Union, NJ (9/23/08) – Sophomore Devon Johnston (Moorestown, NJ / Moorestown) collected eight kills while junior Anna Chesnakova (East Brunswick, NJ / East Brunswick) added seven and five total blocks as Montclair State moved to 2-0 in the New Jersey Athletic Conferencd with a three-set sweep of Kean University at the Harwood Arena on Tuesday evening.

The win was the Red Hawks second straight as they improved to 9-5 overall, 2-0 in the NJAC. MSU won the match 25-12, 25-9, 25-13.

For the Cougars (4-5, 0-1 NJAC), sophomore Ivana Kapetanovic (East Brunswick, N.J.) had five kills and freshman Yesenia Velasquez (North Arlington, N.J.) dished out 14 assists.

Montclair committed just seven hitting errors in the match and took full advantage of the 27 by the Cougars. In the opening set, three straight Kean errors plus kills by Chesnakova and Karen Martin (Sicklerville, NJ / Washington Township) staked the Red Hawks to a 5-1 lead. Kean would cut the deficit to 9-5, however Johnston had two kills and Christine Toskovich (Garfield, NJ / Garfield) added another to boost the lead to 12-7. Three more Kean hitting errors would make the score 17-7 however Kean would get back to 19-12 as Montclair made a service error. Kara Burnham (Moorestown, NJ / Moorestown) answered for MSU with a kill and Martin served up three aces in the final five points as the Red Hawks took the first set, 25-12.

In the second set, Montclair races out to a 6-0 lead as setter Raisa Silva (Newark, NJ / East Side) registered a pair of aces. With Montclair holding a 7-2 lead, the Red Hawks would run off the next seven points, including five consecutive service aces by Meghan Stevens (Woodcliffe Lake, NJ / Pascack Hills). Burnham recorded three kills during the set as the Red Hawks took a 2-0 lead with a 25-9 triumph.

The third set was tied at 3-all when Montclair scored seven of the next eight points to take a 10-4 advantage. Burnham put MSU ahead with a kill and two attack errors by Kean extedned the lead to 6-3. An ace by Martin and two more attack errors by the Cougars gave MSU the six-point lead. Johnston would close out the set and match with her eighth and final kill as Montclair completed the sweep with a25-13 victory.

Burnham had five kills for the Red Hawks, who hit .353 (25-7-51) in the match. Martin and Stevens each had five aces while Silva recorded 22 assists. Chesnakova had one solo and four block assists to give her 316 total blocks, three behind Jill Gastelu's (1995-98) all-time record. Stevens led the Red Hawks with nine digs.

Montclair State returns to action on Thursday, September 25 as they return to the MSU Student Recreation Center against New Jersey City (7:00 pm). It will be the first meeting between the two since last year's NJAC Championship Match - a 3-1 MSU victory that snapped the Gothic Knights 43-match home winning streak while giving the Red Hawks their second conference crown and first berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.