CAA Volleyball Report - Oct.16, 2023
CAA Volleyball Report - Oct.16, 2023
The seventh week of CAA Women's Volleyball has wrapped up and here is everything you should know!
WEEKLY HONORS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nina Cajic, Towson
Senior | Outside Hitter | Subotica, Serbia / Politehnicka skola Subotica
Cajic paced Towson with 4.43 kills per set on a blistering .547 hitting percentage to lead Towson to a weekend sweep over UNCW. For the weekend, the senior outside hitter totaled 31 kills with just two errors, adding 18 digs (2.57/set), four service aces and three blocks. On Saturday, Cajic tallied her fourth double-double this season, recording a match-high 18 kills without an error, posting a .600 hitting percentage with 13 digs in a four-set victory. She followed the performance with a match-high 13 kills, swinging .478, adding five digs and two service aces in a straight-set win on Sunday.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kirah Johnson, Delaware
Senior | Middle Blocker | Centreville, Va. / Westfield
Johnson totaled 16 blocks, averaging 2.29 per set, to lead a Delaware defensive effort that limited Stony Brook to a .130 hitting percentage in a weekend sweep of the Seawolves. The senior middle blocker stamped an exclamation point on the weekend, recording her first career double-double on Sunday. Johnson tallied a career-high 13 blocks and added 11 kills on a .355 hitting percentage in a four-set victory. The 13 blocks are the second most by a CAA student-athlete in any match this season and the most by a Blue Hen since 2012. In addition, Johnson added three blocks and three kills without an error in a straight-set win on Saturday.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Kaili Doctor, North Carolina A&T
Freshman | Outside Hitter | Mars, Pa. / Pine Richland
Doctor contributed 3.50 kills per set, helping North Carolina A&T end a 17-year, 14-match losing streak to Elon with a weekend sweep of the Phoenix. On Saturday, the freshman outside hitter tallied 15 kills with four digs and two blocks in a five-set victory for the Aggies. Doctor concluded the weekend with a match-high 13 kills, hitting .407, with five digs and three blocks in a straight-set win on Sunday. With the weekend performance, the freshman extended her streak of matches with at least 10 kills to six straight contests.
CONFERENCE NOTES
TIGERS ON TOP
• Just past the midpoint of the CAA Volleyball schedule, Towson has taken over sole possession of first place in the CAA standings. The Tigers went 2-0 with a weekend sweep of UNCW, improving to 8-2 in league play this fall. Towson is searching for its fourth straight CAA regular season title, which would be the most consecutive titles since William & Mary won eight in a row from 1986-93. \
TIGHT CONFERENCE RACE
• The top eight teams in the league standings are separated by 3.0 games with four weeks to go. Behind Towson is a three-way tie between Campbell, Delaware and Northeastern at 7-3, just one game back of the Tigers. Hofstra and William & Mary are tied at 6-4, followed by a three-way tie between North Carolina A&T, UNCW and Stony Brook at 5-5.
EXTENDED WEEKEND
• The CAA Volleyball schedule extends to Thursday through Sunday this week, with William & Mary (6-4) hosting North Carolina A&T (5-5) as teams 1.0 games apart in the conference standings go head-to-head. The weekend slate is highlighted by Campbell entertaining Northeastern in a battle of teams tied for second in the CAA, while Delaware (7-3) welcomes in Hofstra (6-4), who are separated by just a game in the league ranks.
HOW SWEEP IT IS
• Twenty-one of 29 season series in CAA Volleyball have resulted in sweeps. All five weekend matchups resulted in sweeps in week five, and there have been at least three weekend sweeps each week of the conference slate. Even more impressive, 10 CAA teams have completed at least one sweep this fall.
ACE UP YOUR SLEEVE
• A pair of CAA teams are serving up aces on Long Island. Hofstra leads NCAA DI in total team service aces with 187, and Stony Brook ranks fifth with 161. Additionally, the Pride is second in the country in service aces per set (2.36), and the Seawolves are eighth (2.15). Hofstra has 10 or more aces in eight matches this fall and has at least five in 20 of 21. Stony Brook has five performances with 10 or more aces and at least five in 18 of 21.
TEAM NOTES
• Campbell earned a weekend sweep of Charleston. The Camels didn’t drop a set on the weekend, earning back-to-back straight-set wins for the first time this season.
• Gwen Wolkow paced Campbell with 22 kills (3.67/set). Wolkow reached double-figure kills on Saturday with a match-high 14. The sophomore outside hitter has 10 or more kills in 11 matches this season.
• Claranne Fechter continued to excel on defense, averaging 5.17 digs per set. Fechter totaled 31 digs and reached double figures in both contests. She has 10 or more digs in 18 matches this season and leads the CAA with 4.63 digs per set.
• Charleston suffered back-to-back defeats to Campbell. The Cougars fell in straight sets on Saturday and Sunday, marking the first time CofC had fallen in straight sets during CAA play.
• Tynley Smeltzer averaged 5.33 digs per set, continuing a terrific stretch. She totaled 32 digs, with 16 in each match. Smeltzer has at least 10 digs in 10 straight contests and 11 this fall.
• Anna Smith paced the Charleston attack with 19 kills (3.17/set). Smith tallied 13 kills on Sunday after six on Saturday. The junior outside hitter has 10 or more kills in 12 contests this season.
• Delaware topped Stony Brook in back-to-back contests this weekend, extending its winning streak to five matches. The Blue Hens defeated the Seawolves in straight sets on Saturday and four sets on Sunday.
