Rowan women’s volleyball returned home to Esbjornson Gymnasium and defeated the Immaculata Mighty Macs 3-1 on Tuesday night. The win against the Mighty Macs marked two-straight victories for the Profs, after they won their first New Jersey Athletic Conference(NJAC) match against Stockton last week.

After a hard fought fist set, they walked away with a 25-11 win, but the team wasn’t done yet. The Profs went on to dominate the Mighty Macs 25-14 in the second.

Momentum was going, and energy was high on the Profs sidelines starting the third set. But, that quickly dwindled when Immaculata started swinging and Rowan lost control. As more of the Profs’ kills went out of bounds, the aggressive offense on the Profs side started slipping. Balls started to land outside court lines and Immaculata started to gain confidence. 

With the new found confidence, Immaculata kept performing. With power in mind, the Profs aimed for a third set victory, but fell short. The Profs ended the third set down 25-20.

The Profs walked away with a loss in the third set, but after a talk with coach and a short break between sets, the Profs were able to redirect their focus and come back stronger. The team went on to keep Immaculata University under ten points in the fourth set and defeated them 25-8. 

“We still do have a lot of learning to do throughout the season, of learning how to finish games like that, no matter who we’re playing. It could be Immaculata or could be a Stockton or a Montclair, you know,” Jena Kaul, the senior outside hitter, said. “So I just think that we still have to learn how to get in that red zone and finish the game.”

Despite the loss in the third set, the Profs stayed aggressive through it all. An aggressive swing from Rowan’s outside hitter, Alexa Kelleher, was just the start to an intense rally in the second set. 

After a block attempt on the other side of the net, Kelleher was able to recover the blocked ball and return the energy, ending the long rally with a powerful block. Kelleher isn’t the only Prof who showed up on the offensive end. Kaul led the team with 16 kills, followed by the junior opposite hitter, Abby Chadwick.

The team’s powerful offense not only landed the Profs with more points on the board, but also aided in morale and confidence. 

Despite the offensive mistakes, the Profs were able to use their powerful offense to boost confidence and end the match with a win under their belt. 

“They know how difficult it is to get a big dig or to put that ball away to the floor. I think any of those moments are just more confidence boosters,” head coach Deana Jespersen said,

The Profs are hoping to continue their momentum as they take on the 9-3 Ramapo Valley Roadrunners at home on Thursday in their second NJAC match of the season.

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