks up 24-20 but Rutgers-Camden rallied with three straight points pulling within 24-23 before Salem closed out the set with her third kill as Montclair led 1-0.
The second set remained close through the first 20 points and was deadlocked at 101-10 when an MSU service error and kill by Koloski put the Scarlet Raptors up 12-10. After Batitse countered with a kill for the Red Hawks, Rutgers-Camden recorded nine of the next 10 points for a 21-12 advantage. Montclair State got back to 23-16, however Koloski registered consecutive kills as the Scarlet Raptors tied the match with the 25-16 victory.
Rutgers-Camden jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the third set and widened the lead to 11-6 as Koloski got one of her four kills in the set. The Scarlet Raptors would maintain that lead for the remainder of the set and finished it off with a kill by Halbruner to lead 2-1.
The fourth set was tied at 9-9 before Rutgers-Camden went on a six-point run to take control. An attack error by MSU started the spurt and back to back kills by Elizabeth Idler and Koloski made the score 12-9. Montclair Sate then committed three errors as Rutgers-Camden led by six. Koloski fourth and final kill of the set brought the Scarlet Raptors to 24-16, however Montclair closed the game to 24-20 as Lauren Sharp had two kills. Libero Catherine Tedeja would end the match with a back-row kill as Rutgers-Camden took the match with a 25-20 win.
Rebecca Brown had eight kills and 21 digs for Rutgers-Camden while Olivia Murphy added seven kills and 18 digs. Tedeja, who finished with three kills, led all players with 24 digs.
Girgus collected eight kills for Montclair State while Salemo, Sharp and Marta Topor had six apiece. Libero Kaitlyn Irwin posted 23 digs while Topor and Salemo had 17 and 16, respectively. Sophomore Angela Campo registered 38 assists and 13 digs.