CAA volleyball is underway, and so far, it’s been nothing like last season. The previous CAA champions, the College of Charleston Cougars, have fallen to a .500 record, while the Campbell University Camels and the Hampton University Pirates already have more wins than they did all of last year.
The Hofstra Pride and the Towson University Tigers are proving to be forces to be contended with, while the University of North Carolina Wilmington, or UNCW, Seahawks struggle to find their footing.
No. 1 – Hofstra University Pride (9-0, 2-0 CAA)
Although it’s early in the season, the Hofstra Pride have already proven why they are a team to look out for in the conference. The Pride are the only team in the CAA with an undefeated record, leading the conference in practically every statistical category: points, hitting percentage, assists, kills, opponent hitting percentage, opponent assists, opponent kills and opponent service aces.
The Pride swept each team in the 2025 Black Night Invitational and the Rose Hill Classic and picked up their last win in nonconference play against Temple University Sept. 14. This past weekend, the Pride defeated UNCW in three straight sets both games, never letting a set win get closer than a six-point differential.
Freshman middle blocker Julia Amorim has been an integral part of the Pride’s success, leading the conference in average blocks per set at 1.85 and being named rookie of the week in Week 2 and defensive player of the week in Week 3.
In addition to Amorim, senior outside hitter Izadora Stedile was recognized as a preseason all-team selection and as offensive player of the week in Week 4. She is second in the conference in kills, with an average of four per set. Freshman setter Nina Jioshvili-Ravva was named rookie of the week in Week 4 and senior right-side hitter Clara Bal was also named a preseason all-team selection.
This week, the Pride match up against Charleston on the road.
No. 2 – Towson University Tigers (12-2, 3-0 CAA)
While the Pride hold the No. 1 spot right now, the Tigers are right up there with them. In its first CAA matchup of the year, Towson defeated the reigning CAA champions, the Charleston Cougars, in five and three sets Sept. 20 and 21, respectively. After starting the season 1-2, Towson is on an eight-game winning streak, sweeping opponents in the Towson-Morgan State Invite and the Towson-Coppin State Invitational and winning over Charleston.
Towson players have been raking in honors; in Week 2, junior outside hitter Taylor Pagan was named co-offensive player of the week and freshman opposite hitter and middle blocker Malinah Purcell-Telefoni was named defensive player of the week. Redshirt sophomore outside and opposite hitter Ella Sanders received co-offensive player of the week during Week 3, and senior libero Sydney Stewart was defensive player of the week in Week 4. Stewart also leads the conference in digs with an average of 5.27 digs per set.
The Tigers match up against Northeastern in Boston this weekend, and it’ll be up to the Huskies to play their best game of this season to compete with Towson.
No. 3 – College of Charleston Cougars (6-6, 0-2 CAA)
Last season, the Cougars had it all. Behind only the University of Delaware Blue Hens, who are no longer in the CAA, in record, Charleston won the conference title. Middle blocker Caitlyn Callahan, a 2024 graduate, led the conference in blocks with 155, and Callahan and 2024 graduate outside and opposite hitter Emily Banitt were All-CAA First Team selections.
Despite being ranked No. 1 in preseason polls, this season is a completely clean slate for the Cougars; over “80% of the team’s offensive production graduated,” according to the 2025 CAA Volleyball Preseason Poll & Awards. The team has brought in six freshmen and five transfers, including freshman middle blocker Caroline Noonan, who was recognized as rookie of the week in Week 3.
With so many new players, the team is still figuring out how to play together, which contributes to its rocky start: the Cougars had a losing record in the College of Charleston Classic, split the Blue Ridge Volleyball Classic and swept the competition in the Steve Baumrind Invitational before falling in consecutive games to Towson. Although they are 0-2 in conference play, the Cougars remain near the top because they have not reached their full potential yet and lost to a dominant Towson team.
This weekend’s matchup against Hofstra is the time for Charleston to prove why it should be at the top of the conference leaderboard and figure out how to work as a unit.
No. 4 – Stony Brook University Seawolves (5-6, 1-1 CAA,)
Stony Brook’s season has been back-and-forth from the beginning. After dominating in the Stony Brook Invite, the Seawolves got swept in the DoubleTree Invitational. They went 1-2 in the Bryan Invitational and finally split their series against Northeastern last weekend.
Although the Seawolves and the Huskies have the same record, the Seawolves get the edge for beating Northeastern in fewer sets and for facing tougher competition, like the No. 11 nationally ranked Southern Methodist University Mustangs.
During Week 1, redshirt sophomore middle blocker Mercedes Motton was recognized a co-defense player of the week and freshman setter Ava Zamora was named rookie of the week.
The Seawolves’ next matchup is against Hampton on the road and should be a series to bolster up their record.
No. 5 – Northeastern University Huskies (5-7, 1-2 CAA)
The Northeastern Huskies started off strong, going 4-2 before being swept in a three-game series in Connecticut. Last season was rough for Northeastern, ending with a 10-16 record and only winning a single game on the road.
