CAA Volleyball Report - Oct. 2, 2023
CAA Volleyball Report - Oct. 2, 2023
The fifth week of CAA Women's Volleyball has wrapped up and here is everything you should know!
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sarah Jordan, Towson
Sophomore | Setter | Leesburg, Va. / Loudon County
Jordan averaged 10.63 assists per set, facilitating a Towson attack that hit .327 across back-to-back road wins over Hofstra. On Saturday, the sophomore setter tallied 31 assists with eight digs, three blocks and two kills. Jordan helped the Tigers hit .340 in the match as Towson opened the weekend with a straight-set victory. She followed the performance with her fifth double-double this season, recording 54 assists and 12 digs in a five-set win on Sunday. Jordan added six kills on a .500 hitting percentage, with Towson hitting .319 as a team in the match. For the week, Jordan totaled 85 assists, 20 digs, eight kills, and four blocks.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tynley Smeltzer, Charleston
Junior | Libero | Savannah, Ga. / Calvary Day School
Smeltzer continued an impressive stretch, anchoring the Charleston backline with 5.56 digs per set in a weekend split against Delaware. The junior libero tallied 50 digs and posted a .926 serve-receive percentage as the Cougars held the Blue Hens under .200 hitting for the weekend. On Saturday, Smeltzer recorded a match-high 25 digs, adding five assists offensively, in a four-set victory for Charleston. In the weekend finale, the junior libero paced the Cougars with 25 digs and contributed four assists despite a setback in five sets. Smeltzer has reached double-digit digs in six straight matches, including 20 or more in five of the past six.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Abby Reck, Northeastern
Freshman | Outside Hitter | Northville, Mich. / Northville
Reck recorded 3.67 kills, 2.22 digs and 1.00 blocks per set, leading Northeastern to a 2-0 weekend. The freshman outside hitter tallied 33 kills on a .265 hitting percentage with 20 digs and nine blocks in back-to-back wins over Elon. On Saturday, Reck recorded her third double-double this fall with a match-high 17 kills and 11 digs, adding three service aces and three blocks in a five-set victory. On Sunday, she paced the Huskies with 16 kills, hitting .325, with nine digs and six blocks as Northeastern down the Phoenix in four sets.
CONFERENCE NOTES:
THREE’S COMPANY
• Following three weeks of league play, three teams are tied for first in the CAA standings at 5-1. Towson and Northeastern completed 2-0 weekends to join UNCW atop the conference ranks. The Seahawks entered the weekend as the lone unbeaten team in CAA play but fell into a tie with the Tigers and Huskies after a split against Campbell. Towson earned a season sweep over Hofstra, and Northeastern capped off the weekend with two wins over Elon.
HOT START FOR THE SEAHAWKS
• UNCW’s hot start in CAA play is a program-best for the Seahawks. UNCW was the final unbeaten team in league play, improving to 5-0 after a series-opening win over Campbell. The Seahawks suffered their first setback in conference action, falling to the Camels on Sunday, but it was the first-ever 5-0 start for UNCW in the CAA.
IMPORTANT WELCOME
• Campbell continues a warm welcome to the CAA, visiting the four-time defending champions, Towson, this weekend. The Camels sit one game back of the first-place Tigers (5-1) at 4-2 through their first six matches. Towson is 50-6 in CAA play, including this fall, during its championship run, while Campbell entered the CAA, coming off a Big South Championship in 2021 and a regular season title in 2022. This weekend will be the first matchup between the teams since 1993. Towson is 2-0 in the all-time series.
HOW SWEEP IT IS
• Twelve of the first 18 season series in CAA Volleyball have resulted in sweeps. After five series sweeps during the opening weekend of CAA play, three teams swept in week two before four completed the feat last weekend. What is impressive about 12 series sweeps is that eight different CAA teams have earned a season sweep through the first three weeks this season.
GOING THE DISTANCE
• The level of competition in league play has ramped up as we’ve continued through the year. Last weekend, six matches went to five sets, compared to seven total over the first two weekends. For the year, 13 of the 36 league matches this season have ended in five sets.
TEAM NOTES:
• Campbell split its weekend matchup against UNCW. The Camels handed the Seahawks their first loss in CAA play this season.
• Melody Paige recorded 26 kills (2.89/set) on a .421 hitting percentage. She reached double figures in both matches, with 13 in each. The fifth year has at least 10 kills in four contests this season and is hitting .316 for the fall.
• Claranne Fechter paced Campbell with 42 digs (4.67/set) while adding 12 assists (1.33/set). Fechter had 24 digs on Saturday before 18 on Sunday. She has at least 10 digs in 14 straight matches.
• Charleston earned its second straight weekend split, going 1-1 against Delaware. The Cougars topped the Blue Hens in four sets before dropping a five-set match.
• Tynley Smeltzer averaged 5.56 digs per set, continuing a torrid stretch. She totaled 50 digs, with 25 in each match. Smeltzer has at least 20 digs in five of the past six contests.
• Sopheea Mink paced Charleston with 29 kills (3.22/set) on a .431 hitting percentage. She reached double figures in both contests, including a career-best 16 in the weekend finale.
• Delaware went 1-1 against Charleston, splitting its second straight series. The Blue Hens fell in four sets before bouncing back with a five-set victory.
• Savannah Seemans tallied 26 kills (2.89/set) and 30 digs (3.33/set), recording back-to-back double-doubles. Seemans had a season-high 16 kills and 13 digs on Saturday before 13 kills and 17 digs in the victory.
