UNION, N.J. (3/9/21) - Michelle Froehlich posted a double-double with 15 kills and 14 digs as the Kean University women's volleyball team dropped their spring home opener to Montclair State University, 3-0 (21-25, 20-25, 22-25) in straight sets on Tuesday evening.

Leah Higgins totaled nine kills and 10 digs for the Red Hawks who improve to 2-1 overall and 2-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Ashley Smith finished with nine kills for the Cougars who fall to 1-1 overall and 1-1 in the NJAC.

Froehlich tallied four kills in the opening set, but MSU dug 19 balls and recorded only six errors on 32 swings. Kean battled back from a 16-10 deficit to cut the lead to 19-16 before the Red Hawks took a timeout. Montclair closed out the set with a 5-2 run that included two attack errors and a service error.

Froehlich added eight more kills in the second set, while the Cougars out dug the Red Hawks, 24-20. Despite that MSU took the middle set with a 7-3 run that put Kean into a deep deficit they couldn't recover from.

Smith and Sedona Gaard combined for nine kills as the Cougars saw a 9-2 lead drift away. Montclair used a 14-5 run to recover and take the match with a 5-2 run down the stretch.

Gaard finished with nine digs and six kills, while Amanda DeLio collected 18 digs. Britni Jaskot totaled 19 assists and Kylie Brua handed out 16 assists as well.

Head Coach Don Perkins and the Cougars will return to action in Galloway, N.J. on Thursday, Mar. 11^th against the Ospreys of Stockton University at 7:00 p.m.