• Lani Mason paced Delaware with 25 kills (3.57/set), reaching double figures in back-to-back matches. Mason also added 15 digs (2.14/set) while recording her 10th double-double (15K, 10D) this fall.
• Kirah Johnson contributed 16 blocks (2.29/set) and 14 kills (2.00/set). The senior middle blocker recorded her first career double-double with 11 kills and 13 blocks on Sunday.
• Elon fell in back-to-back contests to North Carolina A&T over the weekend. The Phoenix fell in five sets on Saturday before a three-set defeat on Sunday.
• Jordan Gower led the Elon defense with 26 digs (3.25/set). Gower reached double figures in both contests, with 13 in each match. She has at least 10 digs in eight straight.
• Cameron Lanier and Clara LaRue each tallied 19 kills (2.38/set) to pace Elon. LaRue had a season-best 13 kills on Saturday, and Lanier added 12. Lainer has 10 or more kills nine times this season, while LaRue has completed the feat twice.
• Last weekend’s volleyball matches between Hampton and Northeastern, scheduled for Saturday, October 14, and Sunday, October 15, were not played due to health concerns within the Hampton program.
• Maria Eduarda Rodrigues and Madison Clark each have 41 kills to lead the Lady Pirates. Eduarda Rodrigues is also second on the team with 47 assists, while she and Clark have over 40 digs.
• Kylah Hunter leads Hampton this season with 83 digs. Hunter is averaging 2.68 digs per set and has reached double-digit digs in three matches this fall.
• Hofstra earned a weekend sweep over William & Mary, defeating the Tribe in back-to-back three-set matches. The Pride has won 17 of the past 18 against W&M.
• Izadora Stedile paced Hofstra with 19 kills (3.17/set), hitting .333, and added 16 digs (2.67/set). Stedile reached double-digit kills with 10 on Sunday. She has 10 or more 11 times this fall.
• Sarah Pierre contributed 11 kills (1.83/set) on a .400 hitting percentage with 10 blocks (1.67/set). Pierre tallied five kills and four blocks on Saturday, followed by six kills and six blocks on Sunday.
• North Carolina A&T went 2-0 in its weekend series against Elon to end a 14-match losing streak against the Phoenix. It was the first time A&T beat Elon since 2006 and the first road victory since 2000.
• Naiya Sawtelle paced A&T with 33 kills (4.13/set) and recorded 18 digs (2.25/set). Sawtelle posted her seventh double-double (23K, 13D) on Saturday. The junior outside hitter has 10 or more kills in 17 contests, including nine in a row.
• Kaili Doctor added 28 kills (3.50/set), reaching double figures in both matches. Doctor has 10 or more kills in six straight contests and seven times this fall.
• The Seahawks were 0-2 this weekend, falling to Towson in back-to-back matches. After opening CAA play 5-0, UNCW has dropped five straight league matches.
• Sarah Thompson collected 18 kills (2.57/set) and recorded her first career double-double. In the opener, Thompson tallied 11 kills and 10 digs. It marks her fourth effort with double-digit kills this season.
• Jadyn Barry recorded 29 for an average of 4.14 per set. The senior libero has double-digit digs in 12 consecutive contests. She’s averaging 4.86 digs per set in CAA play.
• Last weekend’s volleyball matches between Hampton and Northeastern, scheduled for Saturday, October 14, and Sunday, October 15, were not played due to health concerns within the Hampton program.
• Abby Reck leads Northeastern with 175 kills this season, averaging 2.82 per set. The freshman also has 102 digs (1.65/set) and 32 blocks (0.52/set). Reck has 10 or more kills in eight matches this fall.
• Jessica Frannea has a team-best 375 assists and ranks sixth in the CAA with 7.21 assists per game. The junior setter has also contributed 104 digs (2.00/set), recording three double-doubles this year.
• Stony Brook dropped back-to-back contests to Delaware. The Seawolves fell in four sets on Saturday and three on Sunday, snapping a six-match winning streak.
• Tori Henry totaled 65 assists (9.29/set) and surpassed 3,000 career assists over the weekend. Additionally, Henry had 21 digs (3.00/set) and recorded her 11th double-double (34A, 12D) on Sunday.
• Julia Patsos paced the Stony Brook defense with 29 digs (4.14/set). The senior libero reached double figures in both contests, with 13 on Saturday and 16 on Sunday. She has 10 or more digs 18 times this fall.
• Towson went 2-0 against UNCW, defeating the Seahawks in four sets on Saturday and straight sets on Sunday. The Tigers moved into sole possession of first place in the CAA with the sweep.
• Nina Cajic paced Towson with 31 kills (4.43/set) on a .547 hitting percentage. Cajic added 18 digs (2.57/set) and recorded her fourth double-double (18K, 13D) of the year on Saturday.
• Victoria Barrett contributed 25 kills (3.57/set), reaching double figures in both contests. The junior outside hitter had 13 kills on Saturday and 12 on Sunday. Barrett has 10 or more kills 12 times this season.
• The Tribe went 0-2 against Hofstra over the weekend, falling to the Pride in back-to-back straight-set matches. It snapped a four-match winning streak for the Tribe.
• Taylor Burrell paced the attack with 19 kills (3.17/set). The graduate outside hitter tallied 11 kills on Saturday, followed by eight on Sunday. Burrell has at least 10 kills in 14 matches this fall.
• Olivia Esposito added 14 kills (2.33/set) on a .300 hitting percentage with five blocks (0.83/set). Esposito leads the CAA in hitting percentage (.401) this fall and has 11 performances hitting .333 or better.