• Eileen Gex totaled 43 digs, averaging 4.78 per set to lead the Blue Hen defensive effort. Gex reached double figures in both contests, including a season-high 26 on Sunday.
• Elon fell in back-to-back contests to Northeastern over the weekend. The Phoenix fell in five sets on Saturday before a four-set defeat on Sunday.
• Jordan Gower led the Elon defense with 35 digs (3.89/set). Gower reached double figures in both contests, with 20 on Saturday and 15 on Sunday. She has 20 or more digs on six occasions this fall.
• Sydney Love paced the Phoenix attack, recording 22 kills (2.44/set). The junior outside hitter tallied a season-best 16 kills on a .317 hitting percentage in the weekend opener. Love has at least 10 kills in five matches this fall.
• Hampton dropped back-to-back contests to William & Mary over the weekend. The Lady Pirates fell in straight sets to W&M on Saturday and Sunday.
• Maria Eduarda Rodrigues paced Hampton with 16 kills (2.67/set) and added nine digs (1.50/set). On Saturday, she tallied a season-high nine kills with four digs and three blocks.
• Madison Clark added 15 kills (2.50/set) and 17 digs (2.83/set). Clark recorded seven kills and eight digs on Saturday before eight putdowns and nine digs in the weekend finale.
• Hofstra fell in back-to-back matches to Towson, dropping a three-set contest on Saturday before falling in five on Sunday.
• Clara Bal led the way with 27 kills (3.38/set), posting a .322 hitting percentage. The sophomore had 10-plus kills and hit over .300 in both matches. Bal has double-digit kills in five straight contests and 14 this season.
• Beatriz Braga contributed 26 kills (3.25/set) and 19 digs (2.38/set). The freshman recorded her first career double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs on Sunday. She has at least 10 kills five times this fall.
• North Carolina A&T dropped a pair of hard-fought five-set matches to Stony Brook this weekend. Five of A&T’s 10 setbacks this fall have been in five sets.
• Kaili Doctor had the best week of her career, recording 32 kills (3.20/set) on a .311 hitting percentage. The freshman had a season-high 19 kills on Saturday before 13 on Sunday.
• Naiya Sawtelle paced A&T with 33 kills (3.30/set) and recorded 23 digs (2.30/set). Sawtelle posted double-doubles in back-to-back matches and has five this fall. The junior outside hitter has 10 or more kills in 13 contests, including five in a row.
• UNCW went 1-1 against Campbell over the weekend. The setback was the first for the Seahawks in league play. The 5-0 start in CAA play was the best for UNCW in program history.
• Katie Lanz paced UNCW with 37 kills (4.11/set), adding 30 digs (3.33/set). Lanz recorded her second double-double this season with 21 kills and 22 digs in the victory. Lanz has 10-plus kills in three straight matches and eight this fall.
• Jadyn Berry tallied 42 digs (4.67/set) and reached double figures in both contests. Berry has at least 10 digs in eight consecutive matches.
• Northeastern defeated Elon in back-to-back contests and moved into a tie for first in the CAA standings. The Huskies topped Elon in five on Saturday and four on Sunday.
• Abby Reck recorded 3.67 kills, 2.22 digs and 1.00 blocks per set. Reck tallied double-digit kills in both matches, including her third double-double (17L, 11D) this season.
• Anabel Zier added 26 kills (2.89/set) and 11 blocks (1.22/set). Zier recorded at least 10 kills in both matches. The graduate student nearly missed a double-double with 16 kills and nine blocks on Sunday.
• Stony Brook went 2-0 this weekend, defeating North Carolina A&T in two consecutive five-set matches. It marks the first unbeaten weekend for SBU this season, which extended its winning streak to three.
• Leoni Kunz paced Stony Brook with 34 kills (3.40/set) while adding 30 digs (3.00/set). The senior posted back-to-back double-doubles with 18 kills and 13 digs on Saturday before 16 kills and a career-best 17 digs on Sunday.
• Tori Henry facilitated the Stony Brook attack, averaging 10.80 assists per set. Henry tallied two straight double-doubles, including a career-high 61 assists and 12 digs on Saturday.
• Towson topped Hofstra twice, defeating the Pride in straight sets on Saturday before a five-set win on Sunday. The Tigers have won six of their last seven, including three straight in CAA play.
• Victoria Barrett led Towson with 30 kills (3.75/set) while hitting .400 for the weekend. Barrett reached double figures in both contests, with her fifth double-double (17K, 15D) this year on Sunday.
• Irbe Lazda added 24 kills (3.00/set) on a .385 hitting percentage, adding eight blocks (1.00/set). Lazda tallied double-digit kills in both contests. The redshirt junior has 10 or more kills in three straight outings.
• The Tribe went 2-0 against Hampton over the weekend, defeating the Lady Pirates twice in straight sets. W&M has two season sweeps in its first three CAA series.
• Maddie Meyers led the Tribe, recording 23 kills (3.83/set) on a .363 hitting percentage. Meyers reached double-digit kills in both contests, with 12 and 11. It’s the first time she has reached double figures in back-to-back matches this fall.
• Olivia Esposito added 17 kills with just one error, hitting .640 for the weekend. The sophomore middle blocker added seven blocks and six digs. For the week, she averaged 2.83 kills and 1.17 blocks per set.