The 2022 CAA Volleyball Championship presented by Primis begins Thursday, and eight teams will compete for the conference title and the league’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

It is the largest championship field in conference history, as the tournament returns to SECU Arena in Towson, Maryland, on the campus of Towson University. 

The tournament begins with top-seeded Towson facing eighth-seeded Stony Brook at 11 a.m. on Thursday. 

Following the opening match will be fourth-seeded Northeastern against fifth-seeded Elon at 1:30 p.m., and second-seeded Hofstra taking on seventh-seeded William & Mary at 4:30 p.m. 

The quarterfinals will conclude at 7 p.m., with third-seeded Delaware versus sixth-seeded Charleston. 

The four winners will advance to the semifinals on Friday, and the championship match is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. 

Towson (26-1, 15-1 CAA) is the three-time defending champion and looks to become the third program in league history to win four straight CAA titles. 

The Tigers opened the year 18-0 for their best start to a season in program history and finished the year 15-1 in conference play to claim a third consecutive regular-season title. 

Towson has a balanced offensive attack, with five players averaging at least 2.00 kills per set. They led the CAA in hitting percentage (.280), assists per set (13.00) and kills per set (13.87). 

Victoria Barrett leads the team with 2.89 kills per set, while Nina Cajic adds 2.78 kills per set and ranks second in the CAA with a .379 hitting percentage. In the middle, Lydia Wiers leads the CAA with a .381 hitting percentage, contributing 1.53 kills per set, and paces the league with 1.26 blocks per set. 

Hofstra (17-11, 14-2) started 14-0 in CAA play for a program record, and it is the most wins for the Pride in conference play since 2006. Subsequently, Hofstra earned its highest seed in the conference tournament since 2018, which is the last time the Pride won the CAA Championship. 

Beatriz Alves facilitates the Pride attack, leading the CAA in assists (1,024) and assists per set (9.94). 

The CAA ? Setter of the Year is @HofstraVB's Beatriz Alves

Alves, who was the CAA Rookie of the Year last fall, has claimed two major awards in two years! pic.twitter.com/ZSDK9kbZnw

— Colonial Athletic Association (@CAASports) November 16, 2022

On the outsides, Zyare Abdul-Rahim has had a career year, leading the Pride with 2.91 kills per set, while freshman Izadora Stedile has made an instant impact, adding 2.60 kills per set. Chiara Cucco anchors the Hofstra backline, ranking first in the CAA in total digs (453) and third in digs per set (4.40). 

Delaware (15-10, 10-6 CAA) earned its highest seed in the CAA Championship since 2012, and the Blue Hens are looking for their first title since 2011. Delaware won four CAA titles in a five-year span from 2007-2011. 

Lani Mason is the straw that stirs the drink for the Blue Hens, ranking among the top 15 nationally in attacks, kills and points per set. She tops the CAA with 5.58 points and 5.10 kills per set this fall. 

Ezgi Basaranlar runs the offense and ranks third in the conference with 9.78 assists per set. Kirah Johnson has aided the effort for the Blue Hens this season, contributing 1.86 kills per set and leading the team with 0.99 blocks per set. 

Northeastern (13-12, 10-6) returns to the championship field for the sixth straight season, and the Huskies look to claim their first championship. 

Erica Staunton paces the Northeastern attack, ranking third in the conference with 4.02 kills per set. Nailah Jenkins is second on the team with 3.11 points per set, adding 2.29 kills and 0.93 blocks per set for the Huskies. Facilitating the offense is Jessica Frannea, who is second in the conference in assists (904) and assists per set (9.93) this fall. 

Elon (13-13, 10-6) is back in the CAA Tournament after a run to the championship match a season ago. It was the first time in program history the Phoenix advanced to a conference tournament match, and Elon will be looking to challenge for its first CAA title this weekend. 

