PITMAN, N.J. — The New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) released its weekly award winners on Monday, April 15, and a pair of New Jersey City University men's volleyball student-athletes — fifth year Brandon DaSilva (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) and freshman Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill) — were named NJAC Defensive Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively.

DaSilva helped NJCU to a 1-1 mark last week, seeing the program advance to its third Skyline Conference Championship match in the last four seasons. The co-captain middle blocker finished with 15 kills (2.5/set) with a .200 hitting percentage to go with seven blocks (1.17/set), four aces (.67/set) and four digs (.67/set). He began with seven kills and two errors on 17 swings (.294) to go with a match-best four blocks, a match-high three aces and three digs in the three-set home Skyline semifinal sweep of Ramapo College on Thursday, April 11. Then, in the Saturday, April 13, three-set Skyline Championship loss at #1-seed St. Joseph's University-Long Island, DaSilva ended with a team-high eight kills to go with a team-best three blocks, an ace and a dig.

Pardasie finished with 15 kills (2.5/set) with a .102 hitting percentage to go with 14 digs (2.33/set) and a couple of blocks (0.33/set). He began with a match-high-tying 10 kills and four errors on 26 swings (.231), as well as eight digs in the three-set sweep of the Roadrunners on Thursday. Then, in Saturday's Skyline title loss at St. Joe's-LI, Pardasie chipped in five kills, two blocks and a team-best six digs.

Up Next:
The Gothic Knights, who were just named the #1 overall seed in the 2024 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Men's Volleyball Championship earlier today, resume postseason play on Saturday, April 20, at 3:00 p.m. on the campus of #2 seed Rutgers-Newark. NJCU, after earning a first round bye into the weekend, will face off with the winner of the #4 Ramapo College vs. #5 Purchase College match. Should the Green and Gold win, they will resume action at 7:00 p.m. for the ECAC Championship — NJCU won the tournament in 2023.