Galloway, N.J. – Stockton University (21-7) was edged 3-2 by Kean University (16-11) in a thrilling NJAC Tournament semifinal at The Sports Center. The No. 2 seed Ospreys won two of the first three sets, but the No. 3 seed Cougars overtook Stockton in the last two frames.
Olivia Magro (Brigantine/ACIT) led the Ospreys with 14 kills followed by
Nicole Palmer (Islip Terrace, N.Y./East Islip) with 12 kills and
Calli Miller (Hampstead, N.H./Pinkerton Academy) with 11 kills. Palmer added a team-high 13 digs for a double-double.
Ariana Bongiovanni (Charlotte, N.C./Reddington) also produced a double-double with 23 assists and 11 digs.
Kristen Burton (Annapolis, Md./Archbishop Spalding) dished 17 assists.
Jalynn Grant (Philadelphia, Pa./North Penn) contributed seven kills and seven blocks.
Magro spiked four kills in the first set, but Kean prevailed 25-22. Miller topped the Ospreys with four kills in the second frame as Stockton evened the match 25-22 after 13 ties and four lead changes.
The Ospreys controlled most of the third set and fended off a late Kean rally to win 25-23 behind six kills from Magro and four by Miller to take a 2-1 lead. The Cougars took the fourth stanza 25-14 to set up a winner-take-all fifth set.
Stockton fell behind 7-1 in the fifth set before staging an improbable comeback. Two kills by Palmer highlighted a 6-0 run that tied the score at 7-7. A few points later, a kill by Grant put the Ospreys ahead 12-11. The rally fizzled as Kean scored five of the next seven points to down Stockton 16-14.
Cayley Elena Morrison paced Kean with 25 kills and seven blocks. Ashley Torok tallied 17 kills and 10 digs while setter Rae Marrero finished with 45 assists and 15 digs.
Stockton finished the season with 21 victories, reaching the 20-win mark for the fifth straight year.
