PITMAN, N.J. — The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) released its weekly award winners today, Monday, Feb. 26, and five New Jersey City University student-athletes were among the honorees for the past week of action.

For men's volleyball, the Gothic Knights picked up the program's first-ever victory over NJAC rival Rutgers-Newark on the road on Wednesday night, Feb. 21, in four sets. Fifth year co-captain middle blocker Brandon DaSilva (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) was the centerpiece of the win as he led all players in total points (19.0), finishing with a team-high-tying 11 kills without a single error on 15 swings (.733 hitting percentage) to go with three digs, two assists, an ace and a career- and game-best 11 total blocks as a dominant force at the net. For his efforts, he was named NJAC Men's Volleyball Player of the Week.

Joining him was his teammate, freshman outside hitter Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill), who has now been named NJAC Men's Volleyball Rookie of the Week four straight times. The first-year Green and Gold hitter had a team-high-tying 11 kills and five errors on 23 swings (.261) to go with four digs and two blocks.

NJCU also took home the NJAC Baseball Rookie of the Week honors. In his collegiate debut, freshman outfielder Jeremy Ricourt (Perth Amboy, N.J./JFK Memorial) helped NJCU to the 6-3 win at Brooklyn Cyclones Stadium over SUNY Brockport on Saturday, Feb. 24. The rookie finished 3-for-5 with a double, a RBI and a run scored. Baseball was not done yet as freshman righthander Ricky Del Rio (Edison, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas) was also named Rookie Pitcher of the Week. He entered the game with his team leading 6-2 with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. Del Rio got the first batter to hit into a fielder's choice on the second pitch – a near-game-ending double play ball – before getting the game-winning lineout to left one pitch later. Three pitches and one save.

Last but not least, senior guard Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) shined on the biggest of stages. The conference's reigning two-time Player of the Year was as dominant as ever, leading NJCU to the program's third NJAC Championship in four seasons to establish a dynasty in Jersey City and punch the second-ever ticket to NCAAs in program history. Now a five-time NJAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week this season, she averaged 25.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals over 38.9 minutes per game last week as the #2-seeded Gothic Knights defeated #3 seed Kean at home on Tuesday night in the semifinals, 61-48, and then took down #1 seed TCNJ on Friday night on the road in the championship game, 65-52, to capture the title. The senior All-American had a game-high 25 points, a game-best seven assists, six boards and two steals against the Cougars, and followed that up with a game-high 26 points, a game-best four assists, a game-high-tying three steals and three rebounds against the Lions.

Up Next:
Ricourt, Del Rio and the rest baseball squad return to action tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 27, for a road game at FDU-Florham in Madison, N.J., for a 2:30 p.m. first pitch. DaSilva, Pardasie and men's volleyball are back in action when they finally open home play for the 2024 season tomorrow night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) at 7:00 p.m. against #14-ranked New York University. Finally, Rodriguez and the women's basketball squad head up to Brunswick, Maine, for the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship against #RV/20 UMass Dartmouth on Friday night, March 1, at 5:00 p.m.