PITMAN --- The New Jersey Athletic Conference has announced its men's volleyball weekly award winners for the week ending Jan. 25.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MARCUS PARDASIE • New Jersey City University
Junior • Outside Hitter • Paramus, NJ/Cresskill
Pardasie claims NJAC Player of the Week honors for the second straight week after leading the Gothic Knights to two wins. The junior recorded 17 kills in each match while maintaining a .426 hitting percentage (34 kills, 5 errors, 68 total attacks) across both victories, averaging 4.25 kills per set. He opened the week with a 3-2 win over Purchase, contributing 17 kills, six assists and five digs, then followed with 17 kills, one assist and 10 digs in a 3-0 sweep of John Jay on Wednesday. Pardasie also excelled defensively with 15 digs total (1.88 per set) and added seven assists and one service ace for the week. He currently leads the NJAC in kills (4.33/set) and ranks second in both points (4.63/set) and hitting percentage (.396).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ALEX CASAIS • New Jersey City University
Senior • Setter • Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne
Casais earns NJAC Defensive Player of the Week recognition after a solid defensive effort to go with his setting duties in NJCU's 2-0 week. The senior recorded nine block assists (1.13 per set) and 10 digs (1.25 per set) while directing the offense with 73 assists (9.13 per set) across two victories. He contributed four block assists and three digs in a 3-0 sweep of John Jay on Wednesday, then added five block assists and seven digs in Monday's 3-2 win over Purchase. Casais also added eight kills on a .583 hitting percentage and two service aces, demonstrating his complete all-around game. He currently ranks second in the NJAC in both assists (8.67/set) and blocks (1.00/set).
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
DUNCAN STURT • Rutgers University-Newark
Freshman • Setter • Livingston, NJ/Livingston
Sturt is named NJAC Rookie of the Week for the second time in as many weeks after orchestrating the Scarlet Raiders' offense in a 2-1 week. The freshman setter totaled 88 assists, averaging 8.8 assists per set across three matches. He distributed 32 assists (10.67 per set) in a 3-0 conference victory over Ramapo on Tuesday before adding 27 assists (9.0 per set) in a 3-0 sweep of Mount Aloysius on Friday. Sturt also contributed defensively with 13 digs (1.3 per set) for the week, including a strong performance in the team's lone loss to 12th-ranked Vassar. He currently ranks third in the NJAC in assists (8.59/set) and among the top 10 in digs (1.65/set).