Box Score GLASSBORO, NJ  – The Rowan University women's volleyball team defeated Kean University, 3-1 in the semifinals of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship Tournament on Thursday night. 
 
After dropping the first set (25-17), the Profs came back to win three straight, 25-20, 25-12 and 25-20.  The win marked Profs' head coach Deana Jespersen's 200th of her career.  She has a coaching record of 200-190 in 12 years.  This is her first season at the University. 
 
Rowan (16-15), seeded second, travels to the top seed Richard Stockton College (27-6) on Saturday, November 8 for the conference final at 2 p.m.  Stockton won 3-1 over the fourth seed Ramapo College in the semifinals.  The NJAC champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.  Kean (17-18) was seeded third in the conference tournament.
 
Outside hitter Danielle Havlicek (jr. Midland Park, NJ/Midland Park) paced the Profs with 11 kills and a .290 hitting percentage.  Middle hitter Morgan Mende (jr. Glen Rock, NJ/Glen Rock) and opposite/outside hitter Kesley Mazurek (jr. Easton, PA/Easton Area) each contributed with nine kills while outside hitter Erica O'Hagan (so. Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove) added eight.  Mende also recorded five blocks. 
 
Setters Mary-Grace Testa (fr. Kearny, NJ/Mount Saint Dominic Academy) and Rebecca Dantonio (so. Glen Mills, PA/Garnet Valley) totaled 22 and 14 assists respectively.  Dantonio also registered 10 digs.  Libero Jennifer Vorel (so. Madison, NJ/Madison) accumulated 17 digs and defensive specialist Gabby Kulikowski (sr. Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) added 10.
 
For the Cougars, outside hitter Kassie Hernandez (so. San Diego, CA/LaCosta Canyon) produced a game-high 16 kills and outside hitter Aysia Peterson (sr. Scotch Plains-Fanwood, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) followed with 14.  Setter Alana Aranjo (sr. Newark NJ/Science Park) collected 33 assists and 11 digs.  Defensive specialist Lisa DeGroot (jr. Laguna Beach, CA/Capistrano Valley) produced 24 digs and middle hitter Sara Ridgway (fr. Barnegat, NJ/Barnegat) had five blocks.
 
In the first set, Hernandez led Kean with six kills and Peterson had four.  The score was tied at 14 then the Cougars went ahead 21-14 after seven straight points.  Peterson tallied three kills and Hernandez had one in the surge.  Rowan trailed 21-16 after O'Hagan's kill.  The set ended with a kill by Hernandez.
 
Rowan had six different players contributed with kills in the second set.  Mende and Mazurek each registered three kills and Vorel had eight digs.  The score was tied 13 times, with the last one at 19.  The Profs closed out the set with a 6-1 run.  Havlick and Mazurek had one kill apiece. 
 
The Profs jumped out to a 12-5 lead in the third set.  After middle hitter Joelle Tondi's (fr. Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge) kill, the Cougars trailed 12-6 and Rowan followed with six unanswered points.  Havlicek posted a kill and Rowan was ahead 22-9.  The Profs captured the set on a Cougar error.  O'Hagan registered three kills and four digs in the set.
 
The fourth set started with a 6-1 Rowan run.  Kean pulled within three (8-5) after a service error.  The Profs had a six-point lead (13-7) with a kill by Havlicek.  Peterson's kill cut the deficit to three points (14-11).  Kean was down 22-16 after a Hernandez kill.  Havlicek posted a kill, which made the score 24-18.  She also recorded the final point in the set (25-20) for the win.  Havlicek totaled five kills in the fourth set and Mende had three.  Vorel chipped in with six digs.