CAA Volleyball Report - Oct. 30, 2023
CAA Volleyball Report - Oct. 30, 2023
The CAA has announced its volleyball weekly award winners following the 10th week of the 2023 season.
Stony Brook teammates Kali Moore, a sophomore outside hitter, and Ava Jackson, a freshman outside hitter, earned the respective honors of CAA Offensive and Rookie of the Week. In addition, Charleston junior libero Tynley Smeltzer collected her league-leading fourth CAA Defensive Player of the Week accolade.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kali Moore, Stony Brook
Sophomore | Outside Hitter | Brooklyn, N.Y. / Park Slope Collegiate
Moore led Stony Brook to a 2-0 weekend, recording 4.57 kills per set on a .347 hitting percentage while adding 4.71 digs per set. The sophomore outside hitter tallied back-to-back double-doubles, totaling 32 kills and 33 digs in a pair of wins over William & Mary. On Saturday, Moore had a match-high 17 kills, hitting .375 with a season-best 21 digs in a four-set victory. She followed the performance with a match-high 15 kills on a .314 attacking percentage and 12 digs on Sunday.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tynley Smeltzer, Charleston
Junior | Libero | Savannah, Ga. / Calvary Day School
Smeltzer averaged 5.00 digs per set to pace the Charleston backline as the Cougars earned a weekend split against Northeastern. The junior libero reached double-digit digs in both contests, totaling 40 for the weekend. On Saturday, Smeltzer tallied a match-high 13 digs and contributed two assists despite a setback. She helped the Cougars bounce back on Sunday, recording a match-high 27 digs, limiting the Huskies to a .105 hitting percentage while adding four assists and one service ace in a five-set victory.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Ava Jackson, Stony Brook
Freshman | Outside Hitter | Lexington, Ky. / Paul Laurence Dunbar
Jackson helped the Seawolves to a weekend sweep over William & Mary, contributing 22 kills with five blocks, four digs and three service aces. For the weekend, Jackson averaged 3.14 kills per set, hitting at a .322 clip. On Saturday, the freshman outside hitter recorded 10 kills, four blocks, three service aces and two digs in a four-set victory. On Sunday, Jackson matched a season-high with 12 kills, hitting .370 while adding two digs and one block in a straight-set win.
CONFERENCE NOTES:
TICKET PUNCHED
• Towson became the first team to secure a berth in the 2023 CAA Volleyball Championship following a 2-0 weekend. The Tigers will look to win a fifth straight CAA Championship on their home court November 16-18. It marks the 10th consecutive season Towson has qualified for the CAA Volleyball tournament.
NINE ALIVE
• Entering the penultimate weekend of the CAA Volleyball schedule, nine teams remain alive for the final five CAA Championships berths. Four teams - Delaware, Campbell, Hofstra and Northeastern - can clinch a tournament bid this weekend. The Blue Hens are in with a win, while the Camels can get in with one or two wins and some help. The Pride and Huskies need a 2-0 weekend and either UNCW or Stony Brook to sweep their weekend series.
RED-HOT HENS
• Delaware extended its winning streak to nine matches following a 2-0 weekend. The Blue Hens completed an undefeated month of October, dropping just eight sets during the past nine contests. The run started after back-to-back losses to end September, and the winning streak is the 17th longest active streak in the NCAA.
EARN YOUR STRIPES
• Towson has heated up since the start of CAA play, going 11-1 in its last 12 matches and 12-2 in league contests. The Tigers have won six straight contests, dropping only four sets during that span.
HOW SWEEP IT IS
• Thirty-one of 41 season series in CAA Volleyball have resulted in sweeps. Five of six-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.
TEAM NOTES:
• Campbell dropped back-to-back contests against Hofstra, falling in straight sets on Saturday and five sets on Sunday. It snapped a 15-set winning streak for the Camels.
• Chloe Cook paced Campbell with 24 kills, averaging 2.88 per set. Cook tallied nine kills on Saturday before a team-high 15 on Sunday. The senior outside hitter has 10 or more kills in 15 matches this fall.
• Melody Paige added 19 kills (2.38/set) on a .363 hitting percentage. The fifth-year middle blocker had 11 kills on a .529 attacking percentage in the weekend opener. Paige ranks sixth in the CAA in hitting percentage (.355) this season.
• Charleston split its weekend series at Northeastern. The Cougars fell to the Huskies in straight sets on Saturday before a five-set victory on Sunday.
• Lexi Wierzbicki led the Cougars with 31 kills (3.88/set), adding 16 digs (2.00/set). The graduate outside hitter has reached double-digit kills in five straight matches and recorded her sixth double-double (20K, 11D) in the victory.
• Tynley Smeltzer averaged 5.00 digs per set to anchor the backline. She totaled 40 digs, with 13 on Saturday and 27 on Sunday. Smeltzer has at least 10 digs in 14 straight contests and 15 this fall.
• Delaware went 2-0 against UNCW this weekend, extending its winning streak to nine matches. The Blue Hens defeated the Seahawks in five sets on Saturday and four sets on Sunday.
• Lani Mason paced Delaware with 31 kills (3.44/set). The graduate outside hitter reached double-digit kills in both matches, with 17 on Saturday and 14 on Sunday. Mason has at least 10 kills in seven straight contests.
