PITMAN, NJ --- Stockton University senior setter Emily Sullivan (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) and Montclair State sophomore libero Maddie Valko (Montvale, NJ/Pascack Hills) have been named the New Jersey Athletic Conference Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year respectively for the 2020-21 season. Addtionally, Rutgers-Camden freshman outside hitter Erica Nebrich (Aldie, VA/John Champe) garnered NJAC Rookie of the Year honors.

In total, 16 student-athletes garnered all-conference recognition in NJAC women’s volleyball. All selections were determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches.

A four-year NJAC All-Conference First Team honoree, Sullivan capped off a highly decorated career by leading Stockton to its second consecutive NJAC title. After splashing on to the scene as the 2017 NJAC Rookie of the Year, Sullivan has been a key to the Ospreys’ success over the past four seasons. She led the conference in assists (9.68 a/s) and was second in aces (0.68 per set). The attacking setter also averaged 1.18 kills and was second on the Stockton squad with 2.45 digs per set. Sullivan, a 2019 AVCA All-American, cracked the 3,000-assist mark for her career and will finish fourth in program history with 3,073.

Valko becomes the first Red Hawk to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors since Kaitlyn Irwin earned it in back-to-back years in 2010 and 2011. She is now a two-time NJAC All-Conference honoree, earning Honorable Mention as a rookie in 2019 and First Team honors this season. The sophomore led the NJAC with 5.00 digs per set, more than a dig per set higher than anyone else in the conference. The three-time NJAC Defensive Player of the Week in this shortened season anchored Montclair State in its run to the NJAC title game after a 5-1 regular season. The libero was also third on the Red Hawks’ squad with 24 total assists (1.00 a/s).

Nebrich quickly became a force on a Rutgers-Camden team that advanced to the NJAC Tournament semifinals. The rookie from Virginia was the only freshman named to the All-Conference team this year after finishing in the top 10 in a number of statistics categories. She led all rookies and was third in the NJAC overall in both points per set (3.45) and service aces per set (0.65). Nebrich was the top rookie and seventh overall in kills per set (2.65) and finished eighth in the NJAC with a .245 hitting percentage.

Stockton University head coach Allison Walker was selected as the NJAC Joy Solomen Coach of the Year by her peers for seventh time in her 15 years in Galloway. In the shortened spring 2021 season, Walker guided the Ospreys to a 7-0 overall record and second straight NJAC title. In 15 seasons at the helm of the Stockton program, Walker has led Stockton to an overall record of 373-126.
   

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Emily Sullivan, Stockton
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Maddie Valko, Montclair State
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:  Erica Nebrich, Rutgers-Camden
JOY SOLOMEN COACH OF THE YEAR:  Allison Walker, Stockton
FIRST TEAM
Name	Year	Pos.	School	Hometown/High School
Haley Green	JR	OH	Stockton	Springville, UT/Maple Mountain
Leah Higgins+@	JR	OH	Montclair State	Leonia, NJ/Leonia
Julie Kohlhoff*#	SR	MH	Stockton	West Islip, NY/West Islip
Charlotte Leon+	SR	RS	Stockton	Northport, NY/Northport
Emily Sullivan*%!	SR	S	Stockton	Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan
Kayla Thornton	SO	MH	Kean	Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Regional
Maddie Valko^	SO	L	Montclair State	Montvale, NJ/Pascack Hills
SECOND TEAM
Name	Year	Pos.	School	Hometown/High School
Dakota Apicella	JR	OH	William Paterson	Kendall Park, NJ/South Brunswick
Devyn Cobb	JR	MH	Rutgers-Camden	Southampton, PA/William Tennent
Michelle Froehlich	SR	OH	Kean	Ringwood, NJ/Lakeland Regional
Brinn Hassan	JR	S	Rutgers-Camden	Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown
Christie Louer	SR	OH	Stockton	Clifton, NJ/Clifton
Delaney St. Pierre	JR	S	Montclair State	Colorado Springs, CO/Coronado
Carly Waterman*#	JR	OH	Montclair State	Verona, NJ/Verona
HONORABLE MENTION
Name	Year	Pos.	School	Hometown/High School
Amanda DeLio	JR	L	Kean	Arlington Heights, IL/Palatine
Erica Nebrich	FR	OH	Rutgers-Camden	Aldie, VA/John Champe