PITMAN, N.J. — The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) announced its award winners for the previous week of action today, Monday, Oct. 3, and a pair New Jersey City University student-athletes garnered recognition. Senior right-side hitter Paola Toledo (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic/Colegio Catolico San Rafael) of the Gothic Knights' women's volleyball squad was named Player of the Week, while sophomore back Jason Suarez (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) for the NJCU men's soccer team was named Rookie of the Week.

Toledo helped NJCU women's volleyball go 3-1 this past week, including notching its first win over NJAC foe Rutgers-Camden (3-2) since 2008, making it the first time since 2009 that the Gothic Knights have won multiple conference matches. Toledo finished the week with a team-high 48 kills (3.20 kills/set) with just 14 errors on 123 attempts (.276 hitting percentage). She added a team-high-tying 34 digs (2.27 digs/set), eight total blocks (0.53 blocks/set) and seven aces. She started off with a match-best 16 kills on 46 swings with six errors (.217) to go with six digs, an ace and a block in the five-set victory over the Scarlet Raptors on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC).

Toledo then led all players once again with nine error-less kills on 14 swings (.643) to go with a match-best eight digs, three total blocks and two aces in the 3-0 sweep of Brooklyn College on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the JMAC. On Saturday, Oct. 1, in Wilkes, Pa., Toledo started off with 12 kills and four errors on 27 swings (.296) to go with a match-best four blocks, a team-high-tying eight digs and two aces in the morning sweep at Wilkes University. In the afternoon's four-set loss to Neumann University, Toledo notched a team-high 11 kills and four errors on 36 swings (.194) to go with a team-high-tying 12 digs – her second double-double of the season – and two aces. She is currently second in the NJAC in hitting percentage.

Suarez was one of the key components to a defensive backline for a Gothic Knights' men's soccer squad that allowed just one goal and 10 shots on goal over 180 minutes of play as NJCU went 1-1 this past week. Against Rowan University on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at the Thomas M. Gerrity Athletic Complex, Suarez notched the second assist of his collegiate career to make it 4-0 at the time in the 27th minute, helping Jersey City to its first NJAC win since 2013 and first victory over the Profs since 2010. The center back then helped his team limit Rutgers-Camden to just three shots on goal on Saturday in the wet and rainy home 1-0 loss. Suarez was one of just five Gothic Knights to play all possible 180 minutes.

This is the first NJAC Women's Volleyball Player of the Week award for Toledo, and second of her career, as the 2021 All-NJAC Honorable Mention selection earned the same honor on Sept. 7, 2021, last season. For Suarez, this is his first-career weekly award.

Up Next:
Both teams are scheduled to return to action tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 4. The men's soccer squad travels to Morristown, N.J., for a non-conference clash with Saint Elizabeth University at 2:00 p.m., while women's volleyball takes on NJAC foe Montclair State University on the road at 7:00 p.m.