• Savannah Seemans added 30 digs (3.33/set) and 21 kills (2.33/set). Seemans had over 10 digs in both matches, including her sixth double-double (12K, 10D) this fall.
• Elon defeated Hampton in back-to-back straight-set matches. It snapped a 12-game skid for the Phoenix and marked its first CAA victories this fall.
• Jessica Parker facilitated the Phoenix attack, tallying 8.17 assists per set. The freshman setter had 23 assists on Saturday and 26 on Sunday. Parker has 20 or more assists in six straight contests.
• Jordan Gower paced the Elon defensive effort, recording 26 digs (4.33/set). The senior libero reached double figures in both contests. Gower has at least 10 digs in 12 consecutive matches and ranks second in the CAA in digs per set (4.36) this year.
• Hampton went 0-2 in a pair of matches against Elon this weekend. The Lady Pirates fell in back-to-back straight-set contests.
• Kristine Teivane made her season debut and paced the Lady Pirates with 2.33 kills per set. The senior outside hitter recorded seven kills in both matches while adding seven digs on Saturday and two on Sunday.
• Madison Clark tallied 13 digs (2.17/set) for Hampton. The junior opposite had 10 digs on Saturday for her third effort with double-digit digs this fall. Clark also added six kills and four blocks over the weekend.
• Hofstra went 2-0 against Campbell in their first-ever contests on the Volleyball court. The Pride topped the Camels in straight sets on Saturday before a five-set victory on Sunday.
• Beatriz Alves recorded 84 assists (10.50/set) and 17 digs (2.13/set). The junior setter tallied her sixth double-double this season (48A, 10D) on Sunday. Alves has 40 or more assists 15 times this season.
• Yagmur Cinel paced the Hofstra attack, recording 26 kills (3.25/set) on a .352 hitting percentage. Cinel reached double figures in both contests, with 11 kills on Saturday and 15 on Sunday.
• North Carolina A&T played Towson tough but dropped a pair of matches to the Tigers. A&T fell in five sets on Saturday before falling in four on Sunday.
• Naiya Sawtelle paced A&T with 27 kills (3.00/set) and recorded 15 digs (1.67/set). Sawtelle reached double-digit kill totals in both contests. The junior outside hitter has 10 or more kills in 21 matches, including 13 in a row.
• Kaili Doctor added 26 kills (2.89/set) and 23 digs (2.56/set). Doctor recorded double-doubles in both contests, marking the first of her career. The freshman has 10 or more kills 10 times this fall.
• The Seahawks dropped back-to-back contests to Delaware. UNCW played the Blue Hens tight but fell in five sets on Saturday and four on Sunday.
• Jadyn Barry paced UNCW with 28 digs (3.11/set). Berry tallied 14 digs in both matches, extending her double-digit dig streak. The senior libero has double-digit digs in 16 consecutive contests.
• Katie Lanz led the Seahawks with 22 kills (2.44/set) while adding 16 digs. Lanz recorded her fifth double-double this fall with 11 kills and 10 digs in the opener. The graduate outside hitter has at least 10 kills in 12 matches this fall.
• Northeastern split its matches against Charleston over the weekend. The Huskies took match one in straight sets before a five-set defeat in the finale.
• Defne Arliel paced NU with 22 kills (2.75/set) and 35 digs (4.38/set). The senior outside hitter recorded her second double-double this season with a season-high 15 kills and a career-high 24 digs on Sunday.
• Anabel Zier added 20 kills (2.50/set). The graduate outside hitter tallied a team-best 11 kills in the victory and nine in the finale. Zier has double-digit kills in seven matches this fall.
• Stony Brook went 2-0 against William & Mary over the weekend, defeating the Tribe in four sets on Saturday and straight sets on Sunday. It snapped a four-match skid for the Seawolves.
• Kali Moore let the Stony Brook attack with 32 kills (4.57/set) on a .347 hitting percentage. The sophomore outside hitter added 33 digs (4.71/set), recording double-doubles in both wins.
• Ava Jackson had the best week of her career, reaching double-digit kills in back-to-back contests. The freshman tallied 22 kills (3.14/set) on a .322 hitting percentage.
• Towson extended its winning streak to six matches following a 2-0 weekend. The Tigers defeated North Carolina A&T in back-to-back contests and clinched a berth in the CAA Tournament.
• Nina Cajic continued an impressive stretch with back-to-back double-doubles. The senior outside hitter had 18 kills and 10 digs on Saturday, followed by 12 kills and 11 digs on Sunday. She has six double-doubles this fall.
• Victoria Barrett contributed 30 kills (3.75/set). The junior outside hitter had 19 kills on Saturday and 11 on Sunday. Barrett has 10 or more kills 16 times this season, including seven straight contests.
• The Tribe went 0-2 against Stony Brook over the weekend. W&M dropped a four-set contest on Saturday before falling in straight sets on Sunday.
• Sarah Callender led W&M with 17 kills (2.43/set) while contributing 12 digs (1.71/set). The sophomore outside hitter reached double-digit kills with 11 on Sunday, marking her ninth performance with at least 10 this fall.
• Katherine Arnason also added 17 kills (2.43/set) for the Tribe. The freshman right side recorded 10 on Saturday and seven on Sunday. Arnason has tallied double-digit kills in three matches this year.