Montclair, NJ – Freshman SKYLER RIZZO registered 10 kills while classmate SKYLAR KOWALSKI added eight as Montclair State closed out its NJAC regular season with a 3-0 victory over William Paterson at the Panzer Athletic Center on Tuesday evening.

Junior setter DELANEY ST. PIERRE recorded 31 assists along with three aces as the Red Hawks captured their fourth straight to finish their abbreviated season at 4-1. MSU, which posted its 10th straight win against WPU, won the match 26-24, 25-11, 25-20.

Montclair locked up the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the NJAC Tournament. MSU will host a semifinal contest on Tuesday, March 23 at 7:00 pm against the winner of Thursday's quarterfinal match featuring No. 3 seed Kean and sixth-seeded WPU.

The two teams battled back and forth as William Paterson took an 11-8 lead only to see MSU record five in a row for a 13-11 advantage. The Pioneers answered with four of the next five to regain the lead, however, the Red Hawk knotted up the set at 18-18 on a Kowalski kill. WPU got the next two, but a 4-0 run vaulted Montclair State back in front 22-20. A block by GIANNA ARIAS and LEAH HIGGINS put MSU on the brink of the first-set win at 24-22, but two straight attack errors tied it back up. Arias came up with another block for a 25-24 advantage with an attack error by the Pioneers ending the set as Montclair State led 1-0 in the match.

In the second set, the Red Hawks recorded the first five points and later built a 14-point lead behind the service of MADDIE VALKO as MSU ripped off 10 consecutive points. Rizzo had three kills during that span as Montclair increased its lead to 17-3. St. Pierre finished off the set with an ace as Montclair State went up 2-0 in the match with the 25-11 victory.

Junior CARLY WATERMAN had two kills during a six-point burst in the third set when Montclair grabbed a 9-4 lead. Rizzo put down back-to-back kills for a 16-7 lead and added another giving the Red Hawks a 19-9 advantage. William Paterson did not go away, answering with a 7-0 run to close the gap to 19-16. The Pioneers drew within 21-19 on a kill by Jamie O'Shea, however, WPU gave the point right back on a service error. Hanna McElrain made it 22-20 but that would be the last point the Pioneers would get. Kowalski and Waterman had kills on two of the last three points to close out the match.

Higgins and Arias each had five kills with Waterman adding four. Valko, the NJAC Defensive Player of the Week, totaled 16 digs with Higgins reaching double digits (10) as well.