Elon’s Daniel Headlines 2020 All-CAA Volleyball Honors
RICHMOND, Va. (April 2, 2021) – Elon junior outside hitter Leah Daniel was selected as the 2020 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Volleyball Player of the Year in voting by the league's head coaches as the conference announced its postseason award winners on Friday.
Northeastern's Samantha Shupe was named 2020 CAA Setter of the year while Logan Manusky of Charleston was pegged as the 2020 CAA Libero of the Year. James Madison's Miëtte Veldman collected CAA Rookie of the Year accolades and JMU's Lauren Steinbrecher was honored as the 2020 CAA Coach of the Year.
Daniel becomes the first Elon player to ever receive CAA Volleyball Player of the Year honors after anchoring the Phoenix's attack throughout the season. The junior outside hitter led the CAA averaging 4.43 kills per set while swinging .232 on her attacks this spring. Daniel also chipped in 2.25 digs per set and recorded four double-doubles on the year rounding out her game.
Shupe excelled both on and off the court receiving CAA Setter of the Year honors. The senior split time this season participating as a research assistant at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through her co-op in the Northeastern Marine Biology program. On the court, she is as consistent as it gets for the Huskies averaging 7.93 assists per set to lead Northeastern. She also added 19 kills on a .391 hitting percentage and 10 service aces while rounding out her efforts with 2.21 digs per set. Shupe is the second setter in Northeastern history to be named CAA Setter of the Year and the first since Kristen Walding in 2016.
Manusky was the centerpiece of Charleston's defense which led the conference in every defensive statistical category. The senior libero sits atop the CAA ranks averaging 5.45 digs per set this season. As the captain of the defense, she played a large role in Charleston holding its opponents to the lowest hitting percentage (.123) in the CAA. Manusky is the third Cougar in program history to be named CAA Libero of the Year.
Veldman earns CAA Rookie of the Year accolades, giving James Madison its first rookie of the year since 2002. In her freshman campaign, the outside hitter was the engine that made the Dukes run. Veldman posted a .270 hitting percentage and led the Dukes with 4.26 kills per set, which ranks second in the CAA. She was also second on the team digging out 2.43 attacks per set while recording five double-doubles throughout the season.
Steinbrecher led the Dukes to a 7-2 record during an unprecedented season and earned the top seed in the South Division entering the CAA Championship. Steinbrecher is seeking her third CAA Volleyball title at the helm of the Dukes after winning the championship back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. She has earned CAA Co-Coach of the Year twice in 2010 and 2015 and now stands alone as the 2020 CAA Coach of the Year.
James Madison, Northeastern and William & Mary each had two selections on the All-CAA First Team. Sophia Davis and Miëtte Veldman were selected from the Dukes. Nailah Jenkins and Erica Staunton represented Northeastern while Julia Brown and Kate Dedrick hail from William & Mary. Charleston's Logan Manusky, Elon's Leah Daniel and Nina Cajic of Towson were also among the All-CAA First Team.
Overall, James Madison and Northeastern had the most student-athletes honored as each program had four individuals collect accolades.
2020 CAA Volleyball First Team
| Player, School |
Position |
Class |
Hometown |
| Julia Brown, William & Mary |
MB |
Sr. |
Geneva, Ill. |
| Nina Cajic, Towson |
OPP |
Fr. |
Subotica, Serbia |
| Leah Daniel, Elon |
OH |
Jr. |
Zionsville, Ind. |
| Sophia Davis, James Madison |
MB |
So. |
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| Kate Dedrick, William & Mary |
OPP |
Gr. |
Plano, Texas |
| Nailah Jenkins, Northeastern |
MB |
So. |
Atlanta, Ga. |
| Logan Manusky, Charleston |
L |
Sr. |
San Diego, Calif. |
| Erica Staunton, Northeastern |
OH |
So. |
Orland Park, Ill. |
| Miëtte Veldman, James Madison |
OH |
Fr. |
Daleville, Va. |
2020 CAA Volleyball Second Team
| Player, School |
Position |
Class |
Hometown |
| Hazel Brown, Charleston |
OH |
Sr. |
Oakville, Ontario, Canada |
| Jordan Gower, Elon |
DS/L |
So. |
Raleigh, N.C. |
| Emily Jarome, Towson |
OH |
Jr. |
Wilmington, Del. |
| Savannah Marshall, James Madison |
L/DS |
Jr. |
Virginia Beach, Va. |
| Kayla Martin, Northeastern |
L |
So. |
Prosper, Texas |
| Ana Martinovic, Hofstra |
OH |
Sr. |
Belgrade, Serbia |
| Brynn Montgomery, UNCW |
S/OH |
Sr. |
Fort Collins, Colo. |
| Lily Rogers, Delaware |
S/RS |
Fr. |
St. Louis, Mo. |
| Lydia Wiers, Towson |
MB |
So. |
Willard, Ohio |
2020 CAA Player of the Year: Leah Daniel, Elon
2020 CAA Setter of the Year: Samantha Shupe, Northeastern
2020 CAA Libero of the Year: Logan Manusky, Charleston
2020 CAA Rookie of the Year: Miëtte Veldman, James Madison
2020 CAA Coach of the Year: Lauren Steinbrecher, James Madison
2020 CAA Volleyball All-Rookie Team
| Player, School |
Position |
Class |
Hometown |
| Defne Arliel, Northeastern |
OH |
Fr. |
Istanbul, Turkey |
| Nina Cajic, Towson |
OPP |
Fr. |
Subotica, Serbia |
| Elizabeth Helmich, James Madison |
RS |
Fr. |
Plymouth, Minn. |
| Lily Rogers, Delaware |
S/RS |
Fr. |
St. Louis, Mo. |
| Savannah Seemans, Delaware |
OH |
Fr. |
Newark, Del. |
| Miëtte Veldman, James Madison |
OH |
Fr. |
Daleville, Va. |