WEEKLY HONORS

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Lani Mason, Delaware

Senior | Outside Hitter | Chester, Va. / Matoaca

Mason led the way for Delaware en route to a 2-0 start in CAA play, hitting .310 with 6.75 kills per set and 2.25 digs per set. 

In the weekend finale, the senior outside hitter recorded a career-best 35 kills with 10 digs for her fourth double-double this season in a five-set victory to clinch the series sweep over Northeastern. 

In the first match of the weekend, she tallied a match-high 19 kills on a .433 hitting percentage, adding eight digs in a straight-set win. Her 35-kill performance is a new program-best for Delaware and is a five-set match-high throughout the NCAA this season.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Chiara Cucco, Hofstra

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

Cucco keyed a strong defensive effort, recording 6.13 digs per set to help Hofstra begin CAA play 2-0. 

In Saturday’s match, she tallied a season-high 27 digs, adding three service aces and two assists in a four-set victory over Stony Brook. 

Cucco followed the performance with a match-high 22 digs while also contributing eight assists as the Pride earned a second four-set victory over the Seawolves. 

The sophomore libero has surpassed 20 digs on three occasions this fall and recorded double-digit digs in nine straight matches.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Izadora Stedile, Hofstra

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

In her first conference action, Stedile helped Hofstra go 2-0, tallying 3.75 kills per set and 3.63 digs per set over the weekend. 

She opened the weekend with a new season-high of 17 kills while adding nine digs and three blocks in Saturday's four-set win over Stony Brook. 

On Sunday, the freshman outside hitter posted her first double-double this season with 13 kills and a season-high 20 digs, adding five service aces to secure the series sweep against the Seawolves.

CONFERENCE NOTES

FOUR START CAA PLAY 2-0  

• Conference play began over the weekend with four teams sweeping their opening matchups to start the year 2-0 in the CAA standings. Delaware, Elon, Hofstra and Towson earned weekend sweeps as the Blue Hens defeated Northeastern, the Phoenix topped North Carolina A&T, the Pride bested Stony Brook, and the Tigers downed Hampton.

CONFERENCE PLAY IS FULLY UNDERWAY

• Charleston will open its CAA slate this weekend when the Cougars head to Trask Coliseum to take on UNCW. Charleston is the final team to begin CAA play after wrapping up its non-conference slate at an invitational hosted by Charleston Southern last weekend. 

FIRST THINGS FIRST 

• Three conference matchups on the docket this weekend feature teams playing each other for the first time as CAA members, including two matchups between teams for the first time ever. 

• Hampton will host Delaware in the Pirates’ home opener and first home matches in CAA play. When the teams meet, it will be the first time that Hampton and Delaware face off on the volleyball court. 

• Similarly, in Hempstead, Hofstra will host North Carolina A&T as the Pride will go head-to-head with another new CAA member after opening its conference schedule against Stony Brook. Hofstra and North Carolina A&T will play the first two matches in the all-time series over the weekend. 

• Towson will travel to Stony Brook as the teams get together for the first time as conference foes. The Tigers and Seawolves have played the past two seasons in non-conference competition, and six times in the series history. Towson holds a 6-0 advantage in the all-time series. 

STRINGING WINS TOGETHER

• Three teams will enter this weekend with winning streaks of at least three matches. Towson is tied for the nation’s longest active winning streak, having won 12 straight to begin the season, while Delaware has won five straight matches and nine in a row at home. Additionally, Elon has picked up steam by winning three matches in a row. 

BIG TIME TIGERS

• Towson continued its hot start to the season with a 2-0 weekend to begin conference play, defeating Hampton in back-to-back contests. The Tigers have caught the nation’s eye as Towson received votes two straight weeks in the AVCA top-25 poll.  

• Among the Tigers’ 10 non-conference wins include 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 closed out its non-conference schedule going 2-2, including a 2-1 weekend at the Charleston Southern Invitational. The Cougars collected wins over Montana and UNCG. 

• Claire Campbell recorded 31 kills on a .350 hitting percentage and added 11 blocks throughout the week. With four blocks against Montana, Campbell surpassed 250 for her career. 

• Emma Falk was a force at the net, averaging 1.78 blocks per set during the week. She totaled 16 at the Charleston Southern Invitational, including a career-best nine against the host Buccaneers. 

Delaware

• Delaware opened CAA 2-0 for the first time since 2009 following back-to-back wins over Northeastern this past weekend. 

• Lani Mason was sensational on the outside, racking up 54 kills (6.75 per set) on a .310 hitting percentage. She recorded her fourth double-double of the year with a career-high 35 kills and 10 digs in the series finale. Her kill total also set a new Delaware program record and is the highest five-set total in the NCAA this season. 

• Ezgi Basaranlar contributed 88 assists (11.00 per set), including a season-high 52 in the weekend finale. Basaranlar has reached 50 assists twice this season and has 30 or more in seven consecutive matches.  

