GLASSBORO, NJ -- Rowan punched its ticket to the NJAC Championship game with a 3-1 victory over William Paterson in a semifinal contest Thursday night at Esby Gymnasium.

The top-seeded Profs (27-3) will meet Kean to decide the NJAC Champion here in Glassboro this Saturday at 5 p.m. The third-seeded and defending champion Cougars knocked off second-seeded Stockton in five sets in Thursday's other semifinal.

This is the first time Rowan will host the NJAC Championship since 2022 where the squad won its second-consecutive and eighth conference crown. In that 2022 title match, the Profs took down the Cougars.

Hutton Cordrey and Jessica Smart helped ignite the offense as the duo combined for 27 of the team's 44 kills. Cordrey added 11 digs (for her fifth double-double of the season), three aces, and two blocks (one solo).

Cordrey's six kills in the first set while a helped turn around a 6-0 early deficit. Back-to-back-to-back kills from Ava Best, Abby Chadwick, and Cordrey broke a 15-15 tie to give the home team its first lead of the set. Rowan managed just nine kills in the second, where the Pioneers evened things up at 1-1.

Tied at 11-11 in the third set, neither team fell behind by more than three points where the Profs prevailed.

Rowan jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the fourth, and later held a 15-5 edge at the media timeout. William Paterson did not go quietly, getting five kills from Riley Elliott in the frame to get within 24-20 before a service error on match point helped lock up a trip to the finals.

Elliott led all attackers with 17 kills for the Pioneers (20-12).