Offensively, Leah Daniel paces the team with 3.50 kills per set, and Haylie Clark averages 8.23 assists per set. The duo ranks fifth in the CAA in each respective category this season. Defensively, Jordan Gower leads the conference with 4.57 digs per set. 

Charleston (14-15, 9-7 CAA) is making its ninth appearance in the CAA tournament over the past decade. The Cougars have advanced to the championship match on four occasions, winning their lone conference title in 2013. 

Gabi Bailey has had an impressive season offensively and defensively, leading Charleston with 2.85 kills per set and ranking second on the team with 2.67 digs per set. In the middle, Emma Falk and Claire Campbell have been solid contributors for the Cougars. Falk is third in the conference with 1.24 blocks per set, while Campbell is third with a .366 hitting percentage. 

William & Mary (11-13, 6-10) ranks second in league history with seven CAA Championship titles, but the Tribe is looking for its first in over 30 years. 

It is William & Mary’s first appearance in the tournament since 2015, and the Tribe will look to make some noise in its return. 

Transfer Eleanor Stothoff has been impressive in her first season with the Tribe, as she is tied for fifth in the league with 3.23 kills per set this season. 

The Tribe’s senior staple, Anna Porter, has held down the backline and ranks second in the CAA with 4.55 digs per set, while freshman Ryann Love has impacted the defensive effort, ranking second in the conference with 1.25 blocks per set. 

Stony Brook (10-15, 5-11 CAA) qualified for the conference tournament during its first season in the CAA, clinching the final berth with a win on the last day of the regular season. 

Kali Moore has been phenomenal in her freshman season, leading the Seawolves in points (350.5) and kills (310) and ranking second on the team in digs (253). 

In addition, Moore is tied for fifth in the CAA with 3.23 kills per set. Abby Campbell and Leoni Kunz have also been key contributors for Stony Brook. Campbell is fourth in the league with a .364 hitting percentage, adding 2.62 kills per set, while Kunz is averaging 2.82 kills per set this fall. 

All session tickets are available beginning at $20 for adults and $15 for youth and seniors. 

Individual session tickets will be available starting at $10 for adults and $5 for youth, seniors and students with a valid school ID. 

Tickets can be purchased online at TowsonTigers.com or by calling 410-704-3330. SECU Arena is general seating for women's volleyball.

Full coverage of the CAA Volleyball Championship presented by Primis will be streamed on FloVolleyball. 

To stay up to date with what is happening, be sure to follow the CAA on Twitter (@CAASports), Instagram (@caasports) and join the conversation using the hashtag #CAAChamps. 

For live results, recaps, and more, visit CAASports.com/VB.

For the first time in league history, there is an eight-team ? bracket! Here's your 2022 CAA Volleyball Championship preview ⬇️

? #CAAChamps on @FloVolleyball
➡️ https://t.co/Vu3Axmx2TG
? https://t.co/rYR9rkmkot pic.twitter.com/F12EFajGSn

— Colonial Athletic Association (@CAASports) November 16, 2022

2022 CAA Volleyball Championship presented by Primis

Thursday, Nov. 17 – CAA Championship Quarterfinals
Match 1: No. 1 Towson vs No. 8 Stony Brook – 11 a.m., FloVolleyball | Live Stats
Match 2: No. 4 Northeastern vs No. 5 Elon – 1:30 p.m., FloVolleyball | Live Stats
Match 3: No. 2 Hofstra vs No. 7 William & Mary – 4:30 p.m., FloVolleyball | Live Stats
Match 4: No. 3 Delaware vs No. 6 Charleston – 7 p.m., FloVolleyball | Live Stats

Friday, Nov. 18 – CAA Championship Semifinals
Match 5: Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2 – 4 p.m., FloVolleyball | Live Stats
Match 6: Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4 – 6:30 p.m., FloVolleyball | Live Stats

Saturday, Nov. 19 – CAA Championship Final
Match 7: Winner Match 6 vs. Winner Match 7 – 6 p.m., FloVolleyball | Live Stats