Montclair, NJ – Senior outside hitter LEAH HIGGINS posted 12 kills, three blocks and five digs while VICTORIA TENNON added 10 kills and four blocks as Montclair State picked up a key NJAC victory with a 3-1 win over Stockton at the Panzer Athletic Center on Tuesday evening.

Senior CARLY WATERMAN added seven kills and 14 digs as the Red Hawks (13-7) knocked off the Ospreys 25-23, 18-25, 25-16 and 25-15 for just their fifth win in 57 all-time meetings against Stockton and first since 2018 when Montclair posted a similar triumph in Galloway, NJ in the semifinals of the NJAC Tournament.

Montclair State, which has won nine straight, moved into sole possession of second place in the NJAC with the win. The Red Hawks (5-1) are a half-game behind Rowan for first place. Stockton fell to 4-2 in league play and is now tied for third with Rutgers-Camden with both teams a half-game ahead of Kean University (3-2).

Charlotte Leon and Caity Ullmer had 16 and 15 kills, respectively for the Ospreys (9-13, 4-2 NJAC).

A rematch of last spring's conference title match won by Stockton, Montclair trailed 9-7 before quick three-point run put them into the lead at 10-9 on a KATIE RODMAN ace. A five-point Ospreys spurt gave the advantage back to the visitors, who led 21-17. A service error and three hitting miscues by Stockton knotted its back up at 21-21 however, a Leon kill made the score 23-21. SKYLAR KOWALSKI served an ace for MSU and an error by the Ospreys re-tied the set at 23-all. Kowalski stepped up with an ace and GIANNA ARIAS followed with a kill, capping a four-point, set-ending run as Montclair took a 1-0 lead in the match.

Leon, Ullmer and Emma Capriglione had four kills each in the second set as Stockton tied the match up with the 25-18 victory. The set loss ended Montclair State's streak of 25 consecutive sets won dating back to the final set of their 3-2 loss at Rowan on September 21.

MSU rebounded in the third at Arias posted five kills with Higgins getting three. Six straight points turned a 3-2 lead into a 9-2 advantage after Tennon and Arias combined on a block. Tennon added a kill making the score 13-6 and the Red Hawks moved in front 18-9 as Waterman served up an ace. Stockton would get within 22-16, however, Montclair closed out the set with the final three points. Kowalski had a kill and solo block before Waterman finished it off with a kill of her own.

Two aces from LEAH CHIPMAN early in the fourth helped Montclair State out to a 7-3 lead. The teams would battle back and forth with MSU widening its lead to 17-11 on a dual block by Higgins and Arias. Leading by five, the Red Hawks all but put the match away with four-point burst, taking a 22-13 advantage on a block from Arias and Tennon. Stockton would get two points back, but MSU got the final three, including a Tennon-Kowalski block on match point.

Arias finished with eight kills and four blocks for Montclair, which had nine blocks in the match. DELANEY ST. PIERRE registered 41 assists along with three kills KATELYN MONAGHAN and KATIE RODMAN recorded 16 and 11 digs, respectively.

The Red Hawks are back in action on Thursday, October 14 with a road NJAC contest. Montclair State makes the short nine-mile journey to Wayne, NJ to face local rival William Paterson at 7:00 pm.