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.
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| 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 |
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 |
 |
 |
| 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 |
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 |
 |
 |
| 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 |
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