Preseason Player Of The Year

Lani Mason, Delaware 

Graduate | Outside Hitter | Chester, Va. / Matoaca

Mason is the reigning CAA Player of the Year and has been a First Team All-CAA selection the past two seasons. The graduate student hitter led the conference with 604.0 points and 548 kills last season, while hitting .225 on the outside. In addition, Mason ranked sixth in the NCAA with 5.54 points and 5.03 kills per set, adding 2.83 digs per set. The Chester, Va. native earned All-America honorable mention accolades following the 2022 season. 

2023 Preseason All-CAA Volleyball Team

Name, School, Class, Pos., Hometown

• Beatriz Alves, Hofstra, Jr., S, São José dos Campos, Brazil
• Victoria Barrett, Towson, Jr., OH, Stafford, Va.
• Nina Cajic, Towson, Sr., OH, Subotica, Serbia 
• Chiara Cucco, Hofstra, Jr., L/DS, Buscate, Italy 
• Claranne Fechter, Campbell, Sr., DS/L, Powell, Ohio
• Lani Mason, Delaware, Gr., OH, Chester, Va.
• Kali Moore, Stony Brook, So., OH, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Naiya Sawtelle, North Carolina A&T, Jr., OH, Stuart, Fla.
• Eleanor Stothoff, William & Mary, Jr., OH, Pittstown, N.J.
• Lexi Wierzbick, Charleston, Gr., OH, Easley, S.C.

Conference Notes

IT’S UNANIMOUS

• Four-time defending CAA Champion, Towson, was the unanimous favorite to claim the CAA Volleyball title again this fall. The Tigers tallied 11 first-place votes and the maximum 121 points to be atop the preseason ranks for the third straight season.

MASON HEADLINES PRESEASON TEAM

• Delaware graduate outside hitter Lani Mason was selected as the 2023 Preseason Player of the Year. She was joined on the Preseason All-CAA team by Towson teammates Victoria Barrett and Nina Cajic, as well as the Hofstra duo of Beatriz Alves and Chiara Cucco. Campbell’s Claranne Fechter, Charleston’s Lexi Wierzbicki, North Carolina A&T’s Naiya Sawtelle, Stony Brook’s Kali Moore and William & Mary’s Eleanor Stothoff rounded out the team. 

HERE COMES THE CAMEL

• Campbell the Fighting Camels enter their first season in CAA Volleyball after becoming full members of the conference on July 1, 2023. Campbell comes to the league from the Big South, where the Fighting Camels were the regular season champions in 2022 and tournament champions in 2021. 

NEW COACH ON THE COURT

• Ryan Adams enters his first season as head coach for the William & Mary Tribe. Adams returns to the CAA after four years as the head coach at Lafayette. The 2021 Patriot League Coach of the Year was previously an assistant with the Tribe from 2016-2017. 

SECU AT TOWSON IN NOVEMBER

• The 2023 CAA Volleyball Championship returns to SECU Arena on the campus of Towson University November 16-18. It marks the fourth straight season SECU Arena will play host to the CAA Volleyball Championship, the longest streak at one venue in league history. 

TRADITIONAL TOURNAMENT FORMAT

• The 2023 CAA Volleyball Championship returns to its traditional six-team format this fall. The top six teams in the conference standings will qualify for the conference tournament, with the top two seeds earning byes to the semifinals. First-round matchups include the third seed versus the sixth seed and the fourth seed against the fifth seed. 

Team Notes

Campbell

• Campbell enters its first season in the CAA. The Fighting Camels join from the Big South, where they won the regular season title last year after winning the Big South Championship in 2021.

• Claranne Fechter and Melody Paige earned CAA preseason honors. Fechter was the 2022 Big South Player of the Year, while both were First Team All-Big South honorees last season.

Charleston

• Charleston returned to the CAA Tournament for the third straight season in 2022, marking its ninth championship appearance in the past 10 years. 

• Lexi Wierzbicki collected preseason All-CAA honors for the second consecutive season. Wierzbicki earned First Team All-CAA honors in 2021, following her junior season. 

Delaware

• Delaware was voted second in the preseason poll after returning to the CAA Championship match for the first time since 2016 last fall. 

• Lani Mason and Ezgi Basaranlar picked up CAA Preseason accolades. Mason was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year after earning CAA Player of the Year honors last season. Basaranlar returns after back-to-back Second Team All-CAA distinctions. 

Elon

• The Phoenix qualified for its second straight CAA Tournament last fall. Elon is two years removed from advancing to its first-ever conference championship match. 

• Jordan Gower and Sydney Love were recognized with preseason honorable mention accolades. Last season, Gower led the CAA in digs per set (4.57), while Love is the team’s top returner in kills per set (2.53). 

Hampton

• Hampton is the final conference team to open the 2023 season, visiting Coppin State on Monday, August 28. The Lady Pirates return two starters from last fall. 

• Kristine Teivane is the leading returning in kills per set (1.85) and digs per set (2.41) for Hampton. Teivane recorded two double-doubles in 12 matches last season. 

Hofstra

• Hofstra went 14-2 in league play to finish second in the regular season standings. Subsequently, the Pride advanced to its second consecutive CAA Tournament. 

• Beatriz Alves and Chiara Cucco were tabbed on the Preseason All-CAA Volleyball squad. Alves was named CAA Setter of the Year last fall, while Cucco earned CAA Libero of the Year honors for the second straight season. Both were First Team All-CAA selections.

North Carolina A&T

• North Carolina A&T missed the conference tournament on a tiebreaker during its inaugural season. The Aggies return five players who appeared in all 26 matches last fall. 

• Naiya Sawtelle collected Preseason All-CAA honors. Sawtelle was a Second Team All-CAA selection in 2022. She was second in the league in points (4.80) and kills (4.17) per set last fall. 

UNCW

• UNCW will play 22 of its 28 matches in North Carolina this season. The Seahawks return four starters from last year, all of which appeared in all 25 matches for UNCW. 

• Katie Lanz received preseason honorable mention recognition for the second straight season. In 2022, Lanz led UNCW in points (3.33) and kills (2.84) per set. Additionally, she tallied seven double-doubles. 

Northeastern

• Northeastern has reached the conference tournament seven straight seasons, including a CAA Championship match appearance in the spring of 2021. 

• Jessica Frannea followed up All-Rookie honors in 2021 with a terrific sophomore season. Frannea was second in the conference in assists (966) and assists per set (9.86) last year.  

Stony Brook

• Stony Brook qualified for the CAA Tournament during its first season in the conference. The Seawolves return all six starters and their libero from last fall.

• Kali Moore was tabbed on the Preseason All-CAA Volleyball Team. Moore was the CAA Rookie of the Year last fall, earning all-rookie and Second Team All-CAA honors. 

Towson

• Last fall, Towson posted a 29-2 record, including a 15-1 mark in league play, en route to becoming the first team to win four straight CAA titles since 1996. The Tigers have gone 45-5 in CAA play over the past four years. 

• Victoria Barrett and Nina Cajic were Preseason All-CAA selections. Both were First Team All-CAA and CAA All-Tournament team honorees last fall. In addition, Barrett was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2022 CAA Championship.

William & Mary

• Ryan Adams enters his first season as head coach for William & Mary. The Tribe qualified for the CAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 last season before winning its first tournament match since 2001. 

• Eleanor Stothoff was selected for the Preseason All-CAA team. Stothoff was a Second Team All-CAA honoree in her first season with the Tribe last fall.