Jersey City, NJ – Junior COURTNEY MATLOCK and freshman NATALIA MAJKUT each registered nine kills as Montclair State locked up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming NJAC Tournament with a three-set victory over New Jersey City University on Tuesday evening.

Junior MELISSA TERPSTRA added six kills along with six digs as the Red Hawks (16-9) downed the Gothic Knights 25-10, 25-16, 25-15 for their seventh straight win against NJCU. More importantly, Montclair closed out its NJAC slate a 6-2 to finish in second place.

MSU will receive a first-round bye when the conference tournament gets underway on Tuesday, November 3 and will host a semifinal match on Thursday, November 5 against the winner of the Kean-Rutgers-Camden first-round contest. It is the first time since 2009 that Montclair has received a first-round bye in the NJAC Tournament.

The Red Hawks, who hit .330 for the match, scored the first five points of the match and increased the lead to 11-4 on a kill by Terpstra. A four-point spurt made the score 17-7 and a 6-0 run which included two aces by LEAH STINE put MSU within a point of taking the set.  NJCU held for a point, but MADISON MAUTE finished off a feed from KIMBERLY MATLOCK as Montclair took a 1-0 lead.

NJCU grabbed a 2-0 lead early in the second however MSU countered with a four-point run to take the lead and a run of three in a row capped by a COURTNEY MATLOCK kill put Montclair in front 7-3. The Gothic Knights closed within 9-7 however the Red Hawks ripped off four straight points for a 13-7 advantage.  The Matlock sisters bookended a five-point run as Courtney started things off with a kill and Kim serving up an ace for a 20-9 lead. Leading 23-12, NJCU made a short run cutting the lead to seven however Majkut ended that with Terpstra following with a kill giving the Red Hawks the 25-16 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.

Montclair State trailed 6-2 in the third set before ripping off eight straight, the last two on kills by Majkut for a 10-6 lead. REBECCA MATASKER collected a block and kill on back-to-back points extending the lead to 14-8 and consecutive kills from LILLIANA GONZALEZ made the score 18-10. Kim Matlock served three in a row put the Red Hawks within a point. She then set up LEAH STINE for the final point as Montclair finished off the victory with a 25-15 triumph.

Kim Matlock finished with 35 assists along with three aces and six digs. Gonzalez and Matasker had three kills apiece.  

The Red Hawks will play their final regular-season home match on Wednesday, October 28 taking on College of Mount St. Vincent at 7:00 pm. MSU will honor its four seniors prior to the match – COURTNEY LEPORE,  Gonzalez, ELISE BRACKETT and NIKKI SENOPOULOS.