Elon

• Elon started CAA play 2-0 for the second year in a row after defeating North Carolina A&T in back-to-back matches over the weekend.  

• Leah Daniel recorded 30 kills (3.33 per set) between the two matches and moved into third place in program history in career kills as well as second in the program’s Division I history. She has now reached double-figure kills in seven straight matches.  

• Haylie Clark tallied 81 assists (9.00 per set) and 17 digs (1.90 per set) over the weekend series. Clark recorded her seventh double-double this season with 40 assists and 10 digs, adding six kills and three blocks in the weekend finale.

Hampton 

• Hampton played in its first-ever CAA Volleyball matches over the weekend, falling to defending Champion Towson in both matches. 

• Rickelle Wescott paced the Hampton attack, collecting 12 kills on a .360 hitting percentage. Wescott tallied a season-high seven kills on Sunday after five in the prior matchup.  

• Leanna Caldwell led the Pirates backline with 22 digs (3.67 per set) and matched a career-high with 16 digs in the weekend finale.  

Hofstra

• Hofstra defeated Long Island rival Stony Brook in back-to-back contests to begin the year 2-0 in CAA play for the first time since 2015. The Pride has now won 10 straight against the Seawolves.  

• Chiara Cucco headed the Pride’s defensive effort, recording 49 digs, 6.13 per set, between the two matches. She tallied a season-high 27 digs on Saturday and has eclipsed double-digits in nine consecutive contests. 

• Izadora Stedile led Hofstra’s attack with 30 kills (3.75 per set) while also adding 29 digs (3.63 per set) defensively. She had a season-high 17 kills on Saturday, followed by a season-best 20 digs on Sunday.  

North Carolina A&T

• North Carolina A&T began its CAA tenure with a familiar opponent but dropped back-to-back matches to Elon to start conference play 0-2.

• Naiya Sawtelle paced the Aggies with 45 kills (5.00 per set), including more than 20 in both matches. She has surpassed 20 kills four times this season and reached double-figures in four straight contests. 

• Liselotte Spoormakers recorded 19 kills (2.11 per set) on a .410 hitting percentage and set new career-highs in back-to-back matches. She opened the weekend with nine kills, hitting .381 before swinging .444 in a 10-kill performance in the finale.  

UNCW

• UNCW split a pair of matches to open CAA play against William & Mary. Four Seahawks reached double-digits in kills in a 5-set win over the Tribe in the CAA opener for both programs. Katie Lanz and Brooke Hanshumaker had 16 apiece.  

• UNCW’s 71 kills in the win were tied for 10th most during the program’s rally-scoring era. 

• The Seahawks recorded 16 blocks in the win, the most since the 2019 season when UNCW did so twice. Caitlyn Callahan led UNCW with 10 blocks over the weekend, including a season-high seven in the victory.  

Northeastern 

• Northeastern fell to Delaware in back-to-back matches to begin conference play. It was the fifth straight season the Huskies started CAA play on the road. Northeastern will have a week off before returning to Cabot Center. 

• Erica Staunton recorded 49 kills, 6.13 per set, including a career-high 26 in the weekend finale. Staunton added 11 digs on Sunday for her first double-double this season. She has reached double-digit kills in all 11 matches this fall. 

• Laura Seeger tallied double-digit kills in both matches, totaling 28 (3.50 per set) for the weekend. The graduate transfer recorded a season-high 16 kills with seven digs and three blocks on Sunday. 

Stony Brook

• Stony Brook went 0-2 over the weekend, falling to Hofstra in its first conference matches as a CAA member. 

• Torri Henry contributed 72 assists (9.00 per set) and 34 digs (4.25 per set), recording double-doubles in both matches and increasing her double-double season total to six.

• Kali Moore added 20 kills (2.50 per set) and 18 digs (2.25), including her fifth double-double of the season with 17 kills and 14 digs in the CAA Opener. 

Towson 

• Towson started conference play 2-0 with a pair of straight-set victories over Hampton. The Tigers improve to 12-0 for the second season in a row and start CAA play 2-0 for the third time in the last four years.

• Victoria Barrett reached double-digit kills in both matches for Towson, totaling 20 (3.33 per set) for the weekend. She has recorded double-digit kills in eight matches this season, including five straight. 

• Sarah Jordan paced Towson with 38 assists (6.33 per set) and added 14 digs with three service aces. Jordan has at least 10 assists in all 12 matches this fall, including 20 or more on eight occasions. 

William & Mary 

• William & Mary started CAA play 1-1 after splitting a pair of matches against UNCW. Despite snapping their winning streak, the Tribe has won six of its past seven matches.  

• Sarah Callander recorded double-digit kills in both matches, totaling 21 (2.63 per set). She added 19 digs (2.38 per set) and tallied her third double-double of the season in the conference opener (11K, 12D).  

• Eleanor Stothoff led the Tribe with 23 kills (2.88 per set) and added eight blocks over the weekend. She tallied a season-high 17 kills, adding six blocks on Saturday.