Senior libero Nadia Koanui was recognized as a co-defensive player of the Week Sept. 1 and leads the team in digs and service aces. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Valentina Meirelles was also a preseason honorable mention.
Several rookies have proven to be strong additions to the team, with freshman setter Sofia King leading the team in assists with 182 and freshman setter and outside hitter Emma Rowell leading in kills with 112. Additionally, junior middle blockers Beatrice Gennari and Kaylin Daniels sit atop the CAA leaderboard in hitting percentage at .478 and .433, respectively.
The Huskies are the only team in the conference who haven’t played at home yet, and considering their struggles last season, the Cabot Center crowd may give them the boost they need to play their best yet in their matchup against Towson this weekend.
No. 6 – William & Mary Tribe (5-6, 0-0 CAA)
Although their record doesn’t show it, the Tribe has been playing solid volleyball as well. They are first in the conference in blocks, averaging 3.05 per set, and service aces, averaging two per set.
Senior middle blocker Olivia Esposito and senior outside and opposite hitter Nicole Smith were named to the preseason All-CAA team, and senior middle blocker Ryann Love is second in the league in blocks with an average of 1.5 per set.
The Tribe have their first conference matchup against a rolling Campbell team Sept. 26.
No. 7 – Campbell University Camels (8-3, 0-0 CAA)
If this was a ranking for most improved teams, the Camels would be No. 1. Last season, the Camels went 6-22 overall and 4-14 in conference play. This year, the Camels already have eight wins after sweeping teams in the Fairfield Inn and Suites Dunn Campbell Invitational and the Queens Invitational, as well as beating the University of St. Thomas and East Tennessee State University.
Senior outside hitter Gwen Wolkow has been one of the strongest players for the Camels. She was a preseason All-CAA team member and was named co-offensive player of the week in Week 3. Freshman outside hitter Maja Daca was co-offensive player of the week in Week 2, and sophomore middle blocker Maddie Lambers was a preseason team honorable mention.
It’s up to the Camels to prove that their success reaches into conference play as they face off against William & Mary Sept. 26.
No. 8 – Elon University Phoenix (4-8, 2-0 CAA)
The Phoenix have had a rough beginning to their season, winning only one game in their first nine matchups. Recently, tides have begun to change as they swept Hampton in their two matchups last weekend and beat North Carolina Central Sept. 24.
Despite their recent wins, it’s important to note that Hampton is the weakest team in the CAA, failing to get a single win last season. Where Elon will match up against the rest of the CAA is yet to be determined.
While the season is just kicking off, Elon’s team looks relatively solid on paper, with junior outside hitter Cameron Lanier named to the preseason All-CAA team and sophomore middle blocker Catherine Rucker and junior middle blocker Caroline Berlekamp recognized as honorable mentions.
Elon has its next game against Radford Sept. 27 and its next CAA matchup Oct. 4 against Hofstra.
No. 9 – North Carolina A&T Aggies (4-5, 0-0 CAA)
N.C. A&T was ranked No. 4 in the CAA preseason polls, but there hasn’t been enough from the Aggies so far to put them that high. They won their first two games of the season but then lost four of the next six. With their next games against UNCW and Hampton, the Aggies have a chance to have a winning record, but the wins are coming from some of the weakest teams in the conference.
Despite their struggles, sophomore outside hitter Tyne Ross has been dominant for the team. She was named preseason player of the year, broke the program record with 425 kills in her freshman year last season, ranked 34th in the nation with 4.34 kills per set, was named offensive player of the week in Week 1 and leads the conference in points and kills. In addition to Ross, junior setter Leonor Polezzi leads the conference in assists with an average of 9.55 per set.
The Aggies have the ability to take back a winning record and a higher spot in the rankings by taking wins against UNCW Friday.
No. 10 – University of North Carolina Wilmington Seahawks (1-10, 0-2 CAA)
This season hasn’t been kind to UNCW, opening with six straight losses. UNCW got its first win of the season over the University of West Georgia Sept. 12. Last season, despite not being strong with a 7-18 overall and 4-14 in the CAA, they started off with a better record of four wins in the first 11 games.
Redshirt junior outside hitter Hannah Forbes has been the main force for the Seahawks, leading in kills and aces.
The Seahawks have their first conference games against the Aggies Sept. 26 and 27.
No. 11 – Hampton University Pirates (1-11, 0-2 CAA)
The Pirates, with a single win, are already off to a better start than the last two seasons combined.. Last year, the Pirates went 0-30 overall with only five games making it past a loss in three sets, and in 2023, they went 0-19.
The Pirates took their first win Sept. 6 against the Le Moyne Dolphins in five sets for their first win since Sept. 7, 2022. Otherwise, they lost three games in their home tournament, three of the four in the Blue Hen Invitational, both games in the Navy Invitational, their two CAA games against Elon and a game to Norfolk State University.
Hampton has its second CAA matchup of the season Friday against the Stony Brook Seawolves, where they hope to add a victory to their conference record for the first time since 2021.
