Two Kean University senior field hockey players from Millville won honorable mentions on the 2023-24 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) All-Academic Team. Kylie Giordano and Jorja Hibschman were each honored for the first time.
To be eligible for the NJAC squad, a student-athlete must be a sophomore, junior or senior who has competed in a conference-sponsored sport while achieving a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.20. Athletes cannot be a “first year” player or first-year transfer. First- and second-team selections were made by each of the league’s 10 full-member institutions.
A three-year impact player, this season, Giordano was chosen for the All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Team, and All-NJAC First Team for the second straight year. She was NJAC Offensive Player of the Week four times. According to the university website, she totaled 105 points on 73 goals and 32 assists and posted a .487 shot and a .707 shot on goal percentage. She finished with 12 points on seven goals and five assists against MSV on March 2 and scored eight goals against Drew on March 20.
Hibschman was an NJAC Co-Midfielder of the Year and All-NJAC First Team for the second year in a row. She was picked for the Synapse Sports All-American Second Team and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Region IV First Team, according to the university website, . She played all 20 games, scoring 16 points on six goals and four assists with two exciting game-winners.
The conference had a total of 1,249 student-athletes named for the 2023-24 academic year.
Kean University in Union, formerly known as New Jersey State Teachers College, is the fourth-largest institution of higher education in New Jersey. Its athletic teams are known as the Cougars and compete at the NCAA Division III level in 14 sports as a member of NJAC for most sports.