Staruk and Napoli Picked as UB's Purple Knights of the Week (March 16-22)

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – In honor of standout efforts in competition last week, junior Nova Staruk (gymnastics) and senior James Napoli (men's lacrosse) have been selected as UB's Purple Knights of the Week for the period ending March 22, 2026.

Staruk delivered a standout performance at the Gymnastics East Conference (GEC) Championship on Saturday, tying for first place on vault alongside Penn's Manama Fofana with a season-high score of 9.850. That mark boosted her impressive National Qualifying Score (NQS) on vault to 9.835. Staruk also contributed on floor, earning a top-20 finish with a score of 9.750. Following the meet, she was recognized for her exceptional season by being named the GEC Specialist of the Year.

Napoli powered the Purple Knights to a perfect 2-0 week with a dominant offensive showing, racking up a team-best 12 points on eight goals and four assists. The Long Island native came through in the clutch against No. 19 Bentley, scoring twice in the final 1:38 of regulation to force overtime in a thrilling victory. He carried that momentum into Saturday night's matchup with Felician, erupting for a season-high nine points in a decisive conference win.

For all information regarding Bridgeport Athletics, visit www.UBKnights.com and follow UB Athletics on Facebook (UBPurpleKnights), X (@UBPurpleKnights) and Instagram (@UBPurpleKnights).