VELOTT, SIKORA, AKHTAR & ARDELEAN EARN NJAC WEEKLY HONORS

Christine Velott

Jen Sikora

Abad Akhtar

Matt Ardelean

Richard Stockton sophomore outside hitter Christine Velott (Moorestown/Moorestown) was named the NJAC Volleyball Player of the Week while senior Jen Sikora (Dorothy/Buena) collected the NJAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Week honor. In men’s cross country, junior Abad Akhtar (Brigantine/ Atlantic City) was chosen NJAC Runner of the Week and freshman Matt Ardelean (Margate/Atlantic City) was named NJAC Rookie of the Week.

Velott averaged a team-high 3.40 kills plus 2.30 digs per game in five matches for Stockton last week. The sophomore reached double digits in kills four times, including a career-high 18 kills in a victory over Montclair State on Friday and 17 kills versus Susquehanna on Saturday. Velott, the 2008 NJAC Rookie of the Year, also notched 13 digs apiece in matches against Rowan and York over the weekend. Velott leads the 15-7 Ospreys in kills (3.09 kpg) this year.

Sikora earned her second NJAC Player of the Week award this season by posting 3-0 records in singles and doubles last week. In singles, the senior won 6-4, 6-0 against Manhattanville, 6-0, 6-3 versus Cabrini and 6-1, 6-1 against Hunter. Sikora and Stephanie Krupa (Woodbury Hts./ Gateway), the NJAC Player of the Week last Tuesday, combined for a pair of 8-5 victories and an 8-0 shutout in doubles. Sikora has records of 10-3 in singles and 8-2 in doubles this year.

Akhtar garnered his third NJAC Runner of the Week award this fall while Ardelean collected his second NJAC Rookie of the Week honor after the duo led Stockton to an eighth-place finish out of 27 teams at the DeSales Invitational on Saturday. Akhtar finished fourth out of 282 runners with a season-best 8K time of 26:32.60. Ardelean posted his best 8K time of his freshman year thus far (28:06.57) and placed 34th in the large race.