NEW YORK — The Skyline Conference announced its weekly award winners today, Wednesday, Feb. 22, for men's volleyball and for the first time this season, the New Jersey City University Gothic Knights swept all three possible honors. For the third week in a row — and the fourth time in his career — senior co-captain hitter James Bajor (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) was named Player of the Week, while (for the first time in either of their careers) senior Nico Figueroa (Jersey City, N.J./County Prep) and freshman Ethen Lugo (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) were named Libero of the Week and Rookie of the Week, respectively.

Bajor, already named to New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Player of the Week for the second straight time, helped NJCU to a 1-1 weekend on Saturday, Feb. 18, in Madison, N.J. — the Gothic Knights dropped a highly contested five-setter to unbeaten (15-0) King's College (Pa.) – and finished with 30 kills (3.33/set) and 11 errors on 76 swings (.250 hitting percentage) to go with 19 digs (2.11/set) and three blocks (0.33/set) for 32.5 points (3.61/set). He began with 10 kills and three errors on 29 swings (.241), nine digs and two blocks in the four-set win at tri-match host Drew University in the morning and followed up with a match-best 19 kills and seven errors on 45 attempts (.267) to go with eight more digs, an ace and another block in the five-set afternoon loss to the Monarchs.

Stepping up into the primary libero role on Saturday, Figueroa made the most of it over two matches (nine sets) played. He finished with a team-high 24 digs (2.67/set) to go with a near-perfect serve-receive, going 49-of-50 (.980). Figueroa started with a team-high 10 digs in the morning's four-set win over the hosting Rangers, followed by a match- and career-best 13 digs in the five-set loss to unbeaten King's (Pa.) in the afternoon. Also earning an opportunity in the lineup, Lugo appeared in seven of Saturday's nine sets for NJCU. He finished with an all-around performance and totaled seven kills (1.00/set), an ace, 14 digs (2.00/set), a block and was 28-for-31 on serve-receive. The rookie began with four kills and seven digs in the morning's four-set win at Drew. Lugo followed up with three kills, six more digs and a block in the afternoon against the Monarchs.

Up Next:
The Gothic Knights are back in action tonight as they open up Skyline play for the 2023 season, looking to make a third straight run to the conference championship match. NJCU travels up to Bronxville, N.Y., for a 7:00 p.m. clash with Sarah Lawrence College.