WEEKLY HONORS

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Naiya Sawtelle, North Carolina A&T

Sophomore | Outside Hitter | Stuart, Florida / Jensen Beach HS

Sawtelle had an outstanding week all-around, averaging 7.31 points per set, including 6.25 kills per set on a .361 hitting percentage, in addition to 2.00 digs per set and 1.13 blocks per set. 

On Saturday, Sawtelle led North Carolina A&T to its first CAA victory in program history by recording 27 kills on a .396 hitting percentage while adding 11 digs, six blocks and three service aces. It marked the fourth double-double this season for the sophomore outside hitter. 

She followed the performance with 23 kills, hitting .327 with five digs and three blocks despite a setback in the weekend finale. 

Sawtelle has recorded 20-plus kills in six contests this season and has 15 performances with at least 10 kills.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Chiara Cucco, Hofstra

Sophomore | Libero | Buscate, Italy / Liceo Scientifico Donato Bramante

Cucco anchored Hofstra’s backline, tallying 33 digs without a reception error, as the Pride extended their winning streak to eight matches, logging a pair of wins over Charleston. 

The sophomore libero eclipsed double-figures in both contests, recording a match-high 20 digs on Sunday, after leading the match with 13 on Saturday. 

She now has reached double-digit digs 17 times this season, including 15 in a row. 

For the week, Cucco averaged 4.13 digs per set and added 1.13 assists per set offensively.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Izadora Stedile, Hofstra

Stedile continued her impressive rookie campaign by recording 3.13 kills per set and 2.50 digs per set to help Hofstra start CAA play 8-0 for the first time since 2006. 

On Saturday, she tallied her third double-double this season with 16 kills on a .333 hitting percentage and 10 digs, adding three service aces in a four-set victory over Charleston. 

She followed the performance with 10 digs, nine kills, two blocks, and two service aces in another four-set win against the Cougars on Sunday.

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Cucco And Stedile Capture CAA Awards Again - https://t.co/6H6A2o7kic#PrideOfLI

— Hofstra Volleyball - WWWWWWWW (@HofstraVB) October 10, 2022

CONFERENCE NOTES

TWO REMAIN UNBEATEN IN CAA PLAY 

• Hofstra and Towson are the only teams left unbeaten in CAA play. Towson is 8-0 for the second time in four seasons, after defeating previously unbeaten Delaware in back-to-back matches over the weekend. 

Hofstra sweep a weekend series against Charleston to improve to 8-0 in conference play for the first time since 2006. 

CAA GOES B2B ON NATIONAL POTW

• For the first time in league history, CAA student-athletes earned AVCA National Player of the Week accolades in consecutive weeks. 

• On Sept. 27, Towson’s Nina Cajic was named the Game Changer/AVCA DI National Player of the Week. The honor came after Cajic recorded 5.33 kills per set on a .698 hitting percentage in back-to-back wins over Stony Brook that extended Towson’s winning streak to 14 matches. 

• Subsequently, on Oct. 4, Delaware’s Lani Mason received the honor, following a 38-kill, 24-dig double-double in a victory over Charleston that gave the Blue Hens eight wins in a row. 

CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH ON DECK

• The fifth week of conference play is highlighted by a rematch of the 2021 CAA Championship match. 

Elon will host the first-place Tigers, as the Phoenix look to end the Towson winning streak and gain momentum in the conference race. 

Last year, the teams split the regular-season series, before Towson dramatically won the CAA Championship with a reverse sweep of the Phoenix. 

TAKES TWO TO TANGO 

• Towson is one of the two remaining teams undefeated in all NCAA Division I Volleyball. 

The Tigers have the most wins of any team this fall, maintaining an 18-0 record. Towson is joined by No. 1 Texas, which sits at 12-0 entering the week.  

STRINGING WINS TOGETHER

• Four teams will enter the week with winning streaks of at least three matches. 

Towson has the nation’s longest active winning streak, having won 18 straight to begin the season, while Hofstra is one of 12 teams nationally with at least eight wins in a row. 

Additionally, Northeastern has won four straight in conference play, and Stony Brook has bounced back for three consecutive wins.

BIG TIME TIGERS

• Towson continued its hot start to the season, improving to 8-0 in CAA play, collecting a pair of victories over Delaware. The Tigers have caught the nation’s eye, as Towson received votes five straight weeks in the AVCA top-25 poll.  

• Among the Tigers’ 10 non-conference wins are a victory over No. 7 Pittsburgh on Sept. 10, marking Towson’s first victory over a ranked opponent in program history. It was the second straight week the Tigers took down a Power Five foe, after defeating Rutgers on Sept. 3.

TEAM NOTES

Charleston 

• Charleston’s dropped a pair of four-set matches to Hofstra on the road in CAA action over the weekend. 

• Gabi Bailey recorded her sixth double-double this fall, contributing 11 kills and 10 digs in Sunday’s contest. It was the 17th double-double in her career, while the senior added four blocks to eclipse 100 career rejections.

• Emma Falk totaled eight blocks (1.00 per set) between the two matches, with five Sunday and three Saturday. Falk has at least three blocks in six straight contests and eight of her past nine. 

Delaware

• Delaware fell in back-to-back matches for the first time since Sept. 3 & 4, ending its winning streak at nine matches, following two matchups with Towson.  

• Lani Mason recorded double-digit kills in both matches, with 10 and 13, respectively. On Saturday, she added 10 digs for her seventh double-double this season. Mason has at least 10 kills in every match this season. 

• Lily Rogers also added a double-double Saturday, recording 21 assists and 10 digs. It was the third straight for Rogers and the fourth this season.  

Elon 

• Elon snapped a three-match losing streak following a mid-week win over North Carolina Central in non-conference action. 

• Four Elon attackers recorded at least seven kills in the victory, led by Leah Daniel and Brooke Doherty with eight apiece. Daniel became Elon’s DI program leader for kills (1,452) in the effort.  

• Jordan Gower tallied a match-high 18 digs to lead the Phoenix backline. It marks the sixth straight contest with over 15 digs for the senior libero, who has at least 10 digs in all 13 of her appearances this season. 

Hampton 

• Hampton continued conference play, dropping a pair of matches to Stony Brook over the weekend. The Pirates battled in four sets on Saturday, before falling in straight sets Sunday.

• Gabby Calloway led Hampton with 20 kills (2.86 per set) and added 15 digs (2.14 per set). She recorded 10 kills in each match. Calloway now has three straight double-figure kill performances and four total this season.   

• Leanna Caldwell tallied a team-high 10 digs Saturday, which marked her third straight performance with double-digit digs. She has 10 or more digs in seven contests this fall. 

Hofstra

• Hofstra extended its winning streak to eight matches and improved to 8-0 in CAA play, with a pair of wins over Charleston. It marks the best start for the Pride in CAA play since 2006.

• Yagmur Cinel paced Hofstra with 28 kills (3.50 per set) and chipped in 14 digs (1.75 per set) over the weekend. 

On Saturday, Cinel tallied a career-best 18 kills, followed by her third double-double this fall, tallying 10 kills and 11 digs Saturday. 

• Beatriz Alves was impressive from her setter position, recording 89 assists (11.13 per set), with more than 40 in each match. Alves tallied 47 assists, seven digs and six kills in the first match, while adding 42 assists, seven digs and five kills in the weekend finale. 

North Carolina A&T

• North Carolina A&T split a pair of matches against William & Mary and earned the program’s first CAA victory Saturday. 

• Naiya Sawtelle did it all for the Aggies, averaging 7.31 points, 6.25 kills, 2.00 digs and 1.13 blocks per set over the two matches. She recorded a career-high 27 kills in the A&T victory, adding 11 digs for her fourth double-double this season. 

She has tallied double-figure kills in nine of her past 10 matches and 15 times this season. 

• Morgan Allen tallied a team-best 31 digs (3.88 per set) to anchor the Aggies’ backline. On Sunday, Allen recorded a career-high 21 digs despite a setback. She has at least 10 digs in three straight matches and seven of her past eight. 

UNCW

• UNCW dropped back-to-back contests at Northeastern over the weekend, falling to the Huskies in four sets Saturday before going the distance Sunday. 

• Katie Lanz paced UNCW with 27 kills (3.00 per set) while adding 18 digs (2.00 per set). Her best performance came Sunday, recording a season-high 20 kills with 12 digs for her fourth double-double this season.  

• Annabelle Schall nearly missed a pair of double-doubles, recording 36 assists and nine digs Sunday after 19 assists and eight digs Saturday. 

Northeastern 

• Northeastern extended its winning streak to four, defeating UNCW in a pair of matches as the Huskies improved to 4-2 in CAA play. 

• Defne Arliel had her best weekend this season, leading the Huskies in kills in both matches. 

Arliel tallied a career-best 17 kills Sunday after 12 kills Saturday. It marks the first time she has reached double-digit kills in back-to-back contests this fall. 

• Nailah Jenkins recorded double-figure kills in both matches, with 11 and 14, respectively. She also added nine blocks (1.00 per set) to lead Northeastern defensively. Jenkins has at least three blocks in her last seven contests. 

Stony Brook

• Stony Brook earned a weekend sweep over Hampton, giving the Seawolves three wins in a row. After a four-set victory on Saturday, Stony Brook capped the weekend by defeating Hampton in straight sets Sunday. 

• Abby Campbell was red hot, recording 27 kills (3.85 per set) with just two errors for a .694 hitting percentage over the weekend. Campbell had double-figure kills in three consecutive matches and has hit over .350 in five straight. 

• Kali Moore contributed 17 kills (2.83 per set) and 16 digs (2.67 digs per set), including her team-leading eighth double-double this season, with 11 kills and 10 digs Saturday.

Towson 

• Towson extended its winning streak to 18 matches following a pair of straight-set victories over Delaware. With the win Saturday, Towson set a new benchmark for the best start to a season in program history. 

• The Tigers had three hitters with at least 15 kills over the weekend, led by Victoria Barrett with 20 (3.33 per set). Barrett added 15 digs (2.50) to round out her performance. 

• Towson has been dominant in its record-breaking start, losing just five sets all year. The Tigers have recorded 14 straight-set victories overall, while seven of their eight conference wins have been via a sweep.

William & Mary

• William & Mary split its fourth straight CAA series, falling to North Carolina A&T in five sets Saturday before bouncing back with a straight-set victory Sunday. 

• Anna Porter recorded 30 digs (3.75 per set) against the Aggies and reached 1,000 career digs with 16 on Sunday. Porter, who has 10-plus digs in 10 straight matches, becomes the ninth player in Tribe history to reach 1,000 digs in a career. 

• Eleanor Stothoff paced the Tribe attack with 32 kills (4.00 per set), including back-to-back double-digit kill performances. She now has eclipsed 10 kills on six occasions this fall.