MONTCLAIR, N.J. – Despite dropping the opening set, the fifth-seeded William Paterson volleyball team (20-11, 5-3 NJAC) rallied to defeat fourth-seeded Montclair State (22-9, 5-3 NJAC), 3-1, in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament quarterfinals Nov. 10.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Montclair State built a double-digit advantage (20-7) in the opening set and maintained it en route to claiming the 25-15 victory.
- The Pioneers trailed 24-20 in the second set before a kill by freshman Kristen Mendez (White Plains, N.Y./Valhalla) sparked a 6-0 run that secured the 26-24 come-from-behind win for WP.
- The Red Hawks went ahead, 21-18, in the third set but the Pioneers rallied again, using a 7-2 run to capture the 25-23 victory.
- A kill by sophomore Korinne Bakken (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) gave the Pioneers a 20-17 lead in the fourth set. The two sides traded points until senior Cecilia Miller (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) recorded her 10th kill of the night to seal the 25-21 win and send WP to the NJAC Tournament semifinals.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Bakken logged a .346 hitting percentage while recording a team-high 12 kills.
- Junior Bella Demers (Maumee, Ohio/Maumee) had a match-best 28 digs to pair with eight assists.
- Freshman Sara Rogers (Dacula, Ga./Mill Creek) and senior Abby Houpt (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley) finished with 20 and 17 assists, respectively.
- Rogers added six digs to her stat line.
- Senior Leah Molnar (Loudoun, Va./Freedom) chipped in with 12 digs.
- Sophomore Riley Elliott (El Dorado Hills, Calif./Oak Ridge) compiled seven kills and 11 digs.
- The Pioneers recorded their 20th win of the season.
- WP knocked off Montclair State in the NJAC Tournament for the second straight year.
UP NEXT:
- William Paterson heads to Glassboro, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 12, to square off against top-seeded Rowan in the NJAC Tournament semifinals at 7:00 p.m.
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