PITMAN, NJ -- Rowan took home two marquee awards from the New Jersey Athletic Conference in its year-end awards announced on Tuesday. Jessica Smart was selected the NJAC Rookie of the Year and Deana Jespersen and her assistants were named the Joy Solomen NJAC Coaching Staff of the Year.

Smart landed on the first team with Raven Albrecht and Abby Chadwick on the second team and Vanessa Hutchinson and Jena Kaul on the honorable mention list respectively. A total of five Profs were honored, tied for the most ever in program history and the second time since 2012.

Rowan has been voted the Joy Solomen Coaching Staff of the Year, with head coach Deana Jespersen receiving the posthumous honor. Jespersen sadly passed away on November 2nd after a courageous battle with cancer. This marks the fifth time that Jespersen received the honor, which is shared by the entire staff including assistants Matt Verlinghieri, Gaelen Fitzgerald, Julia Worth and Emma Gosbin, and student assistant Kyra Hissner.

Smart leads the team in kills (332) and kills per set (3.58 kps) and is ranked in the top 5 in the NJAC in both categories. A two-time player of the week in the regular season, the freshman has helped the Profs to the top hitting percentage team in conference play (.255).

Albrecht who ranks third in the NJAC in assists (933) and assists per game set (9.24 aps) also has seven double-doubles this season (10 or more assists and digs in a match).

Both Chadwick and Kaul have put down 222 kills apiece while Hutchinson ranks fifth in the conference in digs (400) and fourth in digs per set (3.96 dps).

Smart, Albrecht, and Chadwick earn the all-conference honor for the first time. Hutchinson and Kaul score a third career league end-of-season accolade.

Jespersen was in the midst of her 12th season at Rowan and had the Profs positioned as one of the top teams in the region. The Profs wrapped up the regular season with a 7-1 conference record to secure the No. 2 seed in the 2025 NJAC Championship. Jespersen's overall coaching career spanned 21 seasons with over 300 victories, including two NJAC Championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances. She coached 30 All-Conference players and three All-Americans - the first three in program history.

The Profs will host fifth-seeded Stockton on Thursday at 7 p.m. here in Esby Gymnasium in the semifinals of the 2025 NJAC Tournament. The other semifinal pits fourth-seeded Montclair State at top-seeded Kean. The NJAC Championship is set for Saturday, November 15th.
   
 

FIRST TEAM
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.
Kate Louer	Stockton	SR	OH
Cayley Elena Morrison	Kean	JR	MH
Camryn Muuss	Montclair State	SO	OH
Aspen O'Brien	Kean	SR	S
Nicole Palmer	Stockton	JR	OPP
Jessica Smart	Rowan	FR	OH
Ashley Torok	Kean	FR	OH
SECOND TEAM
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.
Asya Akar	Ramapo	FR	OH
Raven Albrecht	Rowan	FR	S
Bryn Bautista	Montclair State	SO	OH
Abby Chadwick	Rowan	JR	OPP
Bella Demers	William Paterson	SO	L
Kai Fitzpatrick	NJCU	JR	OH
Cecilia Miller	William Paterson	JR	OH
HONORABLE MENTION
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.
Aubre Adams	Kean	SR	MH
Lucy Cornelius	Montclair State	FR	S
Madeline Dohogne	Kean	SR	L
Kristian Glenn	William Paterson	JR	OPP
Abby Houpt	William Paterson	JR	S
Vanessa Hutchinson	Rowan	SR	L
Jena Kaul	Rowan	SR	OH
Regan Mendick	Stockton	SR	S
Mia Owens	Rutgers-Camden	JR	L
Rileigh Wilson	Stockton	SR	OPP