WEEKLY HONORS

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Lani Mason, Delaware 

Senior | Outside Hitter | Chester, Virginia / Matoaca

Mason recorded 6.00 kills per set and 2.70 digs per set, including back-to-back double-doubles, in a 2-0 weekend for the Blue Hens. 

On Saturday, Mason tallied 30 kills, 17 digs, one block and a service ace in a five-set victory over William & Mary. 

In the weekend finale, Mason recorded 30 kills, 10 digs, three blocks and two service aces to lead Delaware to a weekend sweep over the Tribe. 

After two consecutive 30-kill performances, Mason has eclipsed 30 kills on five occasions this fall, while the back-to-back double-doubles give her 14 on the season. 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Chiara Cucco, Hofstra

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

Cucco tallied 5.71 digs per set to lead a defensive effort that helped the Pride to a program-best 14-0 start in CAA play. 

The sophomore libero recorded 40 digs, with just one reception error, as Hofstra held Northeastern to a .102 team hitting percentage in seven sets over the weekend. 

On Sunday, Cucco posted 31 digs and added four assists in a four-set victory. It marks her first 30-plus dig performance this season and the third in her career. 

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Izadora Stedile, Hofstra

Freshman | Outside Hitter | Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil / Colégio Elite

Stedile had another strong week, recording 4.14 kills per set and 2.86 digs per set in a 2-0 week that saw Hofstra improve to 14-0 in conference play. 

In the weekend finale, the freshman outside hitter matched a career-high with 17 kills and added 12 digs for her sixth double-double this season, helping secure the weekend sweep over Northeastern. 

On Saturday, she tallied a match-high 12 kills, with eight digs, in a straight-set victory. 

Stedile has at least 10 kills in 12 matches this season, including four straight. 

? It's time to hand out the CAA Volleyball Weekly Awards presented by @PrimisBank @Delaware_VB's Lani Mason @HofstraVB's Chiara Cucco and Izadora Stedile

? https://t.co/MeY6Uh1QmX pic.twitter.com/VpeYf9edRe

— Colonial Athletic Association (@CAASports) November 7, 2022

CONFERENCE NOTES

BATTLE FOR THE TOP SPOT  

• Hofstra remains atop the CAA standings at 14-0 following a weekend sweep over Northeastern. Towson is hot on the Pride’s tail at 12-1 after a 2-0 weekend against Charleston. 

The teams will meet at SECU Arena this weekend with the regular-season title and the top seed in the conference tournament on the line. 

Last season, Hofstra handed Towson its first loss of the season and snapped a 19-match winning streak in CAA play. Towson will be looking to return the favor this season and claim its third straight CAA regular-season crown. 

TWO FOR ONE  

• Seven teams - Charleston, Delaware, Elon, Hofstra, Northeastern, Towson and William & Mary - have clinched berths in the CAA Tournament. 

Two teams remain alive for the final spot in the tournament. North Carolina A&T and Stony Brook will enter the final weekend of the regular season looking to qualify for the conference tournament in their inaugural CAA seasons.  

LAST BUT NOT LEAST 

• It is the final week of the regular season in CAA Volleyball, and there are five conference matches Saturday and Sunday to wrap up 2022. Seeding implications for the conference tournament will be across the league, with no seeds locked in entering Saturday. 

• First-time conference matchups between Charleston and North Carolina A&T, as well as Elon and Stony Brook, feature one team attempting to clinch the final spot in the conference tournament and the other looking to improve its seeding for next week. 

TEAM NOTES

Charleston 

• Charleston dropped a pair of conference matches against Towson, falling to the Tigers in four sets Saturday and three Sunday.

• Lexi Wierzbicki paced Charleston with 22 kills (3.14 per set), reaching double figures in both matches. After 10 kills Saturday, she recorded a team-best 12 on Sunday. Wierzbicki has double-digit kills in 10 matches this season, including five of her last six.  

• Jasmin Goei tallied her second double-double this season and eighth in her career over the weekend. 

On Saturday, Goei recorded a career-high 36 assists and 10 digs. For the weekend, she totaled 65 assists (9.28 per set) and 16 digs (2.29 per set).

Delaware

• Delaware finished its conference schedule with a weekend sweep over William & Mary. The Blue Hens edged the Tribe in a pair of five-set matches.  

• Lani Mason recorded 6.00 kills per set and 2.70 digs per set, including back-to-back double-doubles to lead Delaware. She racked up 30 kills in each match, with 17 and 10 digs Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Mason has tallied 30 or more kills five times this fall.

• Eileen Gex paced the Delaware backline, recording 44 digs (4.40 per set) over the weekend. She tallied 22 digs in each match, marking her third and fourth consecutive 20-dig performances. 

Elon

• Elon extended its winning streak to five matches following back-to-back wins over UNCW. The road wins mark the first time Elon has won in Wilmington since 1980. 

• Leah Daniel paced Elon with 35 kills (4.38 per set) and recorded her first double-double this season on Sunday. After a match-high 14 kills Saturday, Daniel tallied 21 kills and 10 digs in the weekend finale. Daniel has double-digit kills in 19 matches this season, including each of the last six.

• Haylie Clark recorded 30-plus assists in both matches, averaging 9.25 assists per set. Clark tallied her 12th double-double this season with 40 assists and 15 digs in the weekend finale.

Hampton 

• Hampton had the week away from the volleyball court as the Pirates will conclude their regular season this weekend, taking a trip to UNCW. 

• Gabby Calloway leads the Hampton attack this season with 143 kills (2.38 per set). Calloway has double-digit kills in seven matches this fall, including three of her past four. 

• Leanna Caldwell has a team-high 191 digs (3.18 per set) this season, leading the Hampton backline. Caldwell has at least 10 digs in 11 matches this season, including two in a row and four in her last five. 

Hofstra

• Hofstra improved to 14-0 in conference play following a pair of wins over Northeastern. The 14-0 mark in CAA play is the program’s best start in league play since joining the conference in 2001.

• Beatriz Alves was terrific over the weekend, averaging 11.71 assists per set. Alves tallied a career-best 56 assists with 15 digs in the weekend finale for her eighth double-double this season. Additionally, she surpassed 2,000 career assists in the effort.  

• Izadora Stedile paced the attack with 4.14 kills per set and added 2.86 digs per set. She recorded double-digit kills in both matches and notched her sixth double-double (17K, 12D) of the year Sunday. 

North Carolina A&T

• North Carolina A&T enjoyed a bye over the past week, as the Aggies gear up for their final series of the regular season, vying for the last spot in the CAA Tournament. They visit Charleston on Saturday and Sunday. 

• Naiya Sawtelle leads North Carolina A&T with 385 kills this season and ranks second in the CAA with 4.05 kills per set. Sawtelle has recorded at least 10 kills in 20 matches this season and has seven double-doubles. 

• Morgan Allen has a team-high 339 digs (3.57 per set) for the Aggies. Allen has 10 or more digs in 17 contests this fall, including eight of her past nine outings. 

UNCW

• UNCW dropped a pair of matches against Elon, falling in straight sets Saturday, before a hard-fought five-set defeat in the weekend finale. 

• Katie Lanz matched a team-high with 20 kills (2.50 per set) over the weekend. She recorded her seventh double-double this season with 15 kills and 11 digs in the weekend finale. It marks her third double-double over the past five matches. 

• Caitlyn Callahan also tallied 20 kills (2.50 per set) for the Seahawks, including a career-high 17 kills in Sunday’s matchup. Callahan has three double-figure kill performances this fall.

Northeastern 

• Northeastern dropped back-to-back contests to Hofstra, falling to the Pride in straight sets on Saturday and four sets on Sunday. 

• Defne Arliel led Northeastern in kills in both matches, recording a team-best 18 (2.57 per set). Arliel recorded her first double-double this season with 11 kills and 11 digs in the weekend finale. It marks her fourth match this season with at least 10 kills. 

• Erica Staunton tallied her sixth double-double of the season, recording 10 kills and 13 digs Sunday. She also added 10 digs in the series opener. Staunton has reached double-digit kills in 19 matches this year.  

Stony Brook

• Stony Brook had the week off as the Seawolves enter the final week of the regular season in pursuit of the final spot in the CAA Tournament. Stony Brook will travel to Elon this weekend. 

• Kali Moore leads the Stony Brook attack this season with 281 kills ( 3.19 per set). Moore has at least 10 kills in 14 matches this season, including three in a row. She also has nine double-doubles in her freshman campaign. 

• Tori Henry has a team-best 793 assists and ranks fourth in the CAA with 9.01 assists per set. Henry has at least 30 assists in 14 matches and has surpassed 50 assists three times this season.  

Towson 

• Towson improved to 13-1 in CAA play, following a pair of victories over Charleston. The Tigers earned their 15th sweep of the season, with eight of those sweeps coming in CAA play.

• Victoria Barrett led Towson with 31 kills (4.43 per set) and added 17 digs (2.43 per set). Barrett tallied double-digit kills in both matches, with 16 and 15, respectively. She added 10 digs Saturday for her fourth double-double this season. 

• Fay Bakodimou notched her second double-double of the season, with 14 kills and 12 digs Saturday. She added three blocks and two aces in the effort. 

William & Mary

• William & Mary fell in back-to-back matches to Delaware, dropping a pair of five-set grudge matches.  

• Eleanor Stothoff was impressive at the net, recording 35 kills (3.50 per set) and 15 blocks (1.50 per set). On Saturday, Stothoff notched her first double-double this season with 15 kills and 10 blocks. She followed the performance with 20 kills and five blocks on Sunday. 

• Anna Porter racked up 58 digs (5.80 per set) to lead the Tribe’s backline. After 27 digs in the series opener, Porter tallied 31 in the weekend finale. She has double-digit digs in 20 matches this season, including 16 straight.