Montclair, NJ – Junior outside hitter COURTNEY MATLOCK collected 19 kills while senior NIKKI SENOPOULOS added a double-double of 10 kills and 17 digs as second-seeded Montclair State advanced to the NJAC Volleyball Championship Game with a four-set victory over Kean at the Panzer Athletic Center on Thursday.

Junior KIMBERLY MATLOCK recorded 43 assists along with 10 digs as the Red Hawks (18-13) took the first two sets 25-15 and 25-22 before Kean (21-17) posted a 25-22 win in the third. MSU closed out the match with a 25-20 win in the fourth to advance to the NJAC title contest for the first time since 2009.

Montclair State will face top-seeded and seven-time defending champion Stockton University on Saturday, November 7 in Galloway, NJ at 2:00 pm. MSU is seeking its third conference championship as it won titles in 1997 and 2007, the year before the Ospreys began their current run which included a 3-0 win over the Red Hawks in 2009.

Winner of the NJAC Championship earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship next week.

Brett Harper had 15 kills for Kean, which suffered its second straight loss to MSU this season. The Cougars fell to Montclair in five sets back on October 15.

The Red Hawks came out on fire taking an 8-2 lead before Kean chipped away cutting the deficit to 14-10 on a kill by Calli Scheuermann. COURTNEY MATLOCK answered with a kill and Kim Matlock served up an ace restoring the lead to six points which then went to 21-13 on consecutive kills by NATALIA MAJKUT, COURTNEY LEPORE and Senopoulos, who added one more kill in the opening set before two attack errors by Kean gave Montclair the 25-15 win and 1-0 lead in the match.

Another strong open by the Red Hawks in the second helped Montclair to a 10-5 lead however the Cougars again whittled away the lead and took a 16-15 lead on a Harper kill.
Kean would go up 21-19 before Montclair took advantage of a pair of attack errors by the Cougars. COURTNEY MATLOCK regained the lead for MSU which gave it right back on a service error knotting the set at 22-22. Montclair closed out the set with three kills, the first two by COURTNEY MATLOCK and the final by MADISON MAUTE as MSU went up 2-0 win the 25-22 win.

Kean turned to Harper in the third set to get back into the match. The freshman had nine kills including one that ignited an 8-2 run giving the Cougars a 22-17 lead. Montclair countered with five of next six points making the score 23-22 before Harper finished off the set with consecutive kills as Kean got back into the match with the 25-22 win.

The fourth set was more closely contested in the early part before Montclair pulled out to a 13-6 lead. The Cougars later pulled within a point at 17-16 on a kill by Harper but that was answered by COURTNEY MATLOCK. The teams traded the next six points before Senopoulos and LePore registered kills for a 23-19 advantage. Each team committed an error on the next two points with Matlock ending the match on her fourth and final kill of the set.

Majkut finished with eight kills and a pair of blocks with LePore adding seven kills and two blocks. Libero DANIELLE OLCESE had 19 digs to lead MSU with LILY SCANZILLO and ASHLEY GRIFFITH recording 13 apiece.