UNION, N.J. (4/12/14) – The Kean University men's volleyball program won its semifinal and final matches by identical 3-1 margins on Saturday to win the 2014 Skyline Conference Championship and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. Junior Bez Arslani – with 21 kills in the final - of Kean was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
Final vs. Ramapo
The Cougars and Roadrunners split the first 12 points of the match, until Kyle Farley killed three-straight for the Cougars to give the home team a bit of a cushion. But Ramapo swung back to tie it at nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 as the teams who had been 1-2 in the Skyline standings all season slugged it out.
A pair of Kean errors finally put the Roadrunners up two, 19-17. But Tommy Rosario had three kills in short succession to bring Kean even at 21. Ron Dunn had a pretty dump to give the Cougars a one-point lead, but their errors proved too much for Kean to overcome and they fell 25-22 in the first.
John Cunningham brought Kean back from an early second-set deficit, earning a kill and then serving two-straight points to give the Cougars a 6-4 lead.
But Ramapo came back again and went ahead 12-10 on a solo block by Ahjon Petty. Kean tied the set at 13 after an incredible rally; Michael Fox had a pair of great digs on the point that evened up the set's momentum. Once again the teams were tied numerous times – 10 separate instances in the second set. Ed Jedziniak and Cunningham broke the deadlock with two huge kills apiece as Kean went up by six. The Cougars held on to win 25-19 and tie the match at one-set each.
In set three, Dunn and Farley combined for a block that tied the score at seven. That sparked a surge as Kean also scored the next five, highlighted by Bez Arslani's solo block and an ace by Cunningham. The five-point run put Kean up 12-7.
The Cougars maintained that cushion through most of the rest of the set. Ramapo got back within two, but the Roadrunners made too many errors down the stretch and fell 25-22.
When set four was tied at three, an error and a stuff block by Kyle Farley put Kean up two. But the Roadrunners came back once again and quickly went up 14-10.
Kean fought back admirably to tie it at 17. Jedziniak's kill tied the set and forced Ramapo to call timeout, as they were potentially down to their final eight points of the season. Kean won a great rally after the break to take the lead. But RC scored four of the next five and jumped in front once again, only to be tied at 21 on a monster kill by Cunningham.
Dunn and Farley teamed for a huge block to get Kean 23, and Arslani punished a Ramapo overpass to move Kean to Championship point. Dunn and Roasrio teamed for the block to ignite the celebration and deliver Kean's third-straight Skyline title.
Semifinal vs. NJCU
In the day's semifinal against NJCU, Krzysztof Kucza led the way with 12 kills on a .455 hitting percentage. Jedziniak also had a good match, racking up nine kills and hitting .471.
Senior Josh Haimann did admirably at setter, pacing the team with 21 assists in two sets. The Cougars outhit NJCU .430 to .094 in their 25-13, 19-25, 25-13, 25-11 victory. But the biggest column on the sheet was blocks: Kean was credited with 29 while the Knights had just one.
Ramapo swept the College of Mount Saint Vincent in the day's second semifinal match.
Kean is now 26-7 with Saturday's two victories.
Kean completed the first perfect season (16-0) in Skyline Conference history and will await its NCAA matchup. That will be announced Monday morning at 10 a.m. on the Division III Men's Volleyball Selection Show on NCAA.com.
