Mahwah, NJ:  In the semi-final match-up of the 2017 New Jersey Athletic Conference women's volleyball match-up, the #3 seeded Ospreys of Stockton University defeated the #2 seeded Roadrunners of Ramapo College, 3-1 (25, 16, 25, 10, 20-25, 25-13) to advance to the championship finals.  With the win Stockton improves to 24-10 overall while Ramapo falls to 19-7. 
 
Behind an offensive performance from Stephanie Kovacs, who collected a team high 17 kills, the Ospreys would take the semi-final match-up over Ramapo to advance to the finals against Kean University on Saturday at 1pm.
 
The Ospreys combined hitting .267 in the win with 51 kills on 135 attacks and 15 errors.  Allie Desmond added nine kills and Kara Glynn and Sarah Walsh each added eight.  Alice Brandt dished out 21 assists and Emily Sullivan collected 19 of her own while the defense was led by Sarah Walsh with 22 digs.  Natalie Miller picked up 17 digs and Erin Thompson contributed 11.
 
The Ospreys took control out of the gate jumping out to a 21-8 lead over Ramapo.  The Roadrunners made a push to close the gap, 23-16 but it wasn't enough as the Ospreys took the first set, 25-16.  Behind six kills from Kovas, the Ospreys would take a 1-0 lead.  The team combined for 14 kills on 36 attempts and six errors hitting .222 as Sullivan dished out five assists and Brandt contributed four. Walsh picked up 11 digs in the win.  For Ramapo, Larysa Iwaskiw put away five attacks as the team went 6-40 with seven errors hitting -.025.  Kate Shirkey dished out four assists and Felicia Jimenez picked up four digs.
 
It would be the Ospreys coming out on top of set two, 25-10, after taking a 12-3 lead to start.  Charlotte Leon, Desmond, Walsh, and Kovacs each contributed two kills as the team combined for ten on 30 attempts and two errors hitting .267.  Brandt dished out five assists and Erin Thompson picked up a team leading five digs.  Samantha Main and Hannah Frascella each put away two kills for Ramapo.  The team hit -.079 with six kills and nine errors on 38 attempts.  Shirkey assisted on three points and Mulligan picked up seven digs.
 
Ramapo jumped ahead to start the third set but the Ospreys took control after tying the set at 4-4, then climbing to a 15-11 advantage.  Down the stretch, the Roadrunners would chip away and take the lead, 19-18 with an ace from Kristina Semple and with a final kill from Frascella, Ramapo took the set, 25-20 to close the gap to two sets to one.  Iwaskiw collected eight kills in the win and Frascella added five as the team combined for 18-36 with three errors hitting .417.  Shirkey and Sara Correa each dished out seven assists and Mulligan collected six digs.  Desmond led the Ospreys with four kills and the team hit .156 with nine kills and four errors on 32 attempts.  Brandt dished out seven assists and Natalie Miller picked up five digs.
 
In the fourth set the Ospreys would jump out to a 12-6 lead before pushing to a 16-8 advantage on a Ramapo error.  Stockton would continue to spread the gap eventually taking the set, 25-13, and the match, 3-1.  Stockton hit a combined .400 with 17 kills on 35 attempts and three errors while Kovacs collected a team high six kills.  Sullivan dished out nine assists and Walsh picked up eight digs.  For Ramapo, Iwaskiw led with three kills and the team hit a combined 7-33 with seven errors hitting .000.  Shirkey collected four assists and Mulligan picked up five digs.
 
The championship match will take place on Saturday, November 4th at 1pm at the #1 seeded Cougars